The making of a Russian philosophical terminology, 1800–1917

Abstract

Abstract One of the first things that strikes any student of Russian philosophy is the astonishing quantity of translated literature. This is particularly remarkable at the tum of the twentieth century when everything and anything was translated, from the classics to modern and contemporary works (sometimes in several versions). Indeed, it was not unusual for contemporary works to be translated into Russian before any other language. There are various hypotheses for explaining the high production of translated literature in Russia. One is that it served as a kind of panacea to what was felt, or admitted, as cultural isolation. Another, quite different view, is that it was a natural consequence of Russia's long-standing affinities with the cultural life of France and Germany (also England), meaning that translating and commenting on the poetical, philosophical, or historical writings of her European neighbours was simply part and parcel of national intellectual production. However, one sure explanation for the mass of translated literature in Russia is no more than pedagogical and pragmatic, namely the need to provide materials for teaching purposes.