The Reception and Criticism of Marxism in Russian Religious Philosophy (Late 19th – First Half of the 20th Century)

Abstract

At the end of the 19th century, Marxism was widely spread in Russia. Many Russian philosophers, including religious ones, among whom were N. Berdyaev, S. Bulgakov, P. Struve, S. Frank, N. Lossky, etc., were at one point fascinated by Marxism, but later they switched to a position of its critique. A significant role in the teaching of Marxism is played by the idea of progress, the gradual devel­opment of society towards communism. The essence of the idea of progress is probably depicted the best by Marxism as a distinctive pseudo-eschatological ideology which represents the opinion that the secret of history is finally solved with communism. Communist society will finally bring deliverance and a long lost meaning to the unfree humanity. On the road to communism, or more pre­cisely a heaven on earth, all means are allowed. Russian version of Marxism manifested militant atheism and initiated an open bigotry towards religious feel­ings. Russian religious thinkers advocate the opinion that the idea of Marxism is a kind of spiritual utopia. According to them, the idea of a promised heaven on earth can’t be achieved by repression and violence. One should strive for world’s perfection while the true salvation of mankind is a domain of eschatology per­sonified by the final triumph of the kingdom of God. First of all, in this paper we consider the critique of the ideological aspect of Marxism in Russian religious philosophy, without touching on the question of the economic aspect of Marxism and the philosophy of history.