Conceptualization of the ideas of prosociality in the Russian humanitarian thought of the 19th century

Abstract

Introduction. The relevance of the study is determined by the demand for prosocial values while maintaining and developing the unity and cohesion of Russian society, as well as by the need to refer to the Russian historical experience, including aspects that have not attracted sufficient attention from researchers. This study aims to consider the genesis, evolution, and content of prosocial ideas in the Russian humanitarian thought of the 19th century. Materials and methods. The study used data from an extensive list of pedagogical, psychological, journalistic, philosophical, and other works of a number of prominent representatives of Russian humanitarian thought. The methodological base of the study included the principles of historicism, objectivity, connection, and continuity of phenomena and processes. The authors of the study analyzed the content of the ideas of prosociality in the Russian humanitarian thought of the 19th century from the standpoint of intellectual history. The study used such special methods of historical research as textological analysis, historical-genetic and historical-comparative methods. Results. The authors of the study traced the crystallization and comprehension of such prosocial categories as goodness, charity, kindness, altruism, social service, and others, as well as their role in the formation of a moral personality. In addition, the ideological origins and specific historical conditions for the development of prosocial ideas among the progressive public of the 19th century were revealed. Special attention was paid to the analysis of their views on the system of educating a person with developed prosocial qualities, which included not only theoretical aspects but also quite specific practical proposals. The study concluded that in the 19th century, against the background of the development and flourishing of social thought, there was an active and very fruitful theoretical understanding of a wide range of prosocial concepts. The ideological basis of these reflections were Orthodox values and traditional collectivist attitudes common in Russian society. Conclusion. As a result of the study, the concepts of “welfare”, “goodness”, “altruism”, “love”, and “social service” were for the first time systematically identified in the works of Russian intellectuals in the humanities of the 19th century as structural components of prosociality. The presence in the Russian intellectual tradition (cultural tradition) of the concept of goodness, being the theoretical basis for the introduction of prosociality into modern helping practices and behavior, was revealed. The presence of this concept predetermined the readiness of the Russian enlightened community of the 19th century to perceive the humanistic ideas of prosociality through its cultural code. For the first time, continuity between the Russian pre-revolutionary and modern traditions of the formation of prosociality in humanitarian thought was proven. It was identified that in the Russian public thought of the 19th century, the concept of goodness was understood as an active principle associated with broad social service in a wide variety of areas.