approximately 40-50 years of XIX century Russian society singled out two areas - Slavophilism and Westernism.Slavophiles promoted the idea of a "special path of Russia", while their opponents, Westerners tended to need to go in the footsteps of Western civilization, especially in the areas of social organization, cultural and civic life.
Where did these terms?
«Slavophiles" - a term introduced by famous poet Konstantin Batiushkov.In turn, the word "Westernism" first appeared in Russian culture in the 40s of the nineteenth century.In particular, it can be found in the "Memoirs" Ivan Panaeva.Most often, the term began to be used after 1840, when there was a gap Aksakov Belinsky.
History of Slavophilism
Slavophiles, of course, did not appear spontaneously "out of nowhere."This was preceded by a whole era of research, writing numerous scientific papers and publications, painstaking study of the history and culture of Russia.
believed that at the very beginning of this philosophical trend was Archimandrite Gabriel, also known as Vasily Resurrection.In 1840 he released in Kazan "Russian philosophy", which was in its way a barometer of emerging Slavophilism.
Nevertheless, the philosophy of the Slavophiles began to emerge later in the course of ideological disputes that have arisen on the basis of discussion "Philosophical Letter" Chaadaev.Proponents of this trend were the rationale of individual, distinctive way of historical development of Russia and the Russian people, is radically different from the Western European path.According Slavophiles, Russian identity in the first place is the lack of class struggle in its history, in the land Russian community and cooperatives, as well as in Orthodoxy in the only true Christianity.
Development Slavophile flow.The main ideas
in 1840.slavophiles views are particularly common in Moscow.The best minds of state gathered in the literary salons Elagina, Pauline, Sverbeevyh - it is here that they communicated with each other and were lively discussions with Westerners.
It should be noted that the writings and works of the Slavophiles were harassed by censorship, some activists were in sight of the police, and some were even arrested.It is because of this for quite a long time they did not have a permanent publication and post your notes and articles mainly in the magazine "Moskvityanin."After a partial easing of censorship in the 50s Slavophils began to publish their own magazines ("Rural beautification", "Russian conversation") and newspapers ("Sail," Rumors ").
Russia should not assimilate and adopt the form of Western politics - this was firmly convinced all, without exception, the Slavophiles.This, however, did not prevent them consider it necessary to active development of industry and trade, banking and equity business, the introduction of modern machinery in agriculture and the construction of railways.In addition, the Slavophiles welcomed the idea of the abolition of serfdom "from above" with the mandatory provision of land plots to peasant communities.
Much attention was paid to religion, to which the idea of the Slavophiles were fairly closely related.According to them, the true faith, which came to Russia from the Eastern Church, leads to a special, unique historical mission of the Russian people.That orthodoxy and tradition, social system will allow to generate the deepest foundations of the Russian soul.
Overall, Slavophiles people perceived as part of the conservative romanticism.Characteristic of them were idealization principles of traditionalism and patriarchal.In parallel with that, the Slavophiles sought to lead the intelligentsia to a rapprochement with the common people, the study of everyday life and everyday life, language and culture.
representatives of Slavophilism
In XIX century in Russia worked many writers, poets, scientists and Slavophiles.Representatives of this direction that deserve special attention - Khomyakov, Aksakov, Samarin.Chizhov were prominent Slavophiles, Koshelev, Belyaev, Valuev, Lamanskii, Hilferding and Cherkassy.
close enough to the outlook for this area were writers Ostrovsky, Tiutchev, Dal, language and Grigoriev.
with respect and interest in the ideas of Slavophilism treated respected linguists and historians - Bodyansky, Grigorovich, Buslaev.
History of
Westernism Slavophilism and Westernism arose at about the same period, and consequently, consider these philosophical currents needed in the complex.Westernism Slavophilism as the opposite - it is the direction of Russian anti-feudal social thought, also emerged in the 40s of XIX century.
primordial organizational base for representatives of this trend were the Moscow literary salons.Ideological debates that took place in them vividly and realistically depicted in "My Past and Thoughts," Herzen.
Development Westernizing currents.The main ideas
philosophy of Slavophiles and Westerners differ dramatically.In particular, a common feature of the ideology of Westerners include categorical rejection of the feudal serf system in politics, economy and culture.They were in favor of carrying out socio-economic reforms on the Western model.
representatives Westerners believed that always remains the possibility for the establishment of the bourgeois-democratic regime by peaceful means, the methods of propaganda and education.They are highly appreciated the reforms conducted by Peter I, and considered it their duty to convert and form public opinion in such a way that the monarchy was forced to carry out bourgeois reforms.
Westerners believed that to overcome economic and social backwardness of Russia should not at the expense of indigenous culture, and due to the experience of Europe, bygone forward.However, they did not focus on the differences between the West and Russia, but on the whole, that was present in their cultural and historical destiny.
the early stages of philosophical research Westerners particularly influenced by the works of Schiller, Hegel and Schilling.
split Westerners in the mid 40s.XIX century
In the mid-forties of the XIX century among Westerners there was a fundamental split.It happened after a dispute Herzen and Granovsky.The result was two lines of Westernizing currents: liberal and revolutionary-democratic.
reason for disagreement lay in relation to religion.If the Liberals defended the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, the Democrats, in turn, relied on the position of materialism and atheism.
differ in their ideas about the methods of reform in Russia and the post-reform development of the state.So, the Democrats advocated the idea of the revolutionary struggle in order to further the building of socialism.
greatest influence on the views of Westerners in this period were the works of Comte, Feuerbach, and Saint-Simon.
In the post-reform period in terms of universal capitalist development Westernism ceased to exist as a special direction of social thought.
representatives Westernism
The original circle of Moscow Westerners were Granovsky, Herzen, Korsch, Ketscher, Botkin, Ogarev, Kavelin, and so on. D. In close contact with the circle of Belinsky, who lived in St. Petersburg.Westerners consider myself to be a talented writer Ivan Turgenev.
After what happened in the mid 40s.Annenkov split, Korsch, Kavelin, Granovsky and some other officials were on the side of the liberals, and Herzen, Belinsky and Ogarev moved to the side of the Democrats.
Communication between Slavophiles and Westerners
It is worth remembering that these philosophical trends were born in the same time, their founders were representatives of the same generation.Moreover - and Westerners and Slavophiles came from a single social environment revolved in some circles.
Fans of both theories are constantly communicating with each other.And communication is not always limited to criticism: they find themselves at a meeting in a circle, they are quite often found in the thoughts of their ideological opponents something close personal point of view.
Generally, most disputes are of the highest cultural level - opponents treated each other with respect, listened attentively to the other side and tried to give convincing arguments in favor of their position.
similarities between Slavophiles and Westerners
Apart precipitated later Westerners Democrats, and the first and second recognized the need for reform in Russia, and to solve existing problems peacefully, without revolutions and bloodshed.Slavophiles interpreted it in their own way, sticking to a conservative, but also recognized the need for change.
believed that the attitude to religion was one of the most contentious issues in the ideological disputes between supporters of different theories.However, in fairness, it is worth noting the fact that the human factor played in this significant role.Thus, the views of the Slavophiles were largely based on the idea of spirituality of the Russian people, its proximity to the orthodoxy and strict observance of all religious traditions.At the same time the Slavophiles themselves, most of them - came from secular families do not always follow the religious rites.Westerners also do not encourage excessive piety in man, although some members of the current (a vivid example - PY Chaadaev) sincerely believed that spirituality and, in particular, is an integral part of Orthodox Russia.Among the representatives of both trends present both believers and atheists.
were those who did not belong to any of these trends, ranking third overlooking pine.For example, VS Solovyov in his writings stated that a satisfactory solution to the major universal questions still have not been found neither in the East nor the West.This means that work on them together must all, without exception, active forces of humanity, listening to each other and together closer to prosperity and greatness.Solovyov believed that the "pure" Westerners and "clean" Slavophiles - people limited and incapable of objective judgment.
To summarize
Westerners and Slavophiles, the basic ideas of which we have reviewed in this article, in fact, were utopians.Westerners have idealized foreign way of development, the European technology, often forgetting about the peculiarities of Russian mentality and psychology of the eternal differences in Western and Russian.Slavophiles, in turn, praised the way the Russian people were inclined to idealize the state, the image of the monarch and Orthodoxy.And those and others did not notice the threat of revolution and the last hope for solving problems by reforms by peaceful means.The winner in this endless ideological war it is impossible to distinguish, in fact disputes the correctness of the chosen path of development does not stop Russia today.
