the study of social thought in Russia is impossible to pass the 40-ies of the 19th century, when the idea formed Slavophiles and Westerners.Their arguments were not over the last century and still have political significance, especially in light of recent events.
situation
19th century In the early 19th century, Russia was the country with the land of the feudal mode of production, in contrast to Europe, where a process of consolidation of capitalist bourgeois relations.Thereby increasing the economic backwardness of the Russian Empire, which gave occasion to reflect on the need for change.By and large, they even began Peter, but the results were insufficient.At the same time bourgeois relations fought their way into Europe by means of revolutions, blood and violence.Promote competition, intensified exploitation.Recent evidence is not encouraging many representatives of domestic public opinion.There is quite understandable debate about the future development of the state, especially because of the internal politics emperors rushed from one extreme to the other.Slavophiles and Westerners - two opposite ways for Russia, but everyone had to bring it to prosperity.
In response to movement of the Slavophiles
almost two centuries among the upper classes of the Russian state was formed poklonnicheskoe attitude towards Europe and its achievements.Russia is increasingly transformed, trying to be like the Western countries.Khomyakov was first issued on display public thought about the special way of development of our state - on the basis of collectivism, which manifests itself in a rural community.This eliminates the need to emphasize the backwardness of powers and equal to Europe.Around expressed theses united thinkers, especially writers.They became known as the Slavophiles.Westerners - a kind of answer to the above movement.Representatives of Westernism, based on the ideas of Georg Hegel, saw the common trends in the development of all countries.
Philosophical Foundations of Westernism
Throughout the history of human thought sounded question posed by Paul Gauguin: "Who are we? Where? Where?".Regarding the last part it was allocated three points of view.Some said that degrades humanity.Others - that is moving in a circle, that is, develops cyclically.Still others argued that progresses.Westerners - are thinkers who hold the latter view.They believed that history is progressive and has a vector of development, with Europe ahead of other regions of the world and defined the path that will go to all other peoples.Therefore, all countries, as well as Russia, should focus on the achievements of European civilization in all spheres of society without exception.
against Westerners Slavophiles
So, in the 40s of the 19th century had the ideological confrontation "Slavophiles - Westerners".A table comparing the basic tenets of best demonstrate their views on the past and future of the Russian state.
| Westerners | Questions comparisons | Slavophiles |
| unified Europe | development path | identity, special |
| backwardness in comparison with Western countries | Russia's position | can notcompare with other states |
| positive, he contributed to the country's progress | relationship with the reforms of Peter the First | negative, he destroyed civilization existed |
| parliamentary monarchy, the constitutional system of civil rights and freedoms | Russia's political system | Autocracy, but the type of patriarchal authority.The strength of opinion - people (Zemsky Sobor), the power of the authorities - the king. |
| Negative Attitude to serfdom | negative |
representatives Westernism
important role in the great bourgeois reforms 60-70-ies played Westerners.Representatives of the public thought were not only ideological inspirers of state reforms, but they themselves were involved in their development.Thus, an active social position occupied Konstantin Kavelin, Peru which belongs to the "Note on the liberation of the peasants."Timofei Granovsky, a professor of history, argued for the continuation of reforms laid down in the early eighteenth century, the Enlightenment for active government policy.Around him united and associates, which include Turgenev, Botkin, M. Katkov, Vernadsky, B. Chicherin.Westerners ideas underlie most progressive reforms of the 19th century - the judiciary, which laid the foundations of the rule of law and civil society.
fate of Westerners
often happens that in the process of development of a social movement is its further fragmentation, ie split.No exception and Westerners.This relates primarily to highlight the radical groups proclaiming a revolutionary way of making change.It includes Belinsky, N. Ogarev, and, of course, Herzen.At some point there was a rapprochement revolutionary Slavophiles and Westerners who believe that the farming community can be the basis of future devices society.But it was not determinative.In general the confrontation of ideas original path of Russia's development, up to the special role of our civilization in the world, and the need to Westernizing orientation remained.Currently, the watershed runs mainly in the political sphere, in which stand out the Westerners.The representatives of this movement in favor of integration into the European Union, seeing it as a way out of the impasse of civilization, which included in the period of socialist construction.
