Kant in Imperial Russia

by Thomas Nemeth

Overview

This book presents a comprehensive study of the influence of Immanuel Kant’s Critical Philosophy in the Russian Empire, spanning the period from the late 19th century to the Bolshevik Revolution. It systematically details the reception bestowed on Kant’s ideas during his lifetime and up to and through the era of the First World War. The book traces the tensions arising in the early 19th century between the imported German scholars, who were often bristling with the latest philosophical developments in their homeland, and the more conservative Russian professors and administrators. The book goes on to examine the frequently neglected criticism of Kant in the theological institutions throughout the Russian Empire as well as the last remaining, though virtually unknown, embers of Kantianism during the reign of Nicholas I. With the political activities of many young radicals during the subsequent decades having been amply studied, this book focuses on their largely ignored attempts to grapple with Kant’s transcendental idealism. It also presents a complete account of the resurgence of interest in Kant in the last two decades of that century, and the growing attempts to graft a transcendental idealism onto popular social and political movements. The book draws attention to the young and budding Russian neo-Kantian movement that mirrored developments in Germany before being overtaken by political events.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783319529134
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	02/17/2017
Series:	Studies in German Idealism , #19
Edition description:	1st ed. 2017
Pages:	389
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

After obtaining his PhD from the University of Louvain, Nemeth did post-doctoral work in Germany and Australia. He has authored numerous articles on phenomenology, Kant, and Italian as well as Russian philosophy. Nemeth translated works by Gustav Shpet and Vladimir Solov’ëv in addition to a monograph on the early Solov’ëv. He contributed to various philosophical encyclopedias and anthologies.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction.- 2 First Acquaintances – The 18^th Century.- 3 A New Century, A New Era – Moscow & Kazan.- 4 A New Century, A New Era – Kharkov & St. Petersburg.- 5 Kant in the Theological Academies.- 6 Kant in the Russian Philosophical Dark Age.- 7 Kant-Criticism in the Era of the Great Reforms.- 8 The Calm Sea in the Wake of the Great Reforms.- 9 The Assault on Kant in the Fin de Siècle Theological Academies.- 10 The Dam Cracks – Kant Enters the Universities.- 11 The Dam Breaks – Secular Kant-Interpretation Begins.- 12 The Apex of Kant-Studies.- 13 New Paths in Petersburg.- 14 The Specter of War and Revolution.- Conclusion.

Editorial Reviews

Written by an eminent and prolific specialist in Russian philosophy, this new book may be considered the definitive, comprehensive and authoritative overview of the Kantrezeption in pre-Soviet Russia in the English language. … Although readers will gain here a lucid and thorough understanding of the particular phases of the Kantrezeption in Imperial Russia … .” (Frédéric Tremblay, Kantian Review, Vol. 53 (1), 2018)​

From the Publisher