Russian Political Philosophy

Opens a window on the ways in which Russian thinkers have historically considered the political

• Highlights the common traits that bind together Russian political philosophers, as well as their divergences, using a clear conception of political philosophy
• Juxtaposes pairs of authors who address a shared problem in contrasting ways to highlight conflicts and disputes
• Introduces less well-known thinkers (S.L. Frank, V.S. Nersesyants) and offers alternative perspectives on widely known ones (M.A. Bakunin, V.I. Lenin, N.A. Berdyayev, V.S. Solov’ëv, M.K. Mamardashvili)
• Demonstrates the specific character of the Russian tradition in political philosophy as distinctly European while also consciously different in many respects
• Utilises existing translations of primary sources, making a world of thought accessible to those who do not read Russian

Political philosophy in Russia has always sought, and sometimes found, a middle way between embracing anarchy and searching for authority. Political philosophy in Russia has never before been the subject of a scholarly monograph. While historical factors make this understandable, the topic deserves our attention more than ever, now that Russia, after a short Soviet century, has regained self-assurance as a world power. Its unique historical trajectory, and the specific role of philosophy in it, are of interest to many fields of research and, beyond that, broader audiences. A focus on political philosophy as it existed and exists in Russia despite periods of marginalisation and suppression, allows us to understand its specific character, importance and relevance, and to realise that, in trying to think philosophically, critically, and reflectively about the political reality that shapes them, Russian thinkers are not essentially different from philosophers elsewhere. Hence, many lessons that can be learned from this subject.