The Russian Culture - Essay Example

? The first letter was one of eight letters written in French by Peter Chaadaev. He vehemently criticized the Russian culture, church and legal system claiming that the Russian Orthodox Church had held the Russian people back as an agricultural backward nation. There was no native thought, history or culture other than what came from Western Europe A nation cannot base her history or culture on the history of other countries as she had done since Peter the Great. When this letter was published in 1836, it was banned by the censors. In his last letter "Apogia" of a Madman, in essence, he recanted having said that Russian was the equivalent of a "headless horseman". The letters were written over a period of 5 years. There was a transitional change of thought as the dynamics of the country changed. He was highly influenced in how the Russian Elite interpreted his letters. He changed his analysis and philosophical thinking. The first part of this report will explain his philosophical thoughts in 1829 . The 2nd part of this report will explain the "Apogia" concentrating only on his change of philosophical thought. To conclude, the author will explain how a blank sheet of paper becomes a clean slate. Everything in this world can be taken from both sides. Comparing a country to a blank piece of paper is as though you are comparing a history book to empty pages. "Russia has given nothing to her people and to the rest of the world" As each western country went through the process of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, each developed individual cultures, languages and history. The Catholic Church was contingent on Western Nations succeeding. The Russian Orthodox Church kept the pagan customs and the superstitious ways. The control the Orthodox Church held kept the agriculture nation from advancing. Chaadeav expresses two different points of view which are somewhat contradictory. If Russia were such a backward nation and a "blank sheet of paper", how could she possibly be adept at opening up to the West. Russians have the energy and the will to succeed. "Only pure feelings can issue from this pure source" Each nation goes through a cultural, religious and a social renaissance, the Russians went from paganism to foreign domination. Russian history has nothing in common with the necessary development of a civilized country. He received incredible criticism for his opinion of the Russia Utopia. Peter the Great had done so much in the previous century. For a century all science, technology and architecture came from Western Europeans. Personal development comes with organization of the nation. A country without her own personal history, is a body of land in chaos. The renaissance of each nation is the adolescence of the people. Russia has had no Renaissance and therefore was still considered a child who depended on his parents for survival. His analogy that Russia is unlike any nation which has no history which has no culture nor Renaissance leads to reasoning that the control the church had over Europe must have been a positive effect over the growth and development of the sciences and culture of the different nations. He is hard on his country. He never once mentioned the different needs of Russia and European countries. In Europe, the need of justice, and order was more prevalent as the cities were closer together and commerce had been established for centuries. The last letter is entitled an apology. If Russia put forth an effort due to her strong will, Russia had the potential to be a major player in the future. In this letter, he explains or recants that Russia could not go through the middle ages that Europe went through because of the level of social progress Europe had attained in the 18th century. Europe had lived through the Renaissance in Art, Music, Architecture and Literature. There was an advancement of science. Russia had a choice of assimilating the progress of the Renaissance or stay in the dark ages. Chaadaev used the example that Russia was a white piece of paper where he proposed a solution as proposition with an a possible solution. As his opinion was never accepted, he went off on a tangent. Peter the Great gave the people the ability to go through anything with the will and energy to succeed. Social Mysticism "accomplished moral law" a secularized Christianity. Catholicism is imbedded into each level of the social and culture structure of European society. We were governed by the rules of the Catholic church. He criticized the Russian Orthodox Church for not having attained the same level of integration into the social structure. Each of us come into the world with the possibility of going either way. (good or bad) It is the responsibility of religion to keep us on the right tract. This universal intelligence implies that there is an established Church. Apologia of a Madman gives reason to society's reaction to his first letter saying that Russia is a product of its lack of cultural and religious growth. "The government was only responding to the reaction of the public but were liberal in their acts". He is actually saying that the government was right. Do we need Heroes or do we need wise men, he asks. Heroes of the Fatherland cause death, war and suffering. Love of truths is the creation of wise men. Wise men are closer to God than Heroes. Russia only has heroes but he doesn't blame the country in this letter. He has softened his tone but the underlying theme is the same. Russia has not gone through the process of the Renaissance. The elite are the wise who are the reason of progress. He gives ramifications that a century before Russia changed from old Russia and opened towards the West taking all western customs and habits. All past habits whether barbaric or pagan were repudiated. Peter the Great understood that old Russia had to start with a clean slate. The empty piece of paper becomes a clean slate. "The most profound trait of our social physiognomy is spontaneity. …Therefore, we naturally lack the link between the event of the day and that of yesterday. Chaadeav changes his attitude somewhat as he says that Russia has been led by providential logic. He denied this series of "linked ideas" in the first letter. The following part of the letter is a tangent of utopist quality. Russia is East European but it is not representative of Eastern Cultures."The East possesses, as we have just seen, an idea which was inlaid in men's minds since the first days of creation. Heroes and wise men are one. If we do not have the right to adopt Western culture then we must look at the Heroes of the wars, inquisitions, suffering, and middle ages and realize that the universal right of the wise man is not ours. Without Western European culture, old Mother Russia becomes Eastern Russia. "The world becomes a focal point as it has always been divided between East and West. " The past and history is gone. Russia can only be part of the present, and future and play a major role in the sciences. As we have never suffered under suppressed regimes, we are in control of our future where other nations' destinies are already decided for their people. The vibrant intellectual West has changed the face of Russia with Peter the Great but the people deny his great cultural and spiritual work. This false patriotism is as young as a child. We cannot be claimed as Eastern as we have not gone through our period of enlightenment. Read More