Turgenev in Philosophical Viewing: Russian Discourse
The article discusses the philosophical and historical optics of Turgenev’s novels, and his special analytical method in research of Russian culture. The author examines the philosophical debate on Turgenev-novelist and thinker. According to critics, Turgenev's novels are an encyclopedia of Russian life. However, the Turgenev’s method of depicting the phenomena of Russian reality can not be considered only a literary technique. His skill is not limited to the definition “psychological realism”. Still there are no studies that would consider Turgenev's novels within the framework of the philosophy of Russian history and culture in contemporary Humanities. This fact gives additional difficulties in studies on Turgenev. I analyze the Russian intellectual discourse in dialogue with the Western tradition Turgenev’s studies. The paper reconstructs Turgenev's intellectual profile as a philosopher of history and social analyst. The article formulates a thesis the possibility of interpretations of his novels as essay on social and philosophical problems of Russian society and Analytics of Russian history and culture. The article discusses the philosophical and historical meaning of the writer's novels, as well as the horizon of Turgenev-thinker's social prognostics.