The Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, celebrating its 100th anniversary, has published a book about its first employees, which reveals new facts about the life and works of the founder — Gustav Shpet, the holy martyr Ivan Popov, religious philosophers Ivan Ilyin and Semyon Frank, the famous disciple of Jung and Freud Sabine Spielrein.
Anatoly Chernyaev, editor-compiler of the publication, head of the History of Russian Philosophy section of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told RIA Novosti about this, as well as about the prospects of "moral leadership of Russia" in an interview."The World Philosophy Day (established by UNESCO in 2005 and celebrated annually on the last Thursday of November) this year coincides with a significant anniversary — the 100th anniversary of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The publication of our collective work "Institute of Scientific Philosophy. The beginning." The main part of the book consists of essays - bright intellectual portraits of remarkable scientists and philosophers who stood at the origins of academic philosophy in the country," Chernyaev said.
According to him, the conducted research has shown continuity between the Institute of Scientific Philosophy, established in 1921 on the basis of Moscow State University, and the Institute of Philosophy of the Academy of Sciences. "In the collective monograph, based on the study of numerous documents from the archives of Russia, the history of the creation and work of the institute in the 1920s is recreated. Some of the most interesting texts are published in the book for the first time," the agency interlocutor noted.
Faces and destinies
The first director of the Institute, the philosopher-phenomenologist Gustav Shpet, was a representative of the classical scientific tradition of Russia and Europe. "New materials about Shpet and his students have been prepared by the co-editor of the book Tatiana Shchedrina. His task as a leader, Shpet saw in gathering in the new institute, as in a kind of Noah's Ark, adherents of different philosophical trends, united on the principle of scientific professionalism. Thanks to this, a unique situation has developed when outstanding religious philosophers Ivan Ilyin and Semyon Frank, Marxist materialists Alexander Bogdanov and Lyubov Axelrod, who stood on the positions of idealism Georgy Chelpanov and Pavel Popov became employees of the same Institute at the same time," Chernyaev explained.
Shpet was supposed to be exiled from Russia on the "philosophical steamer", but he did not want to part with his Homeland. "Despite his Polish blood, he considered himself a man of Russian culture and accepted death by the verdict of the troika in 1937. A similar fate was prepared for many employees of the Institute," the agency interlocutor added.
He particularly noted that the Institute of Philosophy has its own heavenly patron. This is an outstanding patrologist, former professor of the Moscow Theological Academy Ivan Popov. He was one of the companions of Patriarch Tikhon, worked both for the benefit of science and for the benefit of the Church, and completed his path as a martyr. In 2003, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized him as a saint.Another notable figure from among the staff of the Institute of Scientific Philosophy, its psychological section is a specialist in child psychoanalysis Sabina Spielrein. At the beginning of the XX century, she completed an internship in Switzerland, where she studied with Carl Gustav Jung and Sigmund Freud. The story of her difficult relationship with great teachers formed the basis of the Hollywood film "The Dangerous Method" directed by David Cronenberg, where the role of Sabine Spielrein was played by actress Keira Knightley.According to Chernyaev, the collective monograph was published with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research with a circulation of 300 copies. According to the terms of the fund, the book is not subject to sale, but it can be found in the main libraries of the country and leading Russian universities.
"Moral Leadership of Russia"
Answering questions about the relevance of the publication and modern Russian philosophy, the head of the branch of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences noted that "the most promising studies may be devoted to understanding the identity of the civilization of Russia, its traditional spiritual, moral, cultural and historical values." Chernyaev also considers the popularization of the national ideological and philosophical heritage, the disclosure of its global significance to be relevant."Such research should contribute to strengthening the sovereignty of our country and increasing its role in the global humanitarian, cultural, scientific and educational space. The Russian School of Philosophy is designed to become one of the factors of "soft power" that ensures Russia's moral leadership in the world," Chernyaev is convinced.Contrary to popular beliefs, according to him, philosophy is not an abstract science, its achievements are in demand by related social and humanitarian sciences. "In particular, history cannot develop without understanding the theory and laws of the historical process, which are rooted in philosophical concepts," the agency interlocutor said. One of the problems of modern historical science, he added, is that "the history of Russia is written on the basis of concepts of historical development developed in Western philosophy," and "the civilizational experience of the West does not coincide with the Russian one."
"Our history does not fit into the Procrustean bed of Western theories, in the light of which it looks like a continuous series of misunderstandings and breakdowns, which is reflected in the problems with textbooks of Russian history. Historians of Russia need the methodological help of philosophers who will have to develop an authentic concept of historical development corresponding to the civilizational specifics of Russia. This concept should contribute to the protection of historical truth, substantiate continuity in the development of the Russian state and its historically formed unity, and counteract falsifications," Chernyaev believes.In the modern world discussion about the relationship between philosophy and religion, he particularly noted the contribution of such employees of the Institute of Philosophy as Henrikh Batishchev, Piama Gaidenko, Sergey Khoruzhy. "Their concepts have significantly influenced modern religious, philosophical and theological studies," Chernyaev said.And the representative of the academic Institute sees the prospects for philosophical work in the field of religious issues "in the study and actualization of the spiritual and moral values of traditional Russian confessions, strengthening the culture of interfaith dialogue, developing the academic component of the scientific and educational specialty "theology".
Details can be found in the material at the link (Russian).
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