Russian Idea" of F.M. Dostoevsky: from Soilness to Universality

The author reveals Fyodor Dostoevsky's works main features, his importance for Russian and world philosophy. The researcher analyzes the concept of "Russian Idea" introduced by Dostoyevsky, which became a study subject in Russian philosophy's subsequent history. The polemics that arose regarding the characteristics of Dostoevsky's soilness ( Pochvennichestvo ) ideology and his interpretation of the Russian Idea in his Pushkin Speech and subsequent comments in A Writer's Diary are unveiled. The author concludes that Dostoevsky overcomes the limitations of soilness and comes to universalism. The universal for him does not have a rootless cosmopolitan character but is born from the national's heyday. Diversity adorns the truth, and national diversity enamels humankind. People's real unity is in that all-human value that is found in the highest examples of each national culture. The truth is not in rootless cosmopolitanism or nationalism - it is in the "golden mean," which, in our opinion, the writer-philosopher sought to express. Dostoevsky wanted to rise above the dispute, to recognize the points of view of the Slavophiles and Westernizers as one-sided, to get out of any particularity to universality.

Ideology Restart: Liberal Project and Pandemic. Lessons of 2020

The present article is an abridged version of the paper of the “Russian Idea” site editors staff devoted to the ideological transformation in the Western countries and Russia in 2020, – the year of COVID pandemic and dramatic elections in the USA. The paper was drawn before the results of the elections were made public, but still it contains the correct forecast of the electoral victory of the liberal establishment representative. The authors also made the hypothesis confirmed by further course of events, that the winner of the ideological contest of 2020 would be the ideology described by the authors as the “new Atlantism”, – the doctrine about the Atlantic coalition interests priority over the national interests of the countries composing the coalition. The paper also forecasts the defeat of populism and Trumpism: in fact, having initiated the new cold war against China the supporters of those trends in the USA will surrender the initiative to their ideological opponents who are much more experienced in leading cold wars. On the basis of these conclusions the authors make the assumption of which new ideologies opposing the liberal establishment would be adopted by the conservative-minded intellectuals, and which conservative strategies could be of current importance for Russia as well.

Post-liberal Communitarianism in Contemporary Russia: Future in the Legacy of the Past

The address to communitarianism as a system of ideas and a model of the “ideal type” of a public organization can serve as the foundation for scientific and philosophical research of the problems of organizing public dialogue and social consolidation, the implementation of the organic relationship of technological progress with institutional and anthropological conservatism. The issue of communitarianism has a certain tradition in Russian thought of different eras and directions (Slavophilism, philosophy of the “new religious consciousness”, Eurasianism, ethical and anthropological studies in Soviet – orthodox and non–Marxist – philosophy and certain recent historical, philosophical and political science works), which is both indirect and in some cases quite direct. Comparing the approaches of domestic and foreign authors to the factors of transformation of society on the principles of social harmony allows us to conclude that when in Western philosophy communitarianism is simply the criticism of liberalism and the search for a balance between various social forces interests, in Russia it is capable to reach a fundamentally higher axiological and theoretical level within the framework of integration with the conceptual baggage of the Russian idea and the real experience of the state of social justice understanding.

Raskolnikov on the Way to ‘Holy Russia’: Hermeneutics of Raskolnikov’s Image in F. M. Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment

The image of Raskolnikov in F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment has been widely researched and commented upon. However, suggesting a particular approach to the material — that of hermeneutic linguistics — and focusing on the problem of holiness (two essential principles of this article) provide new results in understanding the content of Raskolnikov’s image, the direction of its development, and the inner plot of the novel’s epilogue. The paper focuses on defining markers of the idea of ‘Holy Russia’ in the image of Rodion Raskolnikov as well as the role of ‘holy’ symbols both in its own development, and, through it, in the novel’s overall plot. Particular attention is paid to intertextual connections of the novel with the New Testament and established prayers, as well as to temporal and topic religious symbols referring to the hero. The paper argues that both the ideals of ‘Holy Russia’ and Dostoevsky’s ‘Russian idea’ play a significant role in the development of the plot and the hero’s character. It also analyzes the connection of the hero’s inner journey (his spiritual and moral fall and his later rebirth) with embodying the ‘Russian idea’ in the image of an intellectual in the novel. The hermeneutic research demonstrates that Dostoevsky, bringing his hero through the abyss of ‘theoretical’ temptation, inner schism, and jail, discovers in him those powers that can become sources of transformation for his soul and his life, putting him on the way to holiness. The image of Raskolnikov appears to be charged with meanings connected with the ideals of ‘Holy Russia’ both in terms of individual transformation (the way to holiness) and in terms of social unity (the way to self-sacrificial service, mutual Christian love, and the common good).

The Revival of the Russian Idea Ethic and Aesthetic Traditions in the Anthropologic Social and Conservative Paradigm

Russian idea formation in the framework of mental and artistic forms largely determines its ethic and aesthetic trends. The following philosophic conceptualization of the Russian idea turned out to be connected not only with the empire project, but also with the expression of national traditions in the classic culture, from architecture to philosophy. Under the conditions of the global technological crisis of spiritual culture that has captured the quasi-westernized modern Russia, the conservative progress understanding implies in fact the integration of anthropological and social conservatism. Russian idea modernization as an important direction of the domestic philosophy renewal, implies the critical analysis of post-philosophic –suicidal in relation to man, national sovereignty, fundamental social institutions, - doctrines and substantiation of absolute importance of classic and national spiritual traditions, moral and aesthetic context of material and technical progress, cultural self-sufficiency and originality. The panhuman character of the Russian idea in the 21st century consists in the project of co-evolutionary preservation of man, philosophy and culture.

Justification of Russia: political views of Russian cosmists

The article is devoted to the investigation of Russian cosmists’ political views. The political theory touched upon in the works of the cosmists is an essential feature of the entire trend. At the same time, a paradox in the political views of cosmists is observed. On the one hand, the project of cosmism is universal, worldwide. On the other hand, not a single cosmist ignored the question of Russia's place in the world, and this reflects the nature of Russian thought. We can see that the problem of political power in cosmism is both universal and national. Unfortunately, not enough attention has been paid to this problem, although Russian cosmism is recognized as the core of all Russian philosophy and as an important element of the Russian idea. The study of the political thought of Russian cosmism is an important step in understanding the political characteristics of Russian culture. For a complete review the cosmists’ philosophy of politic, we analyzed the works of Russian cosmists – N.F. Fedorov, V.S. Solovyov, K.E. Tsiolkovsky V.I. Vernadsky, S.G. Semenova and lesser known figures – N.A. Setnitsky, V.N. Muravyov, B.B. Vakhtin, I.M. Borzenko. Dialectical and hermeneutic methods were used to solve the research problems. As a result of the study, the key features of various political concepts of cosmists are identified, the palette of political views of cosmists is presented, including N.F. Fedorov’s autocracy, V.N. Muravyov’s republic, B.B. Vakhtin’s skepticism of the possibility of stable political governance. The philosophical and historical causes of changes in the political views of cosmists are proposed. The proposition that the political views of Russian cosmists synthetically combine the universal and the individual, thereby removing the contradiction between the global and the national, is substantiated. It is noted that various political concepts of Russian cosmists is reduced by a general intention towards a global and cosmic essence of the political structure. This intention is one of the main features of Russian cosmism.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO REANIMATE THE RUSSIAN IDEA?

It is the description of change the sense of Russian idea under the influence of neoliberal transformation of Russia. The Russian idea was understood as all-around everybody will have much wealth because of freedom market relations. Voucher and MMM - are two parts of new Russian idea, realization of which was coincide with destruction of Soviet Union as superpower. It was the aim of western strategy. Neoliberal policy did not take into account the west conception of world order with the ruling role of united states. Russia was the main obstacle on this way. The adequate evaluation of neoliberal policy was the true way of understanding real sense of Russian idea as self-defense of Russian civilization, the unity of humanity and escape it from self-destruction. The essay opens the discussion about Russia as simbol of «backword» and west as the simbol of «Progress», and «Slavophiles» and «Westerners», position of Lev Tolstoy moral position and Max Weberʼs war against Lev Tolstoy. The new understanding of Russian idea was considered in context of global changes and victories of Red Army in great war with Nazism, becoming soviet union as superpower. The Russian idea gave the new life to the conception of the Third Rome with the new understanding of perspectives contemporary evolution of civilization.

“It’s All One Big Fantasy”: The Critique of Modernity in Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot

The opposition between Europe and Russia runs through Dostoevsky’s novel The Idiot, culminating in Mme Epanchina’s declaration that both Europe and the Russians who travel to Europe are “one big fantasy” [Dostoevsky, 2002, p. 615]. In the novel, Dostoevsky uses the exile trope as a literary tool for expressing his Russian idea. Although the spiritual underpinnings of Dostoevsky’s nationalism have been well studied, the secular side of this concept bears further exploration. Peter Wagner argues that nationalism constitutes a response to the nostalgia that is developed in exile following one’s breaking away from tradition. Nineteenth-century nationalism specifically “was an attempt to recreate a sense of origins in the face of the disembedding effects of early modernity and capitalism” [Wagner, 2001, p. 103]. By applying Wagner’s theoretical framework to Dostoevsky’s narrative, the author demonstrates that in its secular essence, Dostoevsky’s nationalism is not a merely localized manifestation of a uniquely Russian sentiment, but a symptom of a larger phenomenon that was taking place in late nineteenth-century Europe. Because Mme Epanchina gets to say the final word in Dostoevsky’s novel, her role and the subtleties of her message will be the primary focus of the present analysis.

“It’s All One Big Fantasy”: The Critique of Modernity in Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot

The opposition between Europe and Russia runs through Dostoevsky’s novel The Idiot, culminating in Mme Epanchina’s declaration that both Europe and the Russians who travel to Europe are “one big fantasy” [Dostoevsky, 2002, p. 615]. In the novel, Dostoevsky uses the exile trope as a literary tool for expressing his Russian idea. Although the spiritual underpinnings of Dostoevsky’s nationalism have been well studied, the secular side of this concept bears further exploration. Peter Wagner argues that nationalism constitutes a response to the nostalgia that is developed in exile following one’s breaking away from tradition. Nineteenth-century nationalism specifically “was an attempt to recreate a sense of origins in the face of the disembedding effects of early modernity and capitalism” [Wagner, 2001, p. 103]. By applying Wagner’s theoretical framework to Dostoevsky’s narrative, the author demonstrates that in its secular essence, Dostoevsky’s nationalism is not a merely localized manifestation of a uniquely Russian sentiment, but a symptom of a larger phenomenon that was taking place in late nineteenth-century Europe. Because Mme Epanchina gets to say the final word in Dostoevsky’s novel, her role and the subtleties of her message will be the primary focus of the present analysis.