“To Understand Russia”? Question about Russia as a Philosophical Problem

Marian Broda

Department of Central and Eastern Europe, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.

DOI: 10.4236/ojpp.2014.44063                

Abstract

The aim of this article is to identify and explain the cognitive possibilities which—for the sake of analysis of the questions about Russia and the efforts to “understand Russia”, for centuries central to the Russian intellectual and cultural tradition—are offered by the post-Kantian philosophical perspective. The fundamental research method is the analysis of texts in which representative members of the Russian philosophical and broader intelectual-cultural tradition undertake selfcoqnitive attempts, asking questions about Russia. The analyses which I have undertaken, show that in the post-Kantian theoretical perspective it is possible to strive for recognition of the basic assumptions, structures, properties and conditions of the sense-making processes, which are invisible for such a subject, which is directly involved in a specific cognitive relation. It is then possible and required to determine which forms and structures can appear—and why—within those basic assumptions or conditions as important—from the perspective of subject, object or axiology—the recognition of factors, conditions and limits of heterogenization of the basic structural and substantial solutions, the recurring relations of senses and the types of their specifications, and the scope and methods of permitted self-problematization. In conclusion, I wish to state that the questions about Russia are, therefore, truly questions of their authors about themselves and their way of understanding the world.

Keywords

Russia, Russian Soul, Question, Self-Knowledge, Philosophy, Tradition, Post-Kantian Perspective, Intention, Objectivity, Identity Non-Identity

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Andreev, N. (1970). Studies in Moscow. Western Influence and Bizantine Inheritance. London: Variorum Reprints.
[2]	Billington, Dz. (2005). Rossija w poiskach siebia. Moskva: Rossijskaja politiczeskaja enciklopedija.
[3]	Broda, M. (2002). Paradoksy rosyjskiej wyobrazni. Ku rzeczywistosci—Poza rzeczywistosc. In G. Giesemann, & T. Stepnowska (Eds.), Literaturwissenschaftliche und linguistische Forschungsaspekte der phantastischen Literatur. Frankfurt am Main: Herbert Utz Verlag.
[4]	Broda, M. (1998). Poniat’ Rossiju? Moskva: Dialog-MGU.
[5]	Broda, M. (2001). Historia a eschatologia. Studia nad mysla Konstantego Leontiewa i,zagadka Rosji”. Lódz: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lódzkiego.
[6]	Broda, M. (2003). Narodnickie ambiwalencje. Miedzy apoteoza ludu a terrorem. Lódz: Ibidem.
[7]	Broda, M. (2005). Russkije voprosy o Rossii. Moskva: MAKS Press.
[8]	Broda, M. (2007). Mentalnosc, tradycja i bolszewicko-komunistyczne doswiadczenia Rosji. Lódz: Ibidem.
[9]	Cirlot, J. E. (1971). Slownik symboli. Kraków: ZNAK.
[10]	d’Encausse, H. C. (1988). Le malheur russe. Essai sur le meurtre politique. Paris: Librairie Arheme Fayard.
[11]	Dostojewski, F. M. (1982). Dziennik pisarza, Vol. 3. Warszawa: Panstwowy Instytut Wydawniczy.
[12]	Dostojewski, F. M.(1971). Z notatników. Warszawa: Panstwowy Instytut Wydawniczy.
[13]	Faryno, J. (2001). Thinker, Thought, Reflexion. In A. de Lazari (Ed.), Idiei w Rossii. Idee w Rosji. Ideas in Russia. Leksykon, Vol. 4 (pp. 379-383) . Lódz: Ibidem.
[14]	Kelly, A. (1978). Introduction: Complex Vision. In I. Berlin (Ed.), Russian Thinkers. London: Hogarth Press.
[15]	Kolakowski, L. (1998). Jesli Boga nie ma.... Kraków: ZNAK.
[16]	Ryabov, O. V. (1998). Giendiernyj aspiekt,russkoj zagadki”,Zenszczina w rossijskom obszczestvie”, No. 1 (pp. 32-46).
[17]	Sarnowski, S. (1982). Rozumnosc i swiat. Próba wprowadzenia do filozofii. Warszawa: Panstwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe.
[18]	Serafim, S. (1992). Russkaja idieologija. Sankt-Pietierburg: Izdatelstvo imieni A. S. Suvorina.
[19]	Siemek, M. (1982). Filozofia, dialektyka, rzeczywistosc. Warszawa: Panstwowy Instytut Wydawniczy.
[20]	Solov’ev, V. M. (2001). Tajny russkoj duszy. Voprosy, otviety, viersii. Moskva: Russkij jazyk. Kursy.
[21]	Solov’ev, V. S. (1991). Russkaja idieja. Sankt-Petierburg: Nauka.
[22]	Solov’ev, V. S. (1994). Cztenija o bogoczelovieczestvie. Sankt-Pietierburg: Chudozestvennaja literatura.
[23]	Strada, V. (1996). S svietie konca, v priedviesti naczala. In E. Rudnicksja (Ed.), V razdumiach o Rossii (pp. 23-41). Moskwa: Archeograficzeskij centr.
[24]	Sutton, J. (1988). The Religiosus Philosophy of Vladimir Solovyov. Hong Kong: Chines University Press.