Imitation of Chaadaev

Письма первое и второе

Abstract

The genesis of N. Berdyaevs Gnostic existentialism is investigated in the first article by matching the Berdyaev'ss and R. Steiner's versions of the theory of knowledge, presented in their writings with the same name “Philosophy of Freedom” (1894 and 1911 respectively). Chaadaevs genre of “philosophical letter” was used in the work: the author addresses his message to a fictional colleague — philosopher and anthroposophist.
The formal similarity of two authoritative views of the XX century (with their deep ideological differences) is emphasized.
The second article attempts to comprehend the private “Divine-human religion” by N. Berdyaev, which the philosopher opposed to traditional Christianity. The author points to the experience origins, religious practice and the “dogma” that justify this modernist view. The connection of the religious-philosophical ideas of Berdyaev with the views of J.-G. Fichte is shown and parallels are drawn with the religious tendencies of the anthroposophy of R. Steiner.