The Unity Principle as the Basis of the Idea of Immortality in the Philosophy of F.M. Dostoevsky and V.S. Solovyov

Author: korolevaNV / Date: 29-03-2024 /
Publication Title: 
The Unity Principle as the Basis of the Idea of Immortality in the Philosophy of F.M. Dostoevsky and V.S. Solovyov
Publication author(s): 
A.F. Pachenko
Abstract: 

The article represents a study of F.M. Dostoevsky’s and V.S. Solovyov’s immortological ideas, which are insufficiently studied today. On the material of various publications of Dostoevsky, it is shown that he considered the idea of immortality as “the main and the most supreme idea of human existence”, since it is inherent in a perfect, final being, which implies an indissoluble unity. It is assumed that the sources of the writer’s immortalological ideas were the philosophical systems of I.G. Fichte, F.W.J. Schelling, K.G. Karus and G.T. Fechner. It was revealed that Dostoevsky considered active love and the idea of “absolute self-improvement” necessary for spiritual transformation and overcoming selfishness, leading to a violation of integrity and inevitable death. Based on the material of Solovyov's early works, it is shown that his views strongly coincided with the position of the writer. As it turned out, both Russian thinkers saw the possibility of a future life only in connection with Christianity, which differed significantly from traditional teaching. An overview of the concept of “true Christianity” is given, which presupposes, first of all, faith in the immortality of man and unity. Suffering is seen as a necessary driving force towards the conscious renunciation of one's own personality and the merging of humanity with the diversity of manifestations of the metaphysical essence. It is shown that an important condition for this is joint improvement, since individual efforts to transform the world are not enough. It is concluded that due to such transformation “free all-human unity, worldwide brotherhood in the name of Christ” will be established in the world. Undoubtedly, partly utopian in their basis, the ideas of the writer and philosopher were aimed at solving the spiritual problems of man of that time and humanity in general.

 

References: 

(Sources)

Collected works

1. Biblioteka F.M. Dostoevskogo. Opyt rekonstruktsii. Nauchnoe opisanie [Library of F.M. Dostoevsky: the Experience of Reconstruction. Scientific Description]. Saint-Petersburg: Nauka, 2005. 338 p.

2. Dostoevskiy, F.M. Brat'ya Karamazovy [Brothers Karamazov], in Dostoevskiy, F.M. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy v 30 t. IRLI. T. 14. Brat'ya Karamazovy: Roman v 4 ch. s epilogom. Kn. 1–10 [Complete works in 30 vols. IRLI. Vol. 14. The Brothers Karamazov: A novel in 4 part with an epilogue. Books 1–10]. Leningrad: Nauka, 1976. 511 p.

3. Dostoevskiy, F.M. Dve polovinki [The Two Halves], in Dostoevskiy, F.M. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy v 30 t. IRLI. T. 26. Dnevnik pisatelya, 1977, sentyabr'–dekabr'–1880, avgust [Complete works in 30 vols., IRLI. Vol. 26. A Writer’s Diary, 1977, September–December–1880, August]. Leningrad: Nauka, 1984, pp. 149–174.

4. Dostoevskiy, F.M. Letter to N.P. Peterson, March 24, 1878, in Dostoevskiy, F.M. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy v 30 t. IRLI. T. 30, kn. 1. Pis'ma, 1878–1881 [Complete works in 30 vols., IRLI. Vol. 30, book 1. Letters (1878–1881)]. Leningrad: Nauka, 1988, pp. 14–15.

5. Dostoevskiy, F.M. 16 aprelya. Masha lezhit na stole [April 16. Мasha is Lying on the Table], in Dostoevskiy, F.M. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy v 30 t. IRLI. T. 20. Stat'i i zametki, 1862–1865 [Complete works in 30 vols., IRLI. Vol. 20. Articles and notes, 1862–1865]. Leningrad: Nauka, 1980, pp. 172–175.

6. Dostoevskiy, F.M. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy v 30 t. IRLI. T. 24. Dnevnik pisatelya. 1876 g. (noyabr'-dekabr') [Complete works in 30 vols., IRLI. Vol. 24. A Writer's Diary. 1876. (November-December)]. Leningrad: Nauka, 1982. 518 p.

7. Letopis' zhizni i tvorchestva F.M. Dostoevskogo 1821–1881: v 3 t., t. 3 [The Chronicle of Dostoevsky's Life and Works in 3 vols., vol. 3]. Saint-Petersburg: Akademicheskiy proekt, 1999. 615 p.

8. Solov'ev, V.S. Chteniya o Bogochelovechestve [Lectures on Godmanhood], in Solov’ev, V.S. Sobranie sochineniy v 10 t., t. 3 [Collected works in 10 vols., vol. 3]. Saint-Petersburg: Knigoizdatel'skoe tovarishchestvo «Prosveshchenie», 1911–1914, pp. 9–171.

9. Solov'ev, V.S. Dukhovnye osnovy zhizni [The spiritual Foundations of Life], in Solov’ev, V.S. Sobranie sochineniy v 10 t., t. 3 [Collected works in 10 vols., vol. 3]. Saint-Petersburg: Knigoizdatel'skoe tovarishchestvo «Prosveshchenie», 1911–1914, pp. 309–423.

10. Solov'ev, V.S. Krizis zapadnoy filosofii. Protiv pozitivistov [The Crisis of Western Philosophy. Against the positivists], in Solov’ev, V.S. Sobranie sochineniy v 10 t., t. 1 [Collected works in 10 vols., vol. 1]. Saint-Petersburg: Knigoizdatel'skoe tovarishchestvo «Prosveshchenie», 1911–1914, pp. 39–164.

11. Solov'ev, V.S. Smysl lyubvi [The Meaning of Love], in Solov’ev, V.S. Sobranie sochineniy v 10 t., t. 7 [Collected works in 10 vols., vol. 7]. Saint-Petersburg: Knigoizdatel'skoe tovarishchestvo «Prosveshchenie», 1911–1914, pp. 7–69.

12. Solov'ev, V.S. Soderzhanie rechi, proiznesennoy na vysshikh zhenskikh kursakh v Peterburge 13 marta 1881 g. [The content of the speech delivered at the higher courses for women in St. Petersburg on March 13, 1881], in Solov’ev, V.S. Sobranie sochineniy v 10 t., t. 3 [Collected works in 10 vols., vol. 3]. Saint-Petersburg: Knigoizdatel'skoe tovarishchestvo «Prosveshchenie», 1911–1914, pp. 425–430.

13. Solov'ev, V.S. Tri rechi v pamyat' Dostoevskogo [Three speeches in memory of Dostoevsky], in Solov’ev, V.S. Sobranie sochineniy v 10 t., t. 3 [Collected works in 10 vols., vol. 3]. Saint-Petersburg: Knigoizdatel'skoe tovarishchestvo «Prosveshchenie», 1911–1914, pp. 194–227.

(Articles from Scientific Journals)

14. Evlampiev, I.I. F.M. Dostoevskiy i Vl. Solov'ev o gryadushchem znachenii khristianstva [F.M. Dostoevsky and Vl. Solovyov about the future meaning of Christianity], in Solov'evskie issledovaniya, 2019, issue 1(61), pp. 24–36.

15. Kapilupi, S.M. Solov'ev i Dostoevskiy [Solovyov and Dostoevsky], in Vestnik RKhGA, 2021, no. 3, pp. 92–98.

16. Vysheslavtsev, B.P. Dostoevskiy o lyubvi i bessmertii [Dostoevsky About Love and Immortality], in Sovremennye zapiski, 1932, no. 50, pp. 288–305.

(Articles from Proceedings and Collections of Research Papers)

17. Cunningham, D.S. The Brothers Karamazov as trinitarian theology, in Dostoevsky and the Christian Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001, pp. 134–156.

18. Semenova, S.G.  Ideya vseobshchego spaseniya u N.F. Fedorova i ee sud'ba v russkoy kul'ture [An Idea of Universal Salvation in N.F. Fedorov and His Fate in Russian Culture.], in Filosofiya kosmizma i russkaya kul'tura. Materialy mezhdunarodnoy nauchnoy konferentsii «Kosmizm i russkaya literatura. K 100-letiyu so dnya smerti Nikolaya Fedorova» [The philosophy of cosmism and Russian culture. proceedings of the international scientific conference “Cosmism and Russian literature. On the 100th anniversary of the death of Nikolai Fedorovich”]. Belgrad: Foto Futura, 2004, pp. 7–17.

19. Viktorovich, V.A. Dostoevskiy i Vl. Solov'ev [Dostoevskiy and Vl. Solovyov], in Dostoevskiy i mirovaya kul'tura. Al'manakh, № 1. Ch. II. Saint-Petersburg, 1993, pp. 5–31.

(Monographs)

20. Cassedy, S. Dostoevsky’s Religion. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2005. 204 p.

21. Egorov, B.F. Rossiyskie utopii: Istoricheskiy putevoditel' [Russian utopias: a historical guide]. Saint-Petersburg: Iskusstvo-SPb, 2007. 416 p.

22. Evlampiev, I.I. Obraz Iisusa Khrista v filosofskom mirovozzrenii F.M. Dostoevskogo [The Image of Jesus Christ in the Philosophical Worldview of F.M. Dostoevsky]. Saint-Petersburg: Izdatel'stvo RKhGA, 2021. 600 p.

23. Gacheva, A.G. «Ideal ved' tozhe deystvitel'nost'...»: Russkaya filosofiya i literatura [“An ideal is also reality…”: Russian philosophy and literature]. Moscow:  Akademicheskiy proekt, 2019. 734 p.

24. Kasatkina, T.A. (ed.) Bogoslovie Dostoevskogo [Theology of Dostoevsky]. Moscow: IMLI RAN, 2021. 416 p.

25. Kasatkina, T.A. Dostoevskiy kak filosof i bogoslov: khudozhestvennyy sposob vyskazyvaniya [Dostoevsky as a Philosopher and Theologian: Artistic Method of Speaking]. Moscow: Vodoley, 2019. 336 p.

26. Kibal'nik, S.A. Filosofskiy intertekst tvorchestva Dostoevskogo [Philosophical Intertext of Dostoevsky's Work]. Saint-Petersburg: Petropolis, 2021. 394 p.

 

Key words: 
the unity principle, the idea of immortality, absolute self-improvement, the ideal of Christ in the flesh, true Christianity, the religious views of F.M. Dostoevsky, the V.S. Solovyov’s concept of God-manhood
2024. Issue 1 (81)
The DOI index: 
10.17588/2076-9210.2024.1.052-065
Publication file: