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Notes from Underground: Difference between revisions
→The Artificiality of Russian Culture
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===The Artificiality of Russian Culture=== | ===The Artificiality of Russian Culture=== | ||
For decades, the Russian social and intellectual elite had been imitating western Eropean culture, in the middle of the nineteenth century. In Russia, a man was considered "developed" and "educated" only if he was familiar with the literary and philosophical traditions of Germany, France, and England. | For decades, the Russian social and intellectual elite had been imitating western Eropean culture, in the middle of the nineteenth century. In Russia, a man was considered "developed" and "educated" only if he was familiar with the literary and philosophical traditions of Germany, France, and England (Madden). Philosphers such as Aristotle and Descartes influenced the Russian culture. Isolated monistaries dotted the countryside of Russia (Kireyevsky). Not only did the Russians get their spiritual notions from them, but also their ethical, social, and legal concepts (Kireyevsky). This could have possibly lead the way to the Christian conversion of Russia. Russia had seperated from Europe in spirit, thus living a totally different life than the rest of Europe (Kireyesky). They nearly had to destroy their national personality in order to conform to Western civiliazation (Kireyevsky). In being captavated by the west, Russian intellectuals had lost touch with the true way of the Russian life, the life that many of the peasants and lower-class workers still practiced (Madden). | ||
===Paralysis of the Conscious Man in Modern Society=== | ===Paralysis of the Conscious Man in Modern Society=== | ||