Istoriia Stanovleniia Samosoznaiushchei Dushi Research Articles

Метнер – Эллис – Андрей Белый: От “Мусагетской” полемики к Истории становления самосознающей души

The article deals with the dispute on the attitude toward anthroposophy that took place in 1913–1916 between the three heads of the “Musaget” publishing house – Emil Medtner, Ėllis and Andrei Belyi. Results of this dispute are compared to Belyi's anthroposophic treatise Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi (ISSD; The History of the Self-conscious Soul Formation).

Андрей Белый в работе над трактатом История становления самосознающей души

The bulk of Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) was written in 1926, while the genesis of the idea dates back to 1925. That summer, Belyi moved from Moscow to Kuchino, where he was able to live quietly and had the opportunity to think, walk and work. In October, he delivered a course of lectures on the history of self-consciousness to the actors of the theatre MKhAT-2. This course of lectures became the impulse for writing ISSD. Belyi wrote the 600-page book very quickly: between January and May of 1926 he drafted the text, while from May to July he read through his work, adding some examples and correcting the text. Until the end of his life, Belyi maintained that ISSD was unfinished. However, it is possible that he did not want to write the last chapter of ISSD “Dukhovnaia nauka” since “Dukhovnaia nauka” for Belyi was not an ordinary chapter title, but his motto for the future.

“Apostle of (Self-)Consciousness”: The Figure of Saint Paul in Andrej Belyjʼs Istorija Stanovlenija Samosoznajuščej Duši

Hardly any figure in Andrei Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) is mentioned more often than the Apostle Paul. Belyiʼs late philosophical treatise often, whether directly or indirectly, refers to the person and work of the Apostle. Ranging from biographical concerns and Pauline thinking to Belyiʼs adoption of the Pauline writings, a multifaceted preoccupation with the person of the so-called apostle to the gentiles can be observed throughout ISSD and Belyiʼs oeuvre. This article aims to chart the stages of Belyiʼs relationship with Paul, and to indicate the parallels he draws between his life and work as prophet of the new Christianity and his own biography, which leads him to describe the Apostle as the first bearer of what he terms the (Self-)Consciousness Soul.

История как материал к биографии. Андрей Белый и его opus magnum

If we consider Andrei Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD ) as an attempt to read and understand the two millennia of European culture in the light of the anthroposophical spiritual science, it becomes obvious that the book itself can reasonably be read and understood only in exactly the same way. This article attempts such a reading. In other words, it provides an attempt to understand Belyiʼs book by applying to it its own method of interpretation and understanding of cultural history. The result is a “biographization” of historiography. ISSD , in fact, recapitulates Belyiʼs trilogy of memoirs, not on the basis of the decades of the authorʼs physical life, but nourished by the experience of thousands of incorporeal lifetimes.

История становления самосознающей души Андрея Белого в контексте немецкой историософии (Х. Ст. Чемберлен, О. Шпенглер)

One significant context for Andrei Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) is contemporary German “historiosophy” as represented by Houston Stewart Chamberlainʼs The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century (1899) and Oswald Spenglerʼs The Decline of the West (1918), both of which are treated in this article alongside Belyiʼs reception of them. It explores the similarities and differences between these works and Belyiʼs own culturo-historical project. It will be argued that Belyiʼs ISSD, with its characteristic concept of a spiraliform evolution of culture, can be understood in methodological terms as a synthesis of Chamberlainʼs linear with Spenglerʼs cyclical view of cultural history. As a conception of evolving human self-consciousness, understood as the decisive driving force of cultural development, Belyiʼs anthropological view surpasses former biological references to a cultural-historical morphology in both the concepts of Darwinist racial conflict (Chamberlain) and botanical life cycles (Spengler). This methodological focus of Belyiʼs work is also reflected in its stylistic aspects.

Кант в Истории становления самосознающей души Андрея Белого: Самосознающая душа сквозь призму души рассуждающей

Andrei Belyiʼs interpretation of Kant in Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) is the focus of this article. Belyi sees the main manifestation of the Self-consciousness Soul in the fact that Kant constructed his philosophical system solely out of his own resources without adhering to tradition, as well as in the “ingenious” question “How is pure science of nature possible?” But Belyi harshly criticises the abstraction and subjectivity of Kantʼs theory of knowledge together with its limited solutions, as they do not take the development of humanity into consideration. Nevertheless, he highlights a way to facilitate a breakthrough to self-awareness within Kantʼs practical philosophy, and identifies the imperative character of practical reason with the power of the Self-consciousness Soul. He believes the Kantian “scheme” to be the true aim of knowledge, an aim which the philosopher himself had not adequately managed to realise. In Belyiʼs theory of cognition, Kantʼs scheme is of fundamental importance. He transforms it into a dynamic concept, an “imaginative notion” identified with Goetheʼs concept of prototype.

Andrej Belyj and Immanuel Kant: The Prehistory of Istorija stanovlenija samosoznajuščej duši

No other philosophy concerned Andrei Belyi as much as Kantʼs epistemology. No other philosophy evoked in him such diverse and indeed emotional reactions. This can be observed in Belyiʼs oeuvre. By following the traces of Kant in his writing, it is not only possible to portray the evolution of Belyiʼs thinking, but also to decode the construction of the novel Peterburg. This article aims to outline Belyiʼs complex preoccupation with Kant from its inception in 1902 until the 1920s, when the Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) was written.

Лексемы “понятие” и “понимание” в Истории становления самосознающей души Андрея Белого

In Russian, the lexemes denoting “notion” and “understanding” are etymological cognates, and are used by Belyj in such a way that the text often requires additional interpretation. The article attempts to classify the contexts in which these lexemes are used in Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD). It explores a number of contrasts concerning the differences between, on the one hand, the usage in Russian before Belyi, during the 18th and 19th centuries and, on the other, in Belyiʼs work.

Термин “математическая логика” в трактате А. Белого История становления самосознающей души: Анализ ссылок на учение Э. Гуссерля

One of the main themes of Andrei Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD ) concerns problems of history and the theory of logic, demonstrated by Belyiʼs use of the term “mathematical logic” in his treatise. The purpose of this article is to clarify the meaning he invests in this term, as well as to determine its place in his work. Belyiʼs references to the teachings of Husserl are considered, and a parallel is drawn with Fregeʼs conception of logic. The emphasis placed by Belyi on the precision of knowledge is demonstrated by his use of a particular metaphor: while Frege uses the metaphor of “a microscope”, Belyi uses that of both “a microscope and a telescope”.

Кризисное сознание – Об идеализме, любви и разуме сквозь призму Ницше и Достоевского: История становления самосознающей души Андрея Белого и философия Льва Шестова – Моменты сходства

This paper takes a thematic approach to Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) by focusing on selected fragments in order to uncover some fundamental motifs characteristic of the Silver Age, and thus shared by thinkers of very different orientations. More specifically, a parallel is drawn between Andrei Belyi and Lev Shestov in their concern with the concepts of idealism, love and reason as viewed through the prism of Nietzsche and Dostoevskii – the writers who were of utmost significance for both. In identifying these motifs, several continuities and breaks in Belyiʼs outlook, as well as the prophetic character of the philosophical premonitions of both Shestov and Belyi, come to light.

Философия времени Андрея Белого и История становления самосознающей души

Andrei Belyiʼs philosophy is neither a theory of cognition, nor social philosophy, nor even cultural philosophy. Its first and last word is experience, praxis, action. The main system-forming theme of the philosophy of this Russian writer is the “symbol”. At the foundation of his “symbolism” there lies a belief in the direct connection between symbol and time. In this article, the evolution of Andrei Belyiʼs views concerning the nature of time will be considered. To this end, we shall draw on his publications of the early 1900s; early 1910s; early 1920s; and, finally, Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD). In his main philosophical treatise, Belyi effects a synthesis of the theories of Heraclitus and Parmenides surrounding the fluidity and immutability of human existence. Time, in his interpretation, turns out to be nothing other than the filling in of emptiness – the eternal movement of human thought toward the ultimate goal of self-consciousness, called ▪.

Андрей Белый и Гоголь: До Истории становления самосознающей души, в Истории становления самосознающей души и после

The article deals with the relationship between the chapter “Realism: Gogolʼ, Dostoevskii” of Andrei Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) and two of the most important texts in Belyiʼs reception of Gogolʼ – the article ‘Gogol” (1909) and the monograph Gogolʼs Artistry ( Masterstvo Gogolia). Based on a comparative analysis of the texts, we can conclude that the chapter “Gogol‴ in ISSD corresponds in all essential details to a distinct section of Belyiʼs ‘Gogol”. This section of the text had existed for a long time in an underground capacity, and represents an important addition to Belyiʼs work on Gogol’. Without taking it into account, it is impossible to assess the entire range of Belyiʼs frequent reflections on Gogolʼ or to reconstruct “Gogolʼs story” in his creative lifetime.

“Трансцендентальная аффектология” Андрея Белого

The article attempts to consider Andrei Belyiʼs ideas about affects in the perspective of contemporary anthropological, aesthetic and psychoanalytical studies, as well as in retrospect from Kantian premises, concerning their correlation with the transcendental consciousness. In his Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) (1926) Belyi perceives affects in the life of the body as experience of the immediate sensations of some “self-conscious I”. According to Belyi, affects are not the obstacles for such consciousness, but on the contrary, are the privileged channel of connecting the individual with universal existence, which Belyi, using the anthroposophical vocabulary, calls the “astral”. In other words, the “self-conscious I” meets the “astral body of the world” at the point of affects. As a result of such a meeting point, the body and sensuality of a human being should individualize, and consciousness should acquire its own passion.

The Quality of Becoming: Sophia and Sophiology in Istorija Stanovlenija Samosoznajuščej Duši

The article explores the enduring influence of Sophiology, as well as similarities with later sophiological thought, in Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD). It demonstrates continuity between Belyiʼs thinking, which adopts the otherwise very different conceptual apparatus of anthroposophy, and that of figures such as Jacob Boehme, Vladimir Solovʼev and Sergei Bulgakov on the question of Sophia as relational matrix and the sophianicity of culture. Concentrating particularly on the significance Belyi gives to the categories of “quality” and “style” in the dynamics of becoming, it uses the many parallels that exist between Belyi and Sophiology on the question of the vocation of the individual to explicate one of the central concerns of ISSD.

Стратегия “символизаций” в Истории становления самосознающей души

The article focuses on “symbolization” as Andrei Belyiʼs discursive strategy. In his theory, Belyi differentiated between three concepts: “Symbol” (the highest spiritual unity), “symbolism” (the doctrine of literary symbolism), and “symbolizations” (manifestations of Symbol in literature and art, or the usage of symbolic interpretation in various sciences and terminological systems). The writer used the strategy of “symbolization” to interpret anthroposophy along symbolic lines, and vice versa. In Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD), the strategy of “symbolization” was aimed at an ambitious anthroposopho-symbolist interpretation of European cultural history. It also governed the invention of a series of neologisms. In contrast, in the Stalinist epoch the strategy of “symbolization” helped to unite anthroposophical ideas with the Marxist terminological system.

“Самосознание” культуры в проекте История становления самосознающей души Андрея Белого и “событие бытия” в философии Михаила Бахтина. Культурософия vs. философская прагма

This article compares Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) – his personalized scheme for the evolving self-consciousness of culture – with Bakhtinʼs concept of the “event”. It criticizes the contemporary neurological negation of notions such as “mind”, “consciousness” and “soul”, and explores the concept of self-consciousness in Belyiʼs poem ‘Samosoznanie’. It argues that, by implying knowledge of the world and the self, Belyiʼs understanding of “(samo-)soznanie” aims at a certain verbal and semantic completeness, or even integrity, which is considered an analogue of Bakhtinʼs term “so-bytie”, meaning the “being-together” of Self and Other in the event. Bakhtinʼs concept rejects the romantic philosophical idea of an all-embracing autonomous subject from the viewpoint of philosophical pragmatism in an avant-garde world. Belyiʼs axiological model of an evolving self-consciousness of culture in the Self repudiates Cartesian philosophy as “culturosophy” together with its positivist model of the world (which implies a Self separated from the world). In this way, the modes of thinking observed in Belyi and Bakhtin are complementary to each other.

Несколько комментариев к иудейским отзвукам и их источникам в Истории становления самосознающей души Андрея Белого (к анализу главы “Точка рубежа”)

This article is dedicated to aspects of the chapter “Tochka rubezha” from Andrei Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD). An attempt is made to demonstrate that this chapter is based on Belyiʼs exchanges with the Russian phenomenologist Gustav Shpet from the early 1920s connected with the place occupied by Judaism in the contrasting philosophical approaches to the history of Christianity of both thinkers. At the same time, several historical and philosophical sources connected with the position of Judaism and used in the construction of Belyiʼs anthroposophically grounded study are compared with Jewish sources published around the same time.

Ритм в философско-эстетических исканиях Андрея Белого и в Истории становления самосознающей души в контексте исканий его времени

This article explores the history of the understanding of rhythm in contemporary Russian aesthetics. Against this background, it considers the formation and development of the concept of rhythm within Andrei Belyiʼs individual philosophical and aesthetic frame of reference from his early critical works and verse studies of the epoch of Symbolism to Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) and the later works.

Образы немецкого идеализма в рукописи Андрея Белого Истории становления самосознающей души

This article gives an analysis of the basic schemes and metaphors used to describe the evolution of German Idealism after Kant in Andrei Belyiʼs treatise Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi (ISSD). The article demonstrates that Belyiʼs understanding of the history of German idealistic philosophy depends on well-known Neo-Kantian histories of philosophy. It stresses the difference between the interpretations of the philosophical systems of Fichte, Schelling and Hegel held by Belyi and Rudolf Steiner, and highlights the use of imagery from the poetry of Heinrich Heine in Belyiʼs portrayal of German Idealism.

“Новая математика” и “философия математики” в Истории становления самосознающей души: Аспекты аритмологии и комбинаторики

Belyiʼs particular orientation toward mathematics in his methodology and style is rooted in the approach of the Moscow mathematical school, which regarded mathematics as the philosophical foundation of all modes of cognition and creativity. The method and style of Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) are grounded in a theory of interaction between scientific modes of thought and ways of thinking characteristic of the liberal arts. Such interaction paves the way to several tendencies observable in contemporary culture.