Alarm - LONELY THINKER.

  THE LONELY THINKER
  Shestov Lev Isaakovich
  (31.01(12.02).1866, Kyiv -
  11/20/1938, Paris)

  A.V. Akhutin
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Among the wonderful names of our "silver-
new century" - philosophers, writers, poets,
with which Russian is usually associated
cultural revival of this short epic
hee, we meet the name of Lev Shestov.  Widely
it became famous after S.P.
Diaghilev published in his edited
magazine "World of Art" (No2 - 9, 10 for
1902) Shestov’s book “Dostoevsky and Nitz-
she (Philosophy of tragedy)". By this time
Shestov managed to publish at his own expense two
books, but only now, when his compositions
appeared in the most brilliant
from time to time literary and artistic journal
le, - appeared immediately after publication
in the same magazine of the sensational book by D.S. Me-
Rezhkovsky's "Tolstoy and Dostoevsky" - he
is included in the circle of Russian religious figures
but the philosophical revival of the 20th century.

"Shestov is very talentedwriter, -pi-
Sal N. Berdyaev in 1905 in a review of
"Dostoevsky and Nietzsche" and "Apotheosis of the Worthless"
vennosti", is very original, and we,
unsettled, always searching, full
anxiety, understanding what tragedy is,
must take into account his questions, which
rye so poignantly raised by this sincere and
a peculiar person.  Shestov I think
a large figure in our literature,
a very interesting symptom of duality
aspects of modern culture." - Berdyaev
N.A. Tragedy and everyday life.

Original, far from academic ca-
non-mindset, preoccupation with the latest
questions of existence make Shestov related to D. Merezh-
kovsky, N. Berdyaev, S. Bulgakov, V.
Rozanov, V. Ivanov, A. Remizov and
other employees of the "World of Art",
"New Path", "Questions of Life", "Russian
thoughts", participants in St. Petersburg Religions
religious and philosophical meetings, Ivanovo
"Wednesdays", "Sundays" by V. Rozanov.

By its nature, the community is strong
differs from similar circles, groups,
unions of the 19th century. With a common passion for pos-
the development of the world, mainly in its eso-
terical origins, with a common religious
state of mind, even with a general philosophy
symbolism connects them rather polemically
what energy than ideological affinity.  Message
society united people to the extreme
wayward, with a refined personal psyche
chology and artisticallydeveloped taste.
But even in this collection of exceptions Leo
Shestov stands apart. Silent, always
yes self-focused, not getting involved in
disputes, preferring not to assert his own,
and ironically reduce the pathos of the opponent, he
nevertheless unshakable in the paradoxical
adogmatism.  Peering into this lush
peace, we will not find a place for Shestov among
mystics, neither among the Symbolists, nor among
his closest friends - religious philosophers
fov. He is aware of this "irrelevance" and even
defends her. Having barely announced themselves first
publications, favorably received and
recognized as “one of his own,” he made two sarcastic
with which speeches he sharply separates his own
significant position from the direction of Merezhkov-
skiy (in the article “The Power of Ideas” - review
on volume 2 of Merezhkovsky's work "Tolstoy"
and Dostoevsky"), and then also from philo-
Sofian position N.A.  Berdyaev ("Praise
nonsense" - review of the book by N. Berdyaev
"Sub specie aeternitatis").

Dissociation from the main currents is precisely re-
ligious-philosophical thought so clearly that
doubt arises whether it is permissible at all
connect Shestov’s work with this movement
(nevertheless N. Zernov, no doubt
Having considered, he classifies the works of L. Shestov as
"treasury of Orthodox Russian cultural
ry"). It can definitely be said that
not only is it not part of the Russian tradition,
sky thought associated with the name of Vladimir
Solovyov, but alsoconsciously opposes
to her. In any case, Shestov was concerned with
express your criticism with utmost clarity
logical attitude to religious philosophy
Solovyov's sense in a special course
lectures he gave at the Russian department -
Research Institute of the University of Paris in 1926 and
which then formed the basis of a special work
bots (article “Speculation and Apocalypse”).

Consequently, Shestov shared with religious
by philosophers and writers only general
"premonitions and omens", the general fascination
concentration on the latest questions, philosophically
According to the essence and meaning, their paths diverged.
His paradoxical speeches seem to be not at all
are integrated into the Russian philosophical tradition
tion and seem to be the voice of a loner, not in tune
no choir - neither Slavophiles nor
Westerners, neither church believers, nor meta-
physicists, nor epistemologists.  Vladimir So-
Loviev, having become acquainted with the manuscript of the book
Shestov "Good in the teachings of Tolstoy and Nietzsche",
felt a disturbing strangeness in the expression
mood that was reflected in her and asked her to respond
advise the author to publish this essay
tion. The accusation of nihilism was ready and
has been expressed more than once by seemingly close
we are people in spirit, such as S.L.
Frank in his review of Shestov’s article about Che-
Howe "Creativity from Nothing" (in the newspaper
"Slovo" dated December 12, 1908).

On the other hand, Shestov’s fight against dog-
matism of religious doctrines, speculative
noahmetaphysics, ethical idealism are completely
could not be approved by critical thinkers
realists - but their criticism never
extended so far to put
questioning science and reason itself.  They carry-
would certainly see in Shestov’s works only
decadent nervousness, apology for irra-
nationalism and blind fideism.

So is it even legal to search in Russian
culture the origins of this bizarre, so
critical and so concentrated in the
any thoughts? Why is it appropriate among the memories?
nicknames of Russian thought?

Shestov once definitely
answered similar questions.  Noticing that
Russian philosophy and Slavophile, and
Westernization direction grew almost
ve German philosophy, Shestov says: “And
Meanwhile, Russian philosophical thought is such
deep and original, received its
expression specifically in fiction
re. No one in Russia is so free and powerful
I didn’t think like Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol,
Dostoevsky, Tolstoy (until he is required)
shaft to the sacred sacrifice Apollo, Tolstoy
"thought" the same way as Soloviev) and even Che-
how..." ("Speculation and Revelation". p. 35).
Here - in the great Russian literature of the 19th century
century - and one should look for the source of philosophical
Shestov's achievements. Almost the first
he understood the special philosophical significance
artistic experience of literature, and in the first place
first turn of Russian literature of the 19th century.Concentrated attention to a person, concentrated
influenced by the objective course of history, -
to a private, strange, forgettable person,
“small”, “superfluous” - whatever the name is
did not name; discovery of deep significance
those situations that are much later than the European
Russian existentialists largely describe
repenting of Russian literature - they will call it a pogro-
early; artistic comprehension of ek-
statically personal character moral-
a solution that exceeds any
normative ethics;  discovery of the tragic
the nature of historical existence.  All this
treasures found by Shestov in Russian
literature, and above all Dostoevsky
and Tolstoy. I don't think we're too wrong
We'll fight if we see L. in all his work.
Shestov's attempt to revise the classical
Western European philosophy in the light of those
revelations that struck him - how
much later, Western thought itself - Russian
Sky literature. And here, really, it’s simple
opposition does not work: the same
Shestov received a powerful impulse from Nietzsche.
Moreover, there is every reason to assert
which turned out to be philosophically productive
it is the intense spiritual “field” that forms
called three power poles - Nietzsche,
Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, the heroes of the first two
Shestov's books themselves. Converts
face and word to each other, these thinkers
whether artists lost everything secondary,
ideological, notgoing to the point and believing
whether the beginning of a new philosophy - the philosophy of tra-
hedia, philosophy of penal servitude, philosophy of the 20th century
ka...

Shestov’s position is “groundless”,
a strange, misunderstood thinker, step-
venturing at your own risk into the unknown
a world to which he remained faithful to the end,
exclusively. All his life he was involved in physics
losophy, plunging deeper and deeper into her works
great creators, but was rightly called
van "anti-philosopher" (Margolin Yu. "Antifi-
losof" - New Magazine: New York. 1969,
No99, c.  224-236), because he was engaged
this is only to debunk the ra-
zoom and convert a person to faith. All my life
he argued that it was possible to discover reality
but only by faith, and never belonged
not to any concession. Shestov's life - ev-
rey in Russia, Russian emigrant abroad
tsey, a solitary thinker in the era of universal
total madness, forced to provide
yourself and many loved ones in your own literature
labor, - was comparatively noble
successful, but one of the few at the dawn
century, he comprehended all the insecurity and neo-
carelessness of human existence,
all the illusory nature of natural, social
or divine laws. He also realized
that God responds only to a call “out of the depths”
bins". Long before he entered the
Lu is the real 20th century, Shestov heard him
news.

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Almanac "Thought": Barnaul. 1997, No2 (4),
c. 81-83.

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