Russian philosophy was born in the context of the East Slavic Christian theological thought.It can be divided into the period from the XI to XVII century, after which comes the era of Russian Enlightenment (XVII-XVIII century) and, finally, the nineteenth century, the most famous and gave the world many outstanding names.The previous century also remained undeservedly forgotten, or at least do not attract much attention.However, this period is very interesting.
Although originally Russian philosophy was strongly influenced by Byzantine theology, however, she was able to develop its own conceptual language and practical conclusions.Examples of this are the famous "Sermon on Law and Grace" Metropolitan Hilarion, dating back to the XI century - the interpretation of the Old Testament, containing the concept of the celebration of "light" of the "darkness";as well as the "Instructions" Vladimir Monomakh of the XII century, which is the ethical code of conduct of the laity (good works, penance and almsgiving).The foundations have been developed "patriarchal despotism."In the Middle Ages, as the world recognized God's creation, the history and the surrounding reality was perceived as an arena of struggle grace and wiles of the devil.
Russian religious thinkers responded to the Greek hesychasm own reflections on "silent, mental prayer."That's when the problem was first raised in the Russian human philosophy.There was a doctrine of the integrity of the person, identified through the ecstasy of the analysis of its passions and sins of the "essence" and "energies" that "God is known through creation, so the person - in mind."There were in Russia and unorthodox Christian philosophers, and even the whole movement called "heretical" - Strigolniki, which compares with Western Cathars and Waldenses and the non-possessors, who, in turn, became fellow European reformist currents.
Since the time of Ivan the Terrible Russian philosophy takes on a political character.This can be seen from the correspondence of the king with his friend-enemy of Prince Kurbsky.Its representatives are beginning to talk about the technology and the art of ruling administration, the need for "opekaniya" people through the (secret) State Council.His direction is geopolitical peak reached in the writings of Abbot Filofeja, which refers to Russia as the Third Rome, "and the fourth not be alone."There were also secular philosophy justifying unlimited autocracy, Ivan Peresvetov and Ermolai Erasmus.Patriarch Nikon tried to imagine the spiritual power over the secular, "a Latin-style", and Yuri Krizanic called for the unification of the Slavs against the Greek and the German threat.
Russian philosophy, undoubtedly felt the impact of the Western European and even fond of fashion while the problems, for example, about the relationship to the ancient Greco-Roman culture.This is typical for the end of the XVII and XVIII centuries, when there is a renaissance of secular thinking.First of all, it accounts for the creation and flourishing of the Moscow University, where training began to move from Latin to Russian.There was a whole galaxy of Enlightenment philosophers such as Feofan Prokopovich, Stefan Jaworski, Shcherbakov, Kozelskiy, Tretyakov, Anichkov, Baturin, who made his own attempt to synthesize elements of ancient and Christian culture.
Russian philosophy of the Enlightenment can be proud of such a representative as Mikhail Lomonosov.Being a man of humble origin, he graduated from the St. Petersburg Academy, and was a real encyclopedic knowledge, has written numerous works ranging from mechanics, physics and mining and ending with political notes of the "preservation and multiplication of the Russian people."He shared many progressive for its time view of science, including the principle of "non-interference" of theology at the physics of the natural philosophy of the matter and attraction, not dependent on the divine will, the "laws of nature" and the structure of the material world "from corpuscles"(which is the anticipation of atomic theory molekuryarnoy structure of the universe), and so on.Lomonosov admired the ideas of Giordano Bruno on the plurality of worlds and recognize the law of conservation of matter and energy.Being a man of extraordinary intelligence, he left his descendants a great exhortation: "The experience of more than a thousand opinions, but neumeyuschih use of reason, the experience is useless."
