This text explores the fundamental distinction between things and non-things, focusing primarily on the difference between inanimate objects and living beings. The author argues that certain 'things,' such as language, cannot be reduced to mere signs or rules, as they possess qualities akin to life. A significant portion of the discussion addresses the nature of events, distinguishing between those that are self-integrated and those, such as historical events, that require human consciousness and thought for their integrity. Phenomena like war, the Gulag, and the Shoah are presented as complex wholes that transcend a simple accumulation of individual fates or isolated incidents. Ultimately, the author contends that understanding life must serve as the foundation for general comprehension. Explaining the living through the inanimate is seen as a fundamental error that leads to the degradation of not only organic life but also the intellectual and spiritual realms. The work thus offers a philosophical critique of reductionism and emphasizes the role of consciousness in historical reality.