Russian Philosophy

In the history of 20th century philosophy and political science, everything associated with existentialism is opposed to politics. It is the existentialism of Sartre, Camus, leftist existentialism, which serves as a basis for criticising political structures and political systems, because it is a remote response to Heidegger.

Looking at its basic principles, our Russian philosophy is historiosophy. It is multidimensional. I think that the moral dimension is the most important one, which doesn't always get the attention it deserves. It has to be said that morality in the context of the Russian ethical tradition does not mean moralism, moralising, or showing off. Ethical questioning is very often confused with moralizing and preaching. So, the ethical is often overshadowed by the moral.

Today we have gathered to honor the late Daria Dugina and to reflect on her untimely passing. I would like to begin my talk with a short historiosophical discussion on the subject of very relevant events, the deaths, not only of Daria, but also of many others. The death last night of the first and last president of the Soviet Union was the subject of a lot of postings. Our mutual friend, the writer Vladimir Kovalenko, said that when Gorbachev died, the 20th century ended and the 21st century began. And I have had this feeling over the last six months that people who had no place in the future are really dying, people from the past are dying. The last convulsions of the modern age will be at an end. This can be seen in the example of public figures.