A History of Russian Thought: From the Enlightenment to Marxism

by Andrzej Walicki

A Stanford University Press classic.

Genres: History, Philosophy, Russia, Nonfiction, Politics, Russian History

476 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this work as part of literary criticism in a course for 19th century Russian Literature. The essay we read was so interesting, I decided to buy the whole book, and found it even more interesting, mostly because most of the essays went beyond the literary and touched upon the development of Russian intellectual history in the 19th century as a response both to the German and French philosophical tradition, but also to major developments in Russian political life. Along with the Essays of Isaiah Berlin, this is an incredible set of essays, even if they are at times quite dense.

[Drew Bohannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book. I needed a more thorough background on philosophy than I had to fully understand its contents. It’s ironic that all these thinkers wanted to usher in a utopian-esque socialist state and ended up by paving the way to Stalin.

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

An in depth account of the development of ideas in russia; religious, ideological, esthetics and theological.
Some chapters were definitely more accessible outside the academic world than others. A complicated subject does not necessarily have to be presented in a complicated language.
All in all, a really good source on the subject, but not an enjoyable read.