The Ideological Predecessors of the Eurasianists about Russia as a Special Cultural and Civilizational World

Abstract

The scholarly understanding of the problem of the cultural and civilizational fate of Russia is largely relevant due to the Eurasian civilizational breakdown that occurred on the territory of our great Motherland at the end of the 20th century. Currently, there is a need for a project that can accelerate integration processes in the North-East of Eurasia. This requires an appeal to the intellectual heritage of prominent Russian thinkers, including the ideological predecessors of the classics of Eurasianism. Using the historical and philosophical methodology, the methodology of civilizational theories, the author of the article substantiates the conclusion about the scientific significance of both the Eurasian civilizational concept and the ideas of major thinkers — predecessors of historical Eurasians. Elements of novelty are contained in the author’s criticism of two dubious positions in covering the issue of the ideological predecessors of the Eurasians. The conclusion is substantiated that the ideological predecessors of Eurasians were thinkers of various worldview orientations from Slavophiles, soil workers, conservative monarchists to existentialists, supporters of Orthodox Socialism. The research novelty is also contained in the author’s judgment that classical Eurasians managed to overcome the exclusiveness of the Great Russian and the limited Slavic nature of Russia’s civilizational identity contained in the works of their predecessors. In determining the ideological predecessors of the Eurasians, the classical concept of the latter was taken into account, and not the Renewed-Clamar variation of this movement. Thanks to the influence of the ideas of predecessors, classical Eurasians managed to develop a holistic concept of the cultural belonging of our country. It is based on the judgment of Russia-Eurasia as a civilizational continent of equal Europe. The comprehension of the Eurasian concept acquires special significance in connection with the objective need for the development of a social project for the civilization revival of Russia.