Philosophical letters - philosophical works of Peter Chaadayev . There were eight philosophical letters in total. The original language of these letters was French, they are dated 1828-1830. [1] and addressed to Ekaterina Dmitrievna Panova, which is called "Madam".
Content
Publication History
During the life of the author, only the first letter was published - in the journal Telescope in 1836 in a Russian translation. The publication caused a scandal. Minister of Education Uvarov called her “impudent nonsense” and demanded to ban the journal that published it. Chaadaev himself was declared insane by decree of Nicholas I , and was under the supervision of a doctor and police for a year. A year later he was declared “healed,” and left with the order not to write or publish anything, in 1837 he wrote his last work, “Apology of a Madman,” in the hope that it will be published after his death.
Contents
First letter
The purpose of religion and the meaning of all existence Chaadaev believes in the establishment on Earth of the "kingdom of God" or "perfect system." Then he proceeds to consider “our peculiar civilization,” which, spreading from Germany to China (from the Oder to the Bering Strait ), does not belong to either the East or the West and only begins to reveal the truths that have long been known to other peoples. Glancing at the history of Russia, Chaadaev discovers in it a "dark and dull existence", where there is no internal development. These thoughts lead him to think about peoples who are “moral beings”. Like other creatures, they have an internal structure: inert masses ("inert communities") and thinkers ( druids ). Moreover, the peoples of the West (the British , Celts , Germans , Greeks , Romans , Scandinavians ) form Europe, the essence of which is in the ideas of duty , justice, law and order. Chaadaev is an opponent of the idea of a plurality of civilizations, for he considers non-European forms of life as “absurd deviations”. The welfare of Europe is the result of its truth.
Chaadaev sees the meaning of Russia in the following:
We lived and still live in order to teach some great lesson to distant descendants
Subsequent Letters
In the second letter, Chaadaev criticizes Orthodoxy for the fact that, unlike Western Christianity, it did not contribute to the liberation of the lower strata of the population from slave dependence, but, on the contrary, consolidated serfdom during the time of Godunov and Shuisky . He calls for a meaningful existence, but criticizes monastic asceticism for "indifference to the blessings of life."
In the third letter, Chaadaev ponders the relationship between faith and reason. On the one hand, faith without reason is a dreamy whim of the imagination, but reason without faith cannot exist either, for "there is no other reason than the mind of the subordinate." And this submission consists in serving the good and progress, which consists in the implementation of the "moral law".
In the fourth letter, he writes about two forces of nature - gravitation and “overthrow” (the initial push, the opposite force to gravity). Thus, Chaadaev is trying to overcome the natural philosophy of Newton by focusing on movement. He also uses the concepts of "objective reality" and "universe." The image of God in man, in his opinion, is concluded in freedom.
In the fifth letter, Chaadaev contrasts consciousness and matter, believing that they have not only individual, but also world forms. So “world consciousness” is nothing more than a world of ideas that live in the memory of mankind.
In the sixth letter, he outlines a "philosophy of history." Chaadaev believed that the history of mankind should include the names of such figures as Moses and David. The first "showed the people the true God," and the second revealed "an image of exalted heroism." Next, Chaadaev exalts Epicurus , and calls Aristotle "the angel of darkness." The purpose of the story is not a “cosmopolitan future”, this idea is actively criticized by Chaadaev. The philosopher calls cosmopolitanism a "chimera." The purpose of history is the ascent to the kingdom of God. He calls the Reformation “an unfortunate event” that divided the united Christian Europe.
In the seventh chapter, Chaadaev flatteringly speaks about Islam and Muhammad, recognizing their merit in the eradication of polytheism and the consolidation of Europe. He uses the term " Arab civilization "
In the eighth letter, he speaks of the purpose and meaning of history as a “great apocalyptic synthesis”, when a “moral law” will be established on earth within the framework of a single planetary society.
Apology
Chaadaev recognizes the need to love the homeland, but love of truth puts it higher. He also contrasts the patriotism of " Samoyed " with his yurt and the patriotism of "English citizen." Love for the homeland often nourishes national hatred and "puts the earth in mourning." Chaadaev recognizes the true progress and European civilization, and also calls for getting rid of "remnants of the past." He highly appreciates the work of Peter the Great in introducing Russia to Europe and sees this as the highest meaning of patriotism.