Disputes over the existence of pure Russian philosophy and its significance continue indefinitely. It analyzes more and more opening, new, translated into modern language sources. Did the Slavs even have a philosophy? The history of Russian philosophy begins with Ancient Russia, and its heyday came at the end of the XIX and the beginning of the XX century.
The origins of Russian philosophy
There was no pure philosophy in Ancient Russia as such, since Russia was totally religious. They took Greek and Byzantine philosophy and translated into the language of that time, the language of Cyril and Methodius, especially the part that was associated with Christianity, with the lives of the saints. Philosophy came here as a kind of secondary context. But she still was. And it is no accident that one of the brothers, considered enlighteners, Cyril, was called a philosopher. This title was very high. Above him was only the title of theologian.
The first Russian philosophical document is the "Word of the Law and Grace" written by Metropolitan Hilarion. The "word" is created in the tradition of Byzantine homiletics. This is a sermon preached in the church over the tomb of Prince Vladimir, the baptist of Russia. It begins with a parable from the Old Testament, then turns to the New, and then morality follows about what Christianity gave Russia in general.
Of course, for the Russians it was important what Byzantium lived until it fell in 1453. Although the relationship was not so close.
Basically, from the need to explain the world order and relations with God and the state, philosophy arises in Russia. The history of Russian philosophy is further complicated.
The best books on the history of Russian philosophy
The history of Russian philosophy is further complicated, since philosophers in Russia have often been persecuted, of course, by the government. This was written by Nikolai Onufrievich Lossky. The History of Russian Philosophy, his book, tells us that persecution ended only in 1860. But only in 1909 did Russian philosophy “breathe” with renewed vigor, and even then the revolution of 1917 destroyed all works. The book of Lossky reflects all the way that Russian philosophy has passed. The History of Russian Philosophy was the first book of its kind. However, in her native country she was banned. It was first printed in English, in 1951, then translated into other languages, and in Russia it was published only in 1991. Of course, there were copies in Russian even before that — among the members of the Central Committee of the CPSU, but the works of Nikolai Onufrievich were not available to ordinary people.
Another work on this subject was written by Vasily Vasilievich Zenkovsky. The History of Russian Philosophy was published in two volumes in 1948–1950. The first volume was a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Church Sciences, which was successfully defended. This monograph brought him international fame, it was immediately translated into English.
Mikhail Alexandrovich Maslin wrote the book “History of Russian Philosophy”. Maslin was the leader of the group of authors, which also included Myslivchenko, Medvedev, Polyakov, Popov and Pustarnakov. The book covers the domestic history of philosophy from the XI century to the present. Maslov calls the times of philosophy in Kievan Rus the period of apprenticeship. And he describes the 17th century as a time of an irresistible craving for ethics and aesthetics, as well as a special interest in historiosophical problems and the period of journalism of Russian philosophy.
Domestic Philosophy: History of Russian Philosophy of the 18th Century
The 18th century was marked by reforms. This period was the time of the reign of Peter the Great - a time of close contact with Western culture, major reforms and achievements.
Bright representatives of the philosophy of this time were Antioch Dmitrievich Kantemir, Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev and Archbishop Feofan Prokopovich. The latter argued for the benefit of education and science. Cantemir ridiculed human and social vices. He introduced many terms into Russian philosophy. Tatishchev was for the idea of morality and religion, the goal of the human being was the balance of mental forces. A huge contribution was made to the philosophy of Russia of that era by Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov. He founded the Russian materialistic tradition.
The enrichment of Russian philosophy - G. S. Skovoroda
The 18th century gave the world another famous philosopher - Grigory Savvich Skovoroda, a Ukrainian born in 1722. To this day, he is a Ukrainian hero.
Gregory Savvich kept celibacy, being a monk in the world, and did not start a family. Actualized the heritage of the Frying Pan in the 20th century, Vladimir Frantsevich Ern, also a Russian philosopher. He wrote and published the book “Grigory Skovoroda. Life and doctrine. "
Frying pan had a doctrine of three worlds - a large sociable world, or a macrocosm, as philosophers say, a small world, or a little world - this is a person, and about the symbolic world - the Bible, to which Frying pan was very ambivalent. He scolded her, or said that the images of the Bible are such "carts, treasures of eternity lucky."
The frying pan wrote 33 dialogs and carried them with him in a bag over his shoulders, wandering. He was called the Russian Socrates.
Nineteenth century
The 20s of the XIX century was the time of the appearance of amateur circles who considered philosophy as a matter of their life. These are university graduates. Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin called them "archival youths."
Vladimir Fedorovich Odoevsky, Dmitry Venivitinov (a poet who died only 22 years old), Ivan Vasilievich Kireevsky (future Slavophile, master of Slavophilism), Alexander Ivanovich Koshelev, Norov, Rozhalin, Cherkassky - the composition of the Society of Wise People. "Lubosity" - translated from Greek - this is philosophy, the love of wisdom. They generally liked to play with foreign philosophical terms, translating them into Russian style.
Lyubomudras believed that it was necessary to change the addiction to French ideas (bearing in mind the philosophy of the Enlightenment) by German idealism, because it was a philosophy of the identity of spirit, intelligentsia and nature. They neglected social philosophy, but studied natural sciences, brain physiology. Anyone who was wise wanted to find a soul in a human body.
The circle ceased its activity in 1825. And two philosophical movements appeared - Westernizers and Slavophiles.