Vladimir Soloviev and the Spiritualization of Matter

Abstract

This thesis explores the nature and significance of the task allocated to humanity in the thought of the Christian philosopher Vladimir Solov'ev (1853-1900)—the ‘spiritualization of matter’ (odukhotvorenie materii). It is split into four parts, which follow the chronological development of Solov'ev’s thought while retaining a thematic approach in large part deriving from that development. The first section builds a foundation for the rest of the thesis by exploring his philosophy of matter. The second section outlines the major themes in Solov'ev’s thought on the interaction between God and humanity, and analyzes his reasons for arriving at his formulation of the goal of the historical process and the task incumbent upon humanity. The third section argues for the centrality of the phenomenon of prophecy to Solov'ev’s project, as well as tackling the question of the late, apocalyptic turn in his life and work. It then discusses the mode of ‘feeling’ as a central component in the dynamics of the spiritualization of matter. The last section looks at Solov'ev’s eschatology, philosophy of love and aesthetics, and discusses his final relation to many of the defining influences of his intellectual and spiritual development. While exploring the sources on which Solov'ev drew as well as the resonance his thinking finds in contemporary philosophical and theological thought, the thesis also incorporates biographical details of the philosopher's life into its analysis of his oeuvre.