The Locus of Creativity: Alexei Kara-Murza and His Intellectual Topography of Russian History

Abstract

This article analyzes the work of a distinguished Russian philosopher, historian, and political scientist Alexei A. Kara-Murza. Kara-Murza has been developing unique genres of philosophic study, including philosophical travelology and a local study approach that lies at the junction of the philosophical investigation into the history of Russia and historical examination of local places. The method he is advancing could be called an “intellectual topography of Russian history.” This method of philosophical-historical research pioneered by Kara-Murza assumes an inquiry into the genesis of ideas, images, and artistic and historical associations that have been emerging as the cultural spaces of Russia and Europe meet and mingle: the semantic topoi of cultures that encourage thinkers and writers into creative and philosophical reflection.