Russian philosophy was born in the context of East Slavic Christian-theological thought. It is customary to divide it into the period from the 11th to the 17th centuries, after which the era of Russian enlightenment begins (the 17th-18th centuries) and, finally, the nineteenth century, the most famous and giving the world many outstanding names. The preceding centuries remained undeservedly forgotten or, at least, did not attract such attention. However, this period is very interesting.
Although Russian philosophy was initially strongly influenced by Byzantine theology, it nevertheless managed to develop its own conceptual language and practical conclusions. Examples include the famous “Word of Law and Grace” by Metropolitan Hilarion dating to the eleventh century — an interpretation of the Old Testament containing the concept of the triumph of “light” over “darkness”; as well as the “Instruction” of Vladimir Monomakh of the 12th century, which is an ethical code of conduct for the laity (good deeds, repentance and alms). The foundations of a "home building" were developed. In the Middle Ages, since the world was recognized by the creation of God, history and surrounding reality was perceived as an arena of the struggle of grace and evil machinations.
Russian religious thinkers responded to the Greek Hesychasm with their own thoughts about "silent, clever prayer." It was then that the problem of man in Russian philosophy was first raised. A doctrine appeared about the integrity of man, recognized through ecstasy, about the analysis of his passions and sins, about “essences” and “energies”, that “as God is known through creation, so man is through the psyche.” In Russia there were also unorthodox Christian philosophers, and even whole movements called “heretical” —strigolniks who are compared with Western European Cathars and Waldenses, and non-possessors, who, in turn, became brothers in the Reformed European movements.
Since the time of Ivan the Terrible, Russian philosophy has acquired a political character. This can be seen even from the correspondence of the tsar himself with his enemy friend, Prince Kurbsky. Its representatives begin to talk about the technologies of power and the art of government, about the need to “patronize” the people through the (secret) state council. This direction reached its geopolitical apogee in the writings of Hegumen Filofei, where it is said about Russia as the third Rome, "and there should be no fourth." Secular philosophers appeared justifying unlimited autocracy, like Ivan Peresvetov and Yermolai Erasmus. Patriarch Nikon tried to imagine spiritual authority above secular, “in a Latin manner, ” and Yuri Krizhanich called for the unification of the Slavs against the Greek and German threats.
Russian philosophy, undoubtedly, was influenced by Western European and was even carried away by problems that were fashionable at that time, for example, regarding its attitude to Greco-Roman ancient culture. This is especially characteristic of the late 17th and 18th centuries, when a real renaissance of secular thinking is observed. First of all, at this time, the creation and heyday of Moscow University accounted for, where in teaching they began to switch from Latin to Russian. A whole galaxy of enlightening philosophers appeared, such as Feofan Prokopovich, Stefan Yavorsky, Shcherbakov, Kozelsky, Tretyakov, Anichkov, Baturin, who made their own attempt to synthesize elements of ancient and Christian culture.
The philosophy of the Russian Enlightenment can rightfully be proud of such a representative as Mikhailo Lomonosov. As a man of simple origin, he graduated from the St. Petersburg Academy and became a real encyclopedist, having written many works, ranging from mechanics, physics and mining and ending with political notes on the "preservation and multiplication of the Russian people." He shared many progressive views of science for his time, including the principle of “non-interference” of theology in physics, natural philosophy, matter and attraction, independent of divine will, the “laws of nature” and the structure of the material world “from corpuscles” (which was an anticipation of the atomic-molecular theory of the structure of the universe), and so on. Lomonosov admired the ideas of Giordano Bruno about the multiplicity of worlds and recognized the law of conservation of matter and energy. Being a man of an extraordinary mind, he left his descendants an excellent instruction: “Experience is more than a thousand opinions, but for those who are not able to use reason, experience is useless.”
