East European Thought

Lenin without dogmatism Abstract A longstanding criticism of Lenin is that his epistemological contributions to the theory of scientific socialism prompted the decline of Marxism in dogmatism and despotism in the twentieth century. According to this narrative, Lenin claimed to possess the objective truth, and he therefore refused to tolerate alternative perspectives. This article subjects these claims to a textual analysis, and it argues that they are erroneous. Lenin defends a fallibilist account of science that affirms the uncertainty of knowledge in the natural, philosophical and social sciences. This fallibilism pervades the text that supposedly showcases his intolerance, Materialism and Empirio-Criticism. Lenin's scientific socialism opposes rigid conceptions of socialism, and it encourages an atmosphere of democratic debate. Whilst Lenin's writings have their flaws, they are not the founding documents of Marxist dogmatism that they are often portrayed as being. Lenin is not the narrow-minded vulgariser of Marxism that he is routinely taken to be.

'Strike out, right and left!': a conceptual-historical analysis of 1860s Russian nihilism and its notion of negation Abstract The aim of this essay is to synthesize as well as to analyze the conceptual evolution of 1860s Russian nihilism in general and its notion of negation in particular. The fictitious characters that traditionally have been informing the popular notion of "Russian nihilism" mainly refer to an antinihilistic genre. By analyzing nihilism also on the basis of primary sources, the antinihilistic notion of nihilism is nuanced, enabling a more comprehensive analysis of the movement's different aspects. In some instances, Russian nihilism has been taken out of context and portrayed as a monolith; its pursuit of "negation" interpreted literally. In this essay, a dialectical relation emerges, between affirmation and negation on the one hand as well as between the nihilist "children" and their idealist "fathers" on the other. Despite its radical stance, nihilism consists of a reconciliation of opposites. Although nihilists fought for autonomy, revolution and a new society, the movement was ironically stuck in a continuous negation of its inspirers and forerunners.

Literature and the revolution.

Note from the Editor in Chief

Die Vorahnung der Revolution in den Werken russischer Schriftsteller Abstract This article discusses the intellectual and spiritual atmosphere in Russia on the eve of the 1917 revolution. In particular, through the examples of Leo Tolstoy and Maxim Gorky, the author shows how the changes in the Russian economic and sociopolitical situation effected the intellectuals of the era. Despite the differences in social backgrounds, lifestyles, worldviews and artistic styles, Tolstoy's and Gorky's assessments of Russia's developmental prospects were in many ways consistent. As this article demonstrates, the values held by both writers were grounded in their unorthodox religious views. In conclusion, the author reexamines Lenin's assessment of both writers.

Theurgy revisited, or the harmony of cultural spheres Abstract The paper argues that Nikolai Berdyaev's doctrine of theurgy has remained relevant in today's cultural-historical context because it highlights a continuing problem in the philosophy of art. The problem is the misunderstanding of the ludic nature of art, its role in the evolution of consciousness and transformation of reality. The author questions the idea that artistic play is deficient compared with religious expression. As a result of this critique, he proposes that the theurgic quest for a radically new form of creativity was misguided and that the true meaning of the aspiration behind it is the need to comprehend culture as a dialectically articulated integral system of the cultural forms that constitute it.

A revolutionary as a "beautiful soul": Lev Tolstoy's path to ethical anarchism Abstract This article discusses Leo Tolstoy's view of the Russian revolutionary movement. Taking as a focal point the writer's lifelong interest in the Decembrist uprising of 1825 and particularly in the personalities of the gentry revolutionaries, the article argues that Tolstoy's fascination for these figures was due to their superior moral qualities, rather than to their political and socioeconomic doctrines. Following Alexander Herzen, Tolstoy came to regard the Decembrists as full-fledged individualities and "beautiful souls" (in Friedrich von Schiller's sense of the term). Thus, Tolstoy's much debated "conversion" and subsequent attempts to transform literary art into a medium of religious and moral reform (and thus a peaceful cultural revolution) can also be viewed as extensions of his project of self-understanding and self-formation according to the model of kalokagathia provided by Russia's aristocratic revolutionaries.

Revolutionen und Bohème. 1917–1918 Abstract This article analyzes the similarity of the revolutions of 1917–1918 with earlier revolutions in Russia and Germany. Several common characteristics are noted: "theatricality", the connection of politics with Bohemianism, and politics' concealed connection with art. The revolution presents a theatre stage on which representatives of the Boheme play their dreams (and nightmares) out in politics. Furthermore, the article investigates methodological pluralism, which constitutes the philosophical foundation of Bohemianism. Finally, the author distinguishes two types of Bohemian politicians: the first type, a "fantasist, dreamer, poet," is represented by Kurt Eisner, whereas the other type, that of a "multi-souled artist" is represented by Fyodor Stepun.

Preface

Correction to: The wound which will not close: Jan Patočka's philosophy and the conditions of politicization When the author wrote this article, he was working as part of the ERC project The Great War and Modern Philosophy. It has come to his attention that the article should have included the following acknowledgement: