The phenomenon of the Soviet conservatism: historiosophical justification

Abstract

In the article Mikh. Lifshitz’s project of “great restoration” (Restauratio Magna) is considered in the horizon of more general process covering in the Soviet Russia of the 1930th all spheres of public life from economy to philosophy and art. The total understanding of this global process of restoration of classical ideals and traditional norms was formed in the 30th years only by Mikh. Lifshitz and in a circle of his supporters. Considered the phenomenon of the Soviet conservatism is also born in this process of restoration. Studying this phenomenon,
its estimation is important for the humanities because it allows getting rid of unilateral approaches. In the article similarities and distinctions of pre-revolutionary and Soviet forms of conservative outlook are disclosed. The originality of the Soviet conservatism is that it is longtime quite peacefully coexists with the Marxist ideas which are very far from the traditional idea of conservatism. At the same time, this coexistence of conservative values and the Marxist ideas predetermines opposition to pre-revolutionary conservatism because the idea of a return to last Russia is unacceptable. The first signs of the beginning of the formation of the Soviet conservatism are returned to traditional norms of family life in state policy and gradual, but the irrevocable refusal of different experiments in education and upbringing. In the political sphere, the Soviet conservatism had an effect on a great-power foreign policy, on the dissolution of the Komintern aimed at the realization of the world revolution, in the restoration of an institute of the patriarchate and on some other steps. The phenomenon of the Soviet conservatism played an important role in mobilization policy of the state both during the world war and after it.

Keywords:

conservatism, Marxism, ideology, dogmatism, liberalism