The "Unrecognized Phenomenon" of Konstantin Leont'ev

Abstract

Paradoxical, enigmatic, mysterious . . .Although over a hundred years have passed since Konstantin Leont'ev's death, his personality and conception are still alive in Russia's intellectual tradition, still arousing interest, debate, controversy, and contradictory assessments. For all the diversity, inconsistency, and ambivalence of the opinions expressed in Russia regarding Leont'ev's thought and stance, on one point they probably concur: usually "we encounter with regard to Leont'ev judgments in the apophatic mode: unknown, forgotten, unraveled, complex," 1 paradoxical, enigmatic, mysterious. . . .It is of interest that Russia itself, its "soul," "nature," "idea," or "mission," has been perceived down through the ages in similar fashion-and, consequently, "in the apophatic mode," as a "paradox," "enigma," or "mystery." It might therefore seem that precisely Leont'ev should be perceived in his fatherland as the quintessence of Russianness, the "Russian soul" par excellence, but in fact that is far from being the case: as a rule, he is seen as an "unrecognized phenomenon," as an "eccentric," as an atypical personality, the only one of its kind.By examining the structure of Leont'ev's thought in the context of the Russian intellectual and cultural tradition, I shall try to show why it is perceived in Russia in precisely this fashion, while other ways of perceiving it are placed outside the principal field of vision of the given tradition. And, above all, I shall try to demonstrate and describe the cognitive horizons opened up (in part only potentially) by Leont'ev's conception-in particular, the type of problematization of the world and of Russia's own cultural foundations that is inherent in it.English translation © 2008 M.E. Sharpe, Inc., from the Russian text © 2006 M. Broda. "'Neuznannyi fenomen ' Konstantina Leont'eva," Voprosy filosofii, 2006, no. 7, pp. 129-39. Translated by Stephen D. Shenfield. RUSSIAN STUDIES IN PHILOSOPHY Development and structure of the conceptionIn my view, our starting point for understanding both Leont'ev's conception itself and its cultural-historical significance and heuristic fruitfulness can and even must be the following thought of the philosopher: "Any principle taken with one-sided consistency to any extreme conclusions may prove not only murderous but even suicidal. Thus, for example, were the idea of freedom to be taken to all its ultimate conclusions, it could lead by way of extreme anarchy to extremely despotic communism, to the constant legal violence of all against all or, alternatively, to personal slavery." 2 The same antinomy, the philosopher declared, is inherent in all the most important human categories (for instance, equality, secularization, nationalism, or science) and also in their relations. In general, in Leont'ev's view, the reconciliation that removes the mutual opposition of all values, the mythologically understood coincidentia oppositorum [union of opposites-Trans.] is inaccessible to man (in his earthly, public, and personal existence); any attempt at...