Mikhail Epstein

Chto zastavljaet Rossiju uprjamo prokladyvat puti k kontsu istorii? Pozdno, lish v XVIII veke, javivshis na evropejskuju stsenu i ne najdja na nej svoego osobogo konstruktivnogo prizvanija, ona toropitsja pervoj opustit zanaves, ugrozhaja pogruzit mir vo tmu. Kniga rassmatrivaet tektonicheskie sdvigi nashego vremeni, kogda optimistichnyj stsenarij "kontsa istorii", predlozhennyj Frensisom Fukujamoj, stalkivaetsja s novoj, katastroficheskoj realnostju. Vojna Rossii s Ukrainoj i Zapadom - tsivilizatsionnyj raskol, kotoryj osveschaetsja zdes v shirokoj kulturno-istoricheskoj perspektive. Proslezhivajutsja puti transformatsii "russkogo mira" v antimir, ugrozhajuschij gibelju vsej planete, raskryvajutsja ego osnovnye grani: antibytie, antivremja, antisotsium, antimoral, antijazyk... Issleduetsja priroda shizofrenicheskogo fashizma i novoj apokaliptiki, vobravshej v sebja gosudarstvennoe pravoslavie, arkhaicheskij kult pochvy, vojny i smerti, evrazijskuju nenavist k Zapadu, cherty natsistskoj ideologii. Politicheskie sobytija sluzhat predmetom filosofskogo, kulturologicheskogo i lingvisticheskogo analiza, opirajuschegosja na obshirnyj material SMI, nasledie russkoj literatury i intellektualnuju istoriju.

Trialogi - eto unikalnyj tvorcheskij eksperiment, kotoryj v 1982-1983 godakh postavili khudozhnik i esseist Ilja Kabakov, iskusstvoved i sotsiolog Iosif Bakshtejn, a takzhe filolog i kulturolog Mikhail Epshtejn. Na protjazhenii goda oni vstrechalis i pisali nebolshie esse na vybrannye imi temy, a zatem obsuzhdali ikh i dopolnjali teksty drug druga kommentarijami. Temy dlja etikh improvizatsij okhvatyvali iskusstvo, kulturu, obschestvo i povsednevnuju zhizn; chasto predmetom sovmestnykh diskussij stanovilis realii sovetskogo vremeni i vazhnye ideologemy: ot khokkeja, sumki ili plakata do sudby i eposa. Pomimo materialov improvizatsionnykh sessij, v knigu voshel napisannyj M. Epshtejnom razdel "K istorii i teorii improvizatsij", v kotorom rasskazyvaetsja o drugikh improvizatsionnykh soobschestvakh, voznikshikh v Rossii i na Zapade s 1980-kh godov do nashikh dnej - Klube esseistov, "Egipetskikh nochakh", "Pishu kak dyshu", "Lost and Found". V etom razdele avtor rassmatrivaet zhanrovye osobennosti improvizatsii kak ekzistentsialnogo sobytija myshlenija, soedinenie v nej tvorcheskoj i kommunikativnoj sostavljajuschikh, sootnoshenie ee s folklorom i esseistikoj. V prilozhenie vkljuchena statja M. Epshtejna "Ilja Kabakov kak myslitel", v kontse knigi privoditsja bibliografija rabot po problematike knigi, a takzhe khronologija vsekh improvizatsij na russkom i anglijskom jazykakh, v kotorykh M. Epshtejn uchastvoval kak moderator i avtor. Izdanie illjustrirovano faksimile tekstov I. Kabakova i reproduktsijami ego rabot, otnosjaschikhsja k temam improvizatsij.

Kniga posvjaschena glubochajshemu istoricheskomu slomu v sudbe Rossii, katastroficheskim sobytijam ee konfrontatsii s Ukrainoj i Zapadom. Eto ne prosto vojna, no tsivilizatsionnyj raskol, kotoryj rassmatrivaetsja v tselostnoj kulturno-istoricheskoj perspektive. Proslezhivajutsja puti transformatsii "russkogo mira" v antimir, ugrozhajuschij apokalipsisom vsemu chelovechestvu. Sistematicheski issledujutsja mnogoobraznye cherty etogo antimira: antivremja, antiprostranstvo, antibytie, antisotsium, antimoral, antikhristianstvo, antijazyk. Rassmatrivaetsja priroda shizofrenicheskogo fashizma ("shizofashizma") i te paradoksy i inversii, kotorye prevraschajut pobedu v porazhenie. Mikhail Naumovich Epshtejn (Mikhail Epstein) - filolog, filosof, kulturolog, esseist, avtor soroka knig i mnozhestva statej i esse, posvjaschennykh sovremennoj filosofii i religii, russkoj i zapadnoj literature, razvitiju gumanitarnykh nauk. Professor universiteta Emori (SSHA), osnovatel i rukovoditel Tsentra gumanitarnykh innovatsij v Daremskom universitete (Velikobritanija, 2012-2015). Laureat premii Andreja Belogo (1991), londonskogo Instituta sotsialnykh izobretenij (1995), Mezhdunarodnogo konkursa esseistiki (Berlin - Vejmar, 1999), premii Liberty (Nju-Jork, 2000) i dr. Ego raboty perevedeny na 26 jazykov.

Winner of the Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for Studies in Slavic Languages and Literatures (awarded by the Modern Languages Association)This groundbreaking work by one of the world’s foremost theoreticians of culture and scholars of Russian philosophy gives for the first time a systematic examination of the development of Russian philosophy during the late Soviet period. Countering the traditional view of an intellectual wilderness under the Soviet regime, Mikhail Epstein provides a comprehensive account of Russian thought of the second half of the 20th century that is highly sophisticated without losing clarity. It provides new insights into previously mostly ignored areas such as late-Soviet Russian nationalism and Eurasianism, religious thought, cosmism and esoterism, and postmodernism and conceptualism. Epstein shows how Russian philosophy has long been trapped in an intellectual prison of its own making as it sought to create its own utopia. However, he demonstrates that it is time to reappraise Russian thought, now freed from the bonds of Soviet totalitarianism and ideocracy but nevertheless dangerously engaged into new nationalist aspirations and metaphysical radicalism. We are left with not only a new and exciting interpretation of recent Russian intellectual history, but also the opportunity to rethink our own philosophical heritage.

V knige rassmatrivajutsja osnovopolagajuschie dlja kultury pervoponjatija - svoego roda obschechelovecheskie universalii, kotorye shiroko upotrebljajutsja, no s trudom poddajutsja opredeleniju i odnoznachnomu tolkovaniju. Rech idet, naprimer, o zhizni i sudbe, o ljubvi i zhelanii, o smerti i bessmertii, o vlasti i narode, o realnom i vozmozhnom. Avtor stavit pered soboj zadachu raskryt igru kazhdogo ponjatija, bogatstvo ego smyslov, ego mentalnyj gorizont, mnogoobrazie kontekstov, kuda ono mozhet byt vpisano. Dlja etogo privlekaetsja shirokij krug filosofskikh istochnikov i privoditsja mnozhestvo primerov iz khudozhestvennoj literatury. Eti predelno emkie po smyslu edinitsy jazyka i mysli obladajut vlastju nad obschestvennym soznaniem i opredeljajut bytie cheloveka v kulture. Mikhail Naumovich Epshtejn - rossijsko-amerikanskij filosof, kulturolog, literaturoved, lingvist, esseist, laureat premij Andreja Belogo, Londonskogo instituta sotsialnykh izobretenij, Mezhdunarodnogo konkursa esseistiki (Berlin-Vejmar), Liberty (Nju-Jork). Professor universiteta Emori (SSHA), avtor soroka knig i mnozhestva statej i esse, perevedennykh na dvadtsat shest inostrannykh jazykov.

Winner of the Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for Studies in Slavic Languages and Literatures (awarded by the Modern Languages Association)This groundbreaking work by one of the world’s foremost theoreticians of culture and scholars of Russian philosophy gives for the first time a systematic examination of the development of Russian philosophy during the late Soviet period. Countering the traditional view of an intellectual wilderness under the Soviet regime, Mikhail Epstein provides a comprehensive account of Russian thought of the second half of the 20th century that is highly sophisticated without losing clarity. It provides new insights into previously mostly ignored areas such as late-Soviet Russian nationalism and Eurasianism, religious thought, cosmism and esoterism, and postmodernism and conceptualism. Epstein shows how Russian philosophy has long been trapped in an intellectual prison of its own making as it sought to create its own utopia. However, he demonstrates that it is time to reappraise Russian thought, now freed from the bonds of Soviet totalitarianism and ideocracy but nevertheless dangerously engaged into new nationalist aspirations and metaphysical radicalism. We are left with not only a new and exciting interpretation of recent Russian intellectual history, but also the opportunity to rethink our own philosophical heritage.

This groundbreaking work by one of the world’s foremost theoreticians of Russian literature, culture, and thought gives for the first time an extensive and detailed examination of the development of Russian thought during the late Soviet period. Countering the traditional view of an intellectual wilderness under the Soviet regime, Mikhail Epstein offers a systematic account of Russian thought in the second half of the 20th century. In doing so, he provides new insights into previously ignored areas such as Russian liberalism, personalism, structuralism, neo–rationalism, and culturology. Epstein shows how Russian philosophy and culture has long been trapped in an intellectual prison of its own making as it sought to create its own utopia. However, he demonstrates that it is time to reappraise Russian philosophical thought and cultural theory, now freed from the bonds of totalitarianism. We are left with not only a new and exciting interpretation of Russian thought, but also an opportunity to rethink our own intellectual heritage.

Avtor knigi "Ottsovstvo" - izvestnyj filosof i filolog, professor universitetov Darema (Velikobritanija) i Emori (Atlanta, SSHA) Mikhail Epshtejn. Nesmotrja na shirokij literaturnyj i intellektualnyj kontekst, razmyshlenija avtora obrascheny ne tolko k ljubiteljam filosofii i psikhologii, no i ko vsem roditeljam, kotorye khoteli by glubzhe osoznat svoe prizvanie. Pervyj god zhizni docheri, "doslovesnyj" esche period, postepennoe probuzhdenie samosoznanija, sposobnosti k igre, obscheniju, emotsijam podrobno rassmatrivajutsja ljubjaschim vzorom ottsa. Eto v svoem rode unikalnyj obrazets pristalnogo i berezhnogo vslushivanija v novuju chelovecheskuju zhizn, opyt sozidanija uz ljubvi i rozhdenija podlinnoj semejnoj blizosti. Redaktor: Agafonov Egor, Nefedova Marina Evgenevna

Ponjatie askezy, to est stremlenija k vozderzhaniju i otrecheniju ot zemnykh blag, - kljuchevoe dlja samosoznanija russkoj kultury. Ono svjazano s temoj bednosti, pod kotoroj ponimaetsja ne tolko nuzhda, no i skudost okruzhajuschej sredy, asketichnost samoj prirody. Takie mysliteli, kak N. Berdjaev, M. Veber i N. Elias, opisyvali askezu kak tekhniku samoogranichenija i samodistsipliny i, sledovatelno, kak kljuchevoj ekonomicheskij i tsivilizatsionnyj faktor. Odnako esli obratitsja k Biblii, to evangelskim ponjatiem okazyvaetsja izobilie, a vovse ne askeza. Ego obraztsom stalo chudo umnozhenija khlebov, dostignutoe bez kakikh-libo asketicheskikh podvigov so storony prisutstvujuschikh ljudej. V takom sluchae, dejstvitelno li para izobilie/askeza antonimichna? Kak modeliruetsja naprjazhenie mezhdu etimi dvumja poljusami v russkoj literature? Kakoe otrazhenie ideja transformatsii krajnej bednosti v izbytochnoe bogatstvo nashla v sovetskoj kulture? V sbornik voshli stati Zh.-F. Zhakkara, K. Ichin, O. A. Khanzena-Ljove i drugikh issledovatelej, posvjaschennye etoj teme v russkoj literature ot srednevekovja do sovremennosti. Redaktor: Kherlt Jens, Tsender Kristian

This groundbreaking work by one of the world’s foremost theoreticians of Russian literature, culture, and thought gives for the first time an extensive and detailed examination of the development of Russian thought during the late Soviet period. Countering the traditional view of an intellectual wilderness under the Soviet regime, Mikhail Epstein offers a systematic account of Russian thought in the second half of the 20th century. In doing so, he provides new insights into previously ignored areas such as Russian liberalism, personalism, structuralism, neo–rationalism, and culturology. Epstein shows how Russian philosophy and culture has long been trapped in an intellectual prison of its own making as it sought to create its own utopia. However, he demonstrates that it is time to reappraise Russian philosophical thought and cultural theory, now freed from the bonds of totalitarianism. We are left with not only a new and exciting interpretation of Russian thought, but also an opportunity to rethink our own intellectual heritage.

In this book, Mikhail Epstein offers a systematic theory of modalities (the actual, possible, and necessary), as applied to the discourse of philosophy in its post-Kantian and especially post-Derridean perspectives. He relies on his own experience of living in the USSR and the US, dominated respectively by imperative and possibilist modalities. Possibilism assumes that a thing or event acquires meaning only in the context of its multiple possibilities, inviting counterfactual and conditional modes of description. The author focuses on the creative potentials of possibilistic thinking and its heuristic value. The book demonstrates the range of modal approaches to society, culture, ethics, and language, and outlines potentiology as a new philosophical discipline interacting with ontology and epistemology.

This book explores the major paradoxes of Russian literature as a manifestation of both tragic and ironic contradictions of human nature and national character. Russian literature, from Pushkin and Gogol to Chekhov, Nabokov and to postmodernist writers, is studied as a holistic text that plays on the reversal of such opposites as being and nothingness, reality and simulation, and rationality and absurdity. The glorification of Mother Russia exposes her character as a witch; a little man is transformed into a Christ figure; consistent rationality betrays its inherent madness, and extreme verbosity produces the effect of silence. The greatest Russian writers were masters of spiritual self–denial and artistic self–destruction, which explains many paradoxes and unpredictable twists of Russian history up to our time.

Slovar soderzhit sistemnoe opisanie ponjatij i terminov gumanitarnykh nauk, vkljuchaja filosofiju (v tom chisle etiku i estetiku), kulturologiju, religiovedenie, lingvistiku, literaturovedenie, a takzhe gumanitarnye podkhody k prirode, istorii, obschestvu, tekhnike. Slovar sostoit iz 440 statej, razmeschennykh v 14 tematicheskikh razdelakh v alfavitnom porjadke. Osoboe vnimanie udeljaetsja razvitiju novoj terminologii, otrazhajuschej kulturno-sotsialnye protsessy KHKHI veka i metody intellektualnogo tvorchestva. Avtor i sostavitel Slovarja - izvestnyj rossijsko-amerikanskij kulturolog, filosof, filolog Mikhail Epshtejn, professor universiteta Emori (SSHA) i pochetnyj professor Daremskogo universiteta (Velikobritanija). Razrabotannyj im unikalnyj podkhod pozvoljaet znachitelno rasshirit ponjatijnuju sistemu gumanitarnykh nauk, svjazat ikh drug s drugom i s temi tvorcheskimi praktikami, kotorye voznikajut na ikh osnove. V slovare raskryvaetsja konstruktivnyj potentsial gumanitarnykh nauk, sposobnykh ne tolko izuchat, no i formirovat novye literaturno-khudozhestvennye i filosofskie dvizhenija, intellektualnye soobschestva, kulturnye institutsii. Mnogie terminy i kontsepty, vpervye predlozhennye avtorom, uzhe voshli v nauchnyj obikhod. Kniga prednaznachena razvivat innovatsionnye navyki myshlenija u issledovatelej i studentov i adresovana vsem, kogo interesuet sovremennaja gumanistika kak novyj etap samopoznanija chelovechestva.

This book explores the major paradoxes of Russian literature as a manifestation of both tragic and ironic contradictions of human nature and national character. Russian literature, from Pushkin and Gogol to Chekhov, Nabokov and to postmodernist writers, is studied as a holistic text that plays on the reversal of such opposites as being and nothingness, reality and simulation, and rationality and absurdity. The glorification of Mother Russia exposes her character as a witch; a little man is transformed into a Christ figure; consistent rationality betrays its inherent madness, and extreme verbosity produces the effect of silence. The greatest Russian writers were masters of spiritual self–denial and artistic self–destruction, which explains many paradoxes and unpredictable twists of Russian history up to our time.

Distinguished scholar Mikhail Epstein offers a re-assessment of the role of the humanities and advocates their constructive potential for the society and intellectual culture of the future. In his famous classification of the sciences, Francis Bacon not only catalogued those branches of knowledge that already existed in his time, but also anticipated the new disciplines he believed would emerge in the future: the "desirable sciences." In this open access publication, Mikhail Epstein echoes, in part, Bacon's vision and outlines the "desirable" disciplines and methodologies that may emerge in the humanities in response to the new realities of the twenty-first century. Are the humanities a purely scholarly field, or should they have some active, constructive supplement? We know that technology serves as the practical extension of the natural sciences, and politics as the extension of the social sciences. Both technology and politics are designed to transform what their respective disciplines study objectively. The Transformative Humanities: A Manifesto addresses the question: Is there any activity in the humanities that would correspond to the transformative status of technology and politics? It argues that we need a practical branch of the humanities which functions similarly to technology and politics, but is specific to the cultural domain. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license on bloomsburycollections.com.

Distinguished scholar Mikhail Epstein offers a re-assessment of the role of the humanities and advocates their constructive potential for the society and intellectual culture of the future. In his famous classification of the sciences, Francis Bacon not only catalogued those branches of knowledge that already existed in his time, but also anticipated the new disciplines he believed would emerge in the future: the "desirable sciences." In this open access publication, Mikhail Epstein echoes, in part, Bacon's vision and outlines the "desirable" disciplines and methodologies that may emerge in the humanities in response to the new realities of the twenty-first century. Are the humanities a purely scholarly field, or should they have some active, constructive supplement? We know that technology serves as the practical extension of the natural sciences, and politics as the extension of the social sciences. Both technology and politics are designed to transform what their respective disciplines study objectively. The Transformative Humanities: A Manifesto addresses the question: Is there any activity in the humanities that would correspond to the transformative status of technology and politics? It argues that we need a practical branch of the humanities which functions similarly to technology and politics, but is specific to the cultural domain. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license on bloomsburycollections.com.

MIKHAIL EPSTEIN "RUSSIAN SPIRITUALITY AND THE SECULARIZATION OF CULTURE". "Mikhail Esptein is a preeminent authority on Russian spirituality, and this fine book shows why. With his characteristic erudition Epstein brings the reader to the origins of Russian intellectual tradition, showing how it continues to inform some of the most heated debates in modern Russia. According to the author, this culture occupies a unique position on the intersection of Western and Eastern spirituality, and the tension between these powerful crosscurrents creates a space for the kind of religious, artistic, and intellectual creativity we have come to associate with Russia. Epstein treats these complex, fascinating subjects with the admirable clear-headedness and discernment that make the book valuable to experts and common readers alike". - Dmitri SHALIN, Professor of Sociology at University of Nevada, director of the Center for Democratic Culture, coordinator of Justice & Democracy Forum series.