Conservatism or the Issue of National Tradition

Abstract

The paper deals with theoretical approaches to the interpretation of the concept of “tradition”, and its relationship with conservative ideology. The author draws attention to the issues related to the incorrect interpretation of tradition and shows the negative consequences this may lead to. Referring to the article by S. V. Lurie “The Traditiology of E. S. Markaryan: the difference from foreign theories of tradition”, the author analyzes and summarizes the information on the interpretation of tradition in this work, but notes that there is no information about domestic researchers who studied the national tradition and its essence. This determined the main content of the study, in which the central place is occupied by the ideas of the tradition of two domestic researchers, participants in the Eurasian movement of the philosopher, the linguist N. S. Trubetskoy and the theologian G. V. Florovsky. N. S. Trubetskoy considers tradition as a mechanism for the transfer, preservation and renewal of the basic values of Russian culture from generation to generation. In case of disruption of this mechanism, there is either acceptance of other people's values, or rejection of innovations. Both harm society, and not only does not provide prerequisites for its development, but can lead to a social crisis. G. F. Florovsky looks at the preservation and development of theological tradition on the example of the religious teaching of hesychasm as the central link in culture. For theologian, what matters is the Christian tradition embodying not only the past, but the present and the future, and which bases on the passed historical stage of embodying the ideas of the theanthropic process.