Russian philosophy of the 19th century is a variety of domestic political teachings and ideological positions. The century before last gave the world such thinkers as M.A. Bakunin, P.Ya. Chaadaev, I.V. Kireevsky, F.M. Dostoevsky, A.S. Khomyakov, K.S. Aksakov, T.N. Granovsky, A.I. Herzen, L.N. Tolstoy, K.N. Leontiev, V.G. Belinsky, N.V. Fedorov, as well as many other prominent theorists.
Russian philosophy of the 19th century is a reflection of the ideological searches of scientists who belonged to 2 opposite currents - Westernism and Slavophilism. Supporters of the latter direction spoke about the originality of the development of the domestic state, cultivated Orthodoxy, seeing in it a huge potential for the social future of the country. The specificity of this religion, in their opinion, should have allowed it to become a unifying force that will help solve many problems of society.
A natural continuation of the belief in the miraculous power of Orthodoxy was political ideas. The Russian philosophers of the 19th century, belonging to Slavophilism, considered the monarchical form of government to be the best option for the development of the domestic state. This is not surprising, because the reason for the imposition of Orthodoxy in Russia was the need to strengthen the autocracy. Among the supporters of this trend were K.S. Aksakov, I.V. Kireevsky, A.S. Khomyakov.
19th-century Russian philosophy is also characterized by the political and moral views of Westerners. Supporters of secular atheism and materialism revered Hegel's works, held democratic views and advocated a radical overthrow of the existing government. The revolutionary moods were supported by the followers of this trend to varying degrees, but the idea of overcoming the autocracy and the development of socialism was supported to the same extent.
Westerners became the founders of Russian enlightenment, advocated the enrichment of domestic culture. Supporters of this area also considered the development of science a priority. In the works of M.A. Bakunin, A.I. Herzen, V.G. Belinsky, N.G. Chernyshevsky revealed these ideas. The vision of each author has its own specifics, but similar thoughts are traced in the writings of theorists.
Russian philosophy of the 19th century is a valuable layer of Russian history. Today, political and social reality do not cease to show vivid examples of the confrontation of concepts that arose more than a century and a half ago.
Knowledge of the history of the formation and development of ideas that characterized culture in Russia in the 19th century allows us to see in a new light such a phenomenon of modernity as the introduction of the military-industrial complex in schools. Supporters of this reform are the current followers of the Slavophiles, and the opposition are Westerners of the 21st century. The difference between the state of affairs in the past and today’s Russia is that earlier the opposing currents were clearly formed and did not mix. In the present, the phenomena are not so unambiguous: for example, a “Slavophile reality” may be hidden behind the Westernist wording. For example, the secular state is proclaimed as the “fundamental law” of the country of Russia, which does not prevent representatives of the Orthodox religion from enjoying special privileges.
