Influence of the late works of Vl. Solovyov on A. Kozhev’s philosophy of history

Abstract

The later work of Vladimir Soloviev, more specifically his Three Conversations on War, Progress, and the End of World History, is considered as one of the origins of Alexander Kozhev's philosophy of history. The general characteristics of Kozhev's anthropological and historiosophic views and their comparison with the concept of history presented in Solovyev's Three Conversations are given. The comparative analysis of the views of both philosophers revealed eight conceptual points, which are presented in both historiosophic doctrine of the late Soloviev and in Alexander Kozhev's philosophy of history as well. The attention is drawn to the fact that both French thinker and Russian philosopher believe that post-historical state is characterized by the absence of wars and termination of existence of separate national states, replaced by supranational structures of government, which will later be abolished in favor of a single World Empire, based on radical egalitarianism. It is noted that both philosophers agree that the world after history is an undifferentiated culturally homogeneous space in which an apparent material prosperity coexists with a latent spiritual crisis characterized by primitivization of the man, disappearance of culture, domination of atheism, devaluation of Christian values. The emphasis is placed on the affinity between Kozhev's image of Napoleon and Solovyov's figure of the antichrist, whereas in both cases the question is about a personality who expansively imposes his individuality on the world, a subject who moves humanity by his actions into a posthistorical space by means of the establishment of the Total Empire. The main difference between Kozhev's historiosophical concept and Solovyov's is also considered. It consists in the fact that Kozhev's 'end of History' takes place in a purely secular dimension, while Solovyov, who stands on a religious position, leaves room for messianism. In summary, based on the many considered conceptual coincidences between Solovyov's and Kozhev's doctrines, we conclude the late Solovyov's work has influenced on Kozhev's historiosophy.