The debates on the sense of history between F.M.Dostoevsky and L.N.Tolstoy and the idea of “spiritual empire” as a form of historical development of the mankind

Igor I. Evlampiev; Inga Yu. Matveeva

doi:10.21638/spbu17.2022.304

Authors

Igor I. Evlampiev St Petersburg State University, 7–9, Universitetskaya nab., St Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation
Inga Yu. Matveeva Russian State Institute of Performing Arts, 34, ul. Mokhovaya, St Petersburg, 191028, Russian Federation

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu17.2022.304

Abstract

The article proves the hypothesis that F.M.Dostoevsky’s novel The Raw Youth expresses the conception of history directed against the model proposed by L.N.Tolstoy in his War and Peace. Tolstoy maintains that the course of history is determined by the spontaneous interactions of elementary biological powers acting within individuals and within nations; he firmly rejects the idea that individuals can influence history by means of their rational will. In his novel The Raw Youth, Dostoevsky defends totally contrary position: only few “higher personalities” can immediately influence history by means of their great ideas, among which the religious ones play especially important role. The article shows that Dostoevsky’s critique had probably an impact on Tolstoy; as a result, in his late religious teaching, he adopted the position which he had previously rejected. Now he thinks that only few “best people” living in the strong compliance with the Jesus Christ’s doctrine direct society towards the way of spiritual perfectness and thus they determine the course of history. This general model of historical development of society can be named as “spiritual Empire” which is contrary to the accepted western liberal tradition generated by the philosophy of the Enlightenment. Within the model of “spiritual Empire”, the aim of the development is represented with the more and more spiritual unity of people and with the fact that everybody serve to the highest values (the creation of culture); such society should be ruled by the “highest personalities” who achieved the highest spiritual development and influence the society rather with the help of their spiritual authority than by means of the material power

Keywords:

Russian philosophy of history, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, liberalism and authoritarianism, empire

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References

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