When we hear the word "philosopher", most often we imagine a certain antique, ancient Greek or Roman elder wrapped in sheets. But are we familiar with many thinkers - our compatriots? In fact, there are no fewer philosophers in Russia than they used to be in Ancient Greece, and today we will discuss the work and life path of one of them - Berdyaev. The biography of this man and even his origin greatly affected his thoughts, worldview and attitude.
general information
It is difficult to briefly tell the biography of Berdyaev Nikolai Alexandrovich, since you can talk about his life and work for hours. But let's start again. The future thinker was born in the Kiev province of the Russian Empire on March 6 (18), 1874. His father was an officer-cavalier city Alexander Mikhailovich, who later became the leader of the county nobility. Nikolai’s mother - Alina Sergeevna, had French roots (by her mother), and her father was Princess Kudasheva. This is one of the reasons why the biography of the philosopher Berdyaev is so non-standard and unique - he was brought up not like any Russian boy, but as a person from an international family. Parents instilled in him love for the whole world, and not just for their homeland.
Some people may be familiar with Berdyaev’s biography and his personality from compositions such as The Russian Idea (1948), The World View of Dostoevsky (1923), and The Philosophy of Free Spirit (1927-28).
Earlier time
Since Nikolai Berdyaev owes his roots to a noble noble family, he was honored to study at the Kiev Cadet Corps, and subsequently at Kiev University at the law and natural faculties. In 1989, he joined the Marxist movement, for which he was expelled from the school and even exiled to Vologda for three years. In 1901, after returning from exile, an ideological evolution took place in the biography of Nikolai Berdyaev - a movement from Marxism to idealism. Mikhail Bulgakov, Pyotr Struve and Semyon Frank, who thought in a similar vein, became his guides in this. By the way, it was these people who became the founders of the new philosophical movement, which in 1902 was called the "Problems of Idealism". Thanks to Berdyaev and his associates in Russia, the eternal problem of religious and philosophical rebirth has arisen.
First works and creative activity
In 1904, Berdyaev’s biography underwent significant changes: he moved to Petersburg and became editor-in-chief of two magazines at once: Voprosy Zhizni and Novy Put. At the same time, drawing closer to philosophers such as Gippius, Merezhkovsky, Rozanov, and others, he founded yet another movement called the New Religious State. For several years, Berdyaev has written numerous articles in which he reveals the essence of the religious and spiritual state of Russia and expresses his personal opinion on all this. He combines all his works during this period into several books: "Sub specie aeternitatis: Philosophical, Social, and Literary Experiments 1900-1906."
Moscow and new travels
Biography of N. A. Berdyaev since 1908 is already unfolding in Moscow. He moved here in order to continue his creative development and become one of the participants in the movement to continue and develop Soloviev’s thoughts. Also, Nikolai becomes one of the figures in the book publishing house "Path". In the same place, he became one of the philosopher authors who contributed to the creation of the legendary collection "Milestones" in 1909. After this, the thinker had a chance to go on a trip to Italy. There he was imbued not only with the thought and spirit of local people, but also with the beauty and grandeur of architecture and other cultural and religious monuments. This gave an impetus to the development of a new philosophy in Berdyaev’s head, which has already become autonomous, unique and does not belong to any group, but only to him alone. His thoughts on personal freedom and thought were supplemented by the idea of creativity and the eternal tragedy that is inextricably linked with it (The Meaning of Creativity, 1916).
The revolution and the birth of Soviet Russia
Preparations for the revolution and its beginning opened new doors in the biography of Berdyaev. Against the backdrop of the erupted political situation, he began to work even more actively, setting forth his thoughts and considerations on the account of everything that was happening in numerous articles and books. It is worth noting that Nikolai expected the revolution to come, as he clearly knew that the period of emperors and Tsars in Russia completely outlived itself and became, one might say, a rudiment. However, the power that replaced the former regime, he did not like even more. He rejected communism and totalitarianism, arguing that this coercive "equality" and "brotherhood" - only a mask under which evil is hidden. Note also that in 1919 he wrote a book (which was published in 1923) under the title "The Philosophy of Inequality." In it, he rejected the former democracy and socialism, but this was before the Bolsheviks came to power. After the formation of the Soviets, Berdyaev came to the conclusion that the tsarist regime was not so bad, and that democracy, going hand in hand with socialism, gave the people much more freedom than totalitarianism.
Also, telling the biography of N. A. Berdyaev, it can be briefly noted that after the revolution he began to hold weekly meetings at home, which even got the name - “Free Academy of Spiritual Culture”. Thanks to this activity, he became the recognized leader of the Bolshevik public.
Arrests and exile to Germany
In the period from 1918 to 1922, Berdyaev was arrested three times on behalf of the Soviet government for his cultural and philosophical activities. In 1922 he was exiled to Germany, fearing that, due to his considerations and treatises, the foundation of the newly built "Red Russia" would be shaken. It should be noted that the thinker did not go to Berlin alone, but with a dozen like-minded people, many of whom were members of his Free Academy. Being far from the homeland, Nikolai, again, organized the Religious and Philosophical Academy. He also took part in the creation and formation of the Russian Scientific Institute, which allowed all of our compatriots who were in Berlin to get an education in accordance with Russian standards. Berdyaev also took part in the creation of the Russian student Christian movement. As he himself claimed, the exile to Berlin allowed him to do this to the extent that he himself wanted it, because in his homeland, alas, he would not have been able to make a share of what he was able to carry out in Germany.
Period of emigration to France
France is the next country to which Nikolai Aleksandrovich Berdyaev escaped from Soviet communism in 1924. The biography of the thinker in his mother’s homeland was no less interesting and exciting than in Russia or Germany. Firstly, he became the chief editor of the magazine "Path", which was published between 1925 and 1940. This publication was the only thread connecting all the migrants in France who left Russia but missed it. Nicholas also wrote the book "The New Middle Ages." It turned out to be small, but it was from the moment of its release that Berdyav gained wide fame throughout Europe. For many years, the philosopher holds meetings in which representatives of various movements of Christianity participate - Orthodox, Catholics, and even Protestants. He often talks with representatives of the Catholic clergy and compares their culture with the Russian. It is important to note that the ideology of the left Catholics, which was formed in France in the mid-30s, was proposed by Nikolai Berdyaev.
Russian philosopher in a global context
In our brief biography of Berdyaev, it is also impossible to miss the fact that he became the conductor of true Russian history to the Western world. In his books “The Russian Idea” and “The Origins and Meaning of Russian Communism”, he described the main events and trends, as well as the social mood of Russia, and, so to speak, first-hand conveyed to the people of the West the whole ideology of our country. Neither before him nor after has there been such a person who would be able to other ethnic groups and civilizations, who are used to living and thinking in a completely different way, to convey in full colors all the charm of the national people, land, customs and, most importantly, events that have become the reason for the formation of various ideological trends in Russia.
The Second World War
The terrible and terrible war that took place in Russia between 1941 and 1945, oddly enough, gave Berdyaev hope that the Soviet government would become more humane towards the people and soften its totalitarian policy. With representatives of the ruling elite, he even came into contact at the end of the war (from 1944 to 1946). However, soon he heard information about the numerous repressions by Stalin and Beria, as well as about new ideological treatises that fettered the common people even more. At this point, his hopes for an enlightened future for Russia break off, and he ceases to contact with his native country. In 1947, Berdyaev’s book entitled “The Experience of the Eschatological Metaphysics” was published. In the same year he was recognized as an Honorary Doctor of Theology at Cambridge University. Two years later, Nikolai released an autobiography with a clear spiritual and philosophical implication called "Self-knowledge." At the moment, the thinker has over forty books behind him, and he is already considered a world-class author.
Philosophy Features
For the first time to guess what kind of philosophy Berdyaev promotes and what his worldview was, it was possible from his book “The Meaning of Creativity”. In it, to the smallest detail, the ideas of objectification, creativity, personality, and, of course, the metahistorical or eschatological meaning of history are described. Nicholas created a kind of dualistic theory of reality, it is often compared with the philosophical model of Plato. However, the ancient Greek thinker has two worlds - spiritual and physical, exist torn from each other, as if in parallel. But according to Berdyaev, our spirituality, our thoughts and ideology, which does not have a physical or other tangible shell, breaks into the material plane. And it is precisely thanks to the interaction of these two "universes" that the whole world functions in which we live, think, develop and go our own destined path.
