Christianity as “the Task of Humanity”. Vladimir Solovyov's Image of the Future
The article examines the futurological ideas of V.S. Solovyov, who had a profound influence on literature and philosophical thought at the end of the 19th and the first third of the 20th centuries. It shows the connection between Solovyov's image of the future and the key postulates of his philosophical system, which centers on the idea of the Kingdom of God, created not only by Divine action, but also by human effort. The author emphasizes the projective nature of Solovyov's futurology, based on the ideals of God-manhood and unity. The philosopher associates the realization of these ideals both with the moral growth of the individual, the improvement of social existence, and with the prospect of overcoming the existing state of the natural world based on the struggle of beings, displacement, and death. It is shown that Solovyov's theocratic ideal is based on the principled unity of purpose and means, dogma and commandment, and his philosophical writings and journalism outline ways to transform social practice in the spirit of conciliarity, presenting current history as a field of good cooperation between God and man.
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Collected Works
1. Fedorov, N.F. Kak mozhet byt' razresheno protivorechie mezhdu naukoyu i iskusstvom? [How Can the Сontradiction Between Science and Art Be Resolved?], in Fedorov, N.F. Sochineniya v 4 t., t. 2 [Works in 4 vols., vol. 2]. Moscow: Izdatel'skaya gruppa «Progress», 1995, pp. 233–236.
2. Fedorov, N.F. V kontse sentyabrya 1881 poznakomilsya s Tolstym… [At the End of September 1881, He Met Tolstoy...], in Fedorov, N.F. Sochineniya v 4 t, t. 4 [Works in 4 vols., vol. 4]. Moscow: Traditsiya, 1999, p. 48.
3. Dostoevskiy, F.M. Brat'ya Karamazovy [The Brothers Karamazov], in Dostoevskiy, F.M. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy v 30 t., t. 14 [Complete Works in 30 vols., vol. 14]. Leningrad: Nauka, 1976, pp. 5–511.
4. Dostoevskiy, F.M. Zapisi literaturno-kriticheskogo i publitsisticheskogo kharaktera iz zapisnoy tetradi 1880–1881 gg. [Notes of a literary, critical and journalistic nature from a notebook of 1880–1881], in Dostoevskiy, F.M. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy v 30 t., t. 27 [Complete Works in 30 vols., vol. 27]. Leningrad: Nauka, 1984, pp. 42–87.
5. Solov'ev, V.S. Tri razgovora o voyne, progresse i kontse vsemirnoy istorii [Three Conversations About War, Progress and the End of World History], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 2 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 2]. Moscow: Mysl', 1988, pp. 635–762.
6. Solov'ev, V.S. Chteniya o Bogochelovechestve [Readings about Godmanhood], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 2 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 2]. Moscow: Pravda, 1989, pp. 3–172.
7. Solov'ev, V.S. Ideya sverkhcheloveka [The Idea of the Übermensch], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 2 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 2]. Moscow: Mysl', 1988, pp. 626–634.
8. Solov'ev, V.S. Smysl lyubvi [The meaning of love], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 2 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 2]. Moscow: Mysl', 1988, pp. 493–547.
9. Solov'ev, V.S. Obshchiy smysl iskusstva [The General Meaning of Art], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 2 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 2]. Moscow: Mysl', 1988, pp. 390–404.
10. Solov'ev, V.S. Zametka v zashchitu Dostoevskogo ot obvineniya v «novom» khristianstve [A Note on Dostoevsky's Defense Against the Accusation of New Christianity], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 2 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 2]. Moscow: Mysl', 1988, pp. 319–323.
11. Solov'ev, V.S. Ob upadke srednevekovogo mirosozertsaniya [On the Decline of the Medieval Worldview], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 2 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 2]. Moscow: Mysl', 1988, pp. 339–350.
12. Solov'ev, V.S. Natsional'nyy vopros v Rossii. Vyp. 1 [The national question in Russia, Issue 1], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 1 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 1]. Moscow: Pravda, 1989, pp. 257–408.
13. Solov'ev, V.S. Natsional'nyy vopros v Rossii. Vyp. 2 [The national question in Russia, Issue 2], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 1 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 1]. Moscow: Pravda, 1989, pp. 409–639.
14. Solov'ev, V.S. Tri rechi v pamyat' Dostoevskogo [Three speeches in memory of Dostoevsky], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 2 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 2]. Moscow: Mysl', 1988, pp. 289–318.
15. Solov'ev, V.S. Vizantizm i Rossiya [Byzantism and Russia], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sochineniya v 2 t., t. 2 [Works in 2 vols., vol. 2]. Moscow: Pravda, 1989, pp. 562–601.
Individual Works
16. Belyy, A. Vospominaniya o Bloke [Remembering the Block], in Epopeya: Literaturnyy ezhemesyachnik [Epopeya: Literary Monthly]. Moscow; Berlin, 1922, no. 2, pp. 123–273.
17. Khomyakov, A.S. Pis'mo k izdatelyu T.I. Filippovu [Letter to the Publisher T.I. Filippov], in Khomyakov, A.S. O starom i novom: Stat'i i ocherki [About old and new: Articles and essays]. Moscow: Sovremennik, 1988, pp. 277–291.
18. Setnitskiy, N.A. O konechnom ideale [About the ultimate ideal], in Setnitskiy, N.A. Izbrannye sochineniya [Selected Works]. Moscow: ROSSPEN, 2010, pp. 61–530.
19. Solov'ev, V.S. Iz tvorcheskogo naslediya [From the literary heritage], in Logos. Dialog Vostok – Zapad [Logos. East–West Dialogue]. Bryussel'; Myunkhen; Moscow, 1995, pp. 267–287.
20. Solov'ev, V.S. Istoriya i budushchnost' teokratii: Issledovanie vsemirno-istoricheskogo puti k istinnoy zhizni [The History and Future of Theocracy: A Study of the World-historical Path to True Life]. Zagreb: Aktsionernaya tipografiya, 1887. 396 p.
21. Solov'ev, V.S. Ob istinnoy nauke [About True Science], in Issledovaniya po istorii russkoy mysli. Ezhegodnik za 1997 god [Studies in Russian Intellectual History. 1997]. Saint-Petersburg: Aleteyya, 1997, pp. 31–63.
22. Solov'ev, V.S. Zhiznennyy smysl khristianstva (Filosofskiy kommentariy na uchenie o logose ap. Ioanna Bogoslova) [The Vital Meaning of Christianity (Philosophical Commentary on the teaching of the Logos of the Apostle John the Theologian)]. Moscow: Universitetskaya tipografiya, 1883. 16 p.
23. Solov'ev, V.S. «V tumane utrennem nevernymi shagami…» [“In the morning mist, with unsteady steps...”], in Solov'ev, V.S. «Nepodvizhno lish' solntse lyubvi…». Stikhotvoreniya. Proza. Pis'ma. Vospominaniya sovremennikov [“Only the sun of love is motionless...”. Poems. Prose. Letters. Memoirs of contemporaries]. Moscow: Moskovskiy rabochiy, 1990, p. 38.
24. Solov'ev, V.S. Das Ewig Weibliche (Slovo uveshchatel'noe k morskim chertyam) [Das Ewig Weibliche (An admonitory word to the sea devils)], in Solov'ev, V.S. «Nepodvizhno lish' solntse lyubvi…». Stikhotvoreniya. Proza. Pis'ma. Vospominaniya sovremennikov [“Only the sun of love is motionless...”. Poems. Prose. Letters. Memoirs of contemporaries]. Moscow: Moskovskiy rabochiy, 1990, pp. 113–114.
25. V.S. Solov'ev – E.K. Selevinoy. 2 avgusta 1973 [V.S. Soloviev – E.K. Selevina. August 2, 1973], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sobranie sochineniy. Pis'ma i prilozhenie. Fototipicheskoe izdanie, t. 3 [Collected Works. Letters and an Appendix. Phototypic edition, vol. 3]. Bryussel': Zhizn' s Bogom, 1970, pp. 87–92.
(Articles from Scientific Journals)
26. Gacheva, A.G. Filologiya na sluzhbe filosofii: Opyt analiza «Trekh razgovorov» Vladimira Solov'eva [Philology in the Service of Philosophy: The Experience of Analyzing Vladimir Solovyov's “Three Conversations”], in Solov'evskie issledovaniya, 2010, issue 2(26), pp. 50–82.
27. Gusev, D.V. Antropologicheskie aspekty eskhatologii v filosofskoy poezii Vl. Solov'eva i A. Belogo [Anthropological Aspects of Eschatology in the Philosophical Poetry of VL. Solovyov and A. Bely], in Solov'evskie issledovaniya, 2012, issue 1(33), pp. 57–69.
28. Maksimov, M.V. Teokraticheskoe uchenie Vl. Solov'eva: otsenki i interpretatsii [Solovyov's Theocratic Teaching: Assessments and Interpretations], in Solov'evskie issledovaniya, 2004, issue 8, pp. 150–172.
29. Mezhuev, B.V. «Peremena v dushevnom nastroenii» Vl. Solov'eva 1890-kh godov v kontekste ego eskhatologicheskikh vozzreniy [“Change in Mental Mood” by Vladimir Solovyov in the 1890s in the Context of his Eschatological Views], in Solov'evskie issledovaniya, 2005, issue 2(11), pp. 44–65.
30. Serbinenko, V.V. Obraz «postistoricheskogo» budushchego v «Trekh razgovorakh» Vl. Solov'eva [The Image of the “Post-historical” Future in “Three Conversations” by V. Solovyov], in Istoriya filosofii, 2000, no. 6, pp. 4–14.
(Articles from Proceedings and Collections of Research Papers)
31. Gal'tseva, R.A. Uslovnaya eskhatologiya Vladimira Solov'eva [Conditional eschatology of Vladimir Solovyov], in Materialy 2-go Mezhdunarodnogo simpoziuma po tvorchestvu Vl. Solov'eva «Eskhatologiya Vl. Solov'eva» [Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on the Work of Vladimir Solovyov “Eschatology of Vladimir Solovyov”]. Moscow, 1993, pp. 61–67.
32. Gacheva, A.G., Semenova, S.G. O kosmizme v entsiklopedicheskom zhanre [On Cosmism in the Encyclopedic Genre], in Moskovskiy Sokrat: Nikolay Fedorovich Fedorov (1829–1903). Sbornik nauchnykh statey [Moscow Socrates: Nikolai Fedorovich Fedorov (1829–1903). The Collection of Academic Articles]. Moscow: Akademicheskiy proekt, 2018, pp. 293–295.
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34. Maksimov, M.V. Istoriosofiya «Trekh razgovorov» Vl. Solov'eva [Historiosophy of “Three Conversations” by V. Solovyov], in VII Rossiyskiy simpozium istorikov russkoy filosofii «Russkaya filosofiya: mnogoobrazie v edinstve», Moskva, 14–17 noyabrya 2001 g. [The VII Russian Symposium of Historians of Russian Philosophy “Russian Philosophy: diversity in Unity”, Moscow, November 14th–17th, 2001]. Moscow: MGU, 2001, pp. 136–141.
(Monographs)
35. Gacheva, A.G. Chelovek i istoriya v zerkale russkoy filosofii i literatury [Man and History in the Mirror of Russian Philosophy and Literature]. Moscow: Vodoley, 2021. 700 p.
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37. Maksimov, M.V. Vladimir Solov'ev i Zapad: Nevidimyy kontinent [Vladimir Solovyov and the West: The Invisible Continent]. Moscow: Prometey, 1998. 242 p.
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