Thomas Nemeth Ordre des livres

Focusing on the Russian neo-Kantian movement, this comprehensive study reveals its international significance beyond Germany. It traces the movement's origins in late 19th-century Imperial Russia and its evolution, particularly influenced by young philosophers returning from German universities. These individuals brought diverse interpretations of Kant's philosophy, leading to intense debates over philosophical approaches and Kant's legacy. Ultimately, the promising Western-oriented neo-Kantianism faced insurmountable challenges, contributing to its decline after the Bolshevik Revolution.

This work is a historical study of the philosophical writings emerging from Imperial Russia's theological „academies“ – Orthodoxy’s higher educational institutions that ran parallel to the secular universities – from their inception to the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution. Unlike with nineteenth century Russian revolutionary thought, there are few secondary studies of the philosophical works stemming from the academies. These philosophical works focused on ontology and, as such, stand in sharp contrast to the shift toward epistemology in that century as happened in Germany. Another feature of the „academy“ philosophies was the continual and explicit attempt to set themselves apart from the pervasive „subjectivism“ of Western philosophical systems, although a largely unacknowledged influence persisted. At no time did the academy philosophers look to rational inquiry for more than an assist in understanding their theology. Instead they appealed to tradition and to an alleged direct insight into religious truths at the expense of logic and rational argument. The ultimate result was the pecular historical insularity of their community and concomitantly a subservience to the political state, traits that persist to this day.

Focusing on the later philosophical views of Vladimir Solov'ëv, this volume provides an in-depth analysis of his evolving thoughts during the last two decades of his life. It highlights his contributions to aesthetic philosophy and his engagement in the Russian discourse on free will. The author examines Solov'ëv's critiques of notable philosophers like Kant and Hegel, as well as his disagreements with contemporaneous movements such as positivism and materialism. The work culminates in a discussion of his final ethical philosophy articulated in his major treatise.