In the article, based on the material of M. Gorky’s letters, the concept of “man and life” is considered and investigated as one of the deep categories of his philosophy of artistic creativity and philosophy of life. It is traced how the theme associated with man, with human life, was gradually mastered by Russian literature since the end of the Middle Ages and how it was transformed and solved in Gorky’s work at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. The thesis is formulated that, along with M.V. Lomonosov and A.S. Pushkin, Gorky is a symbol and embodiment of one of the most important periods in the development of Russian culture. It is proved that the purpose of literature, according to Gorky’s philosophy of culture, is to depict man as a creator and the highest stage in the development of nature. The qualities of a person that are integral to his social essence are identified and systematized. An assessment of the personality of the writer himself is given on the basis of numerous statements about him by domestic and foreign cultural figures. The role and significance of Gorky in Russian, Russian and world literature and culture is determined.