Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Russian thought. A preliminary review of the literature

Abstract

As this preliminary study proceeds, one cannot fail to be struck by a marked shift in the balance between Western and Soviet sources. Nor is the difference only a relative one; it is also one of absolute quantity. The first part of this article embracing (I) reference works (bibliographies, etc.), (II) general studies covering the whole period, (III) general studies covering the first half of the 19th century, and (IV) works dealing with the Slavophils listed rather more than one hundred titles, Western sour ces and Soviet sources figuring in the proportion of roughly eight to three respectively.53 This second part which continues roughly to the mid dle of the 19th century, and includes the proverbial "fathers" but not the "sons" is based on over 250 references, in the reverse proportion of about 8 Soviet titles to every 5 Western ones. As far as can be judged at present, the third and final part covering the history of Russian thought up to the October Revolution will be, both relatively and abso lutely, very similar to the second.