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Stephen Lukashevich. N. F. Fedorov (1828-1903): A Study in Russian Eupsychian and Utopian Thought. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1977. 316 pp. $18.50.

Stephen Lukashevich. N. F. Fedorov (1828-1903): A Study in Russian Eupsychian and Utopian... f l a v o r to t h e b o o k . I a m r e a d y to say t h a t t h i s w o r k is t h e first s e r i o u s s t e p t o w a r d a t h o r o u g h i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f t h e b i z a r r e , r e l i g i o - e s t h e t i c f e r v o r t h a t a c c o u n t e d f o r t h e Silver Age. I h i g h l y r e c o m m e n d it. Stephen Lukashevich U n i v e r s i t y o f D e l a w a r e S t e p h e n L u k a s h e v i c h . N . F. F e d o r o v ( 1 8 2 8 - 1 9 0 3 ) : A S t u d y in R u s s i a n E u p s y c h i a n a n d U t o p i a n T h o u g h t . N e w a r k : U n i v e r s i t y o f D e l a w a r e Press, 1 9 7 7 . 3 1 6 p p . $ 1 8 . 5 0 . It is m y d u t y , alas, t o r e p o r t t h a t t h e b o o k u n d e r r e v i e w is a n u n i l l u m i n a t i n g , v e r b o s e , p r e t e n t i o u s a n d u n c r i t i c a l o u t l i n e o f t h e " t h o u g h t " ( a b o u t w h i c h m o r e b e l o w ) o f N i k o l a i F e d o r i c h F e d o r o v , w h o f o r a q u a r t e r c e n t u r y w o r k e d as a s p e c i a l i s t c a t a l o g u e r in t h e R u - m i a n t s e v M u s e u m ( n o w L e n i n S t a t e L i b r a r y ) in M o s c o w . F e d o r o v ' s v e r y m e a g r e p r e s e n t f a m e r e s t s c h i e f l y o n his R u s s o p h i l e a n d f a n t a s t i c a l w r i t i n g s , w h i c h , w h i l e p u r p o s e l y n o t p u b l i s h e d b y t h e i r a u t h o r w h o t h e r e b y e x e r c i s e d , w e feel, s o u n d j u d g m e n t , a p p e a r e d p o s t h u m o u s l y o w i n g t o t h e z e a l o f t w o less c a u t i o u s d i s c i p l e s . Y e t , a c c o r d i n g t o L u k a s h e v i c h , F e d o r o v " w a s w i t h o u t d o u b t t h e m o s t f o r m i d - a b l e R u s s i a n t h i n k e r o f t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y . " ( p . 13) In s u p p o r t o f t h i s d o g m a t i c a n d h i g h l y q u e s t i o n a b l e s t a t e m e n t , L u k a s h e v i c h a t t e m p t s , a l b e i t w i t h s c a n t success, t o reveal F e d o r o v ' s i n t e l l e c t u a l i n f l u e n c e o n s u c h l u m i n a r i e s as D o s t o e v s k i i , V l a d i m i r S o l o v ' e v , L e v T o l s t o i , a n d M a k s i m G o r ' k i i as w e l l as o n a n u m b e r o f o t h e r less i m p o r t a n t R u s s i a n w r i t e r s a n d t h i n k e r s . P e r h a p s t h e b e s t w a y o f a l l o w i n g t h e r e a d e r t o j u d g e F e d o r o v ' s " t h o u g h t , " as d i s t i l l e d b y L u k a s h e v i c h , is t o c i t e a c o u p l e o f e x a m p l e s , s e l e c t e d b y us well-nigh a t r a n d o m : " A c - c o r d i n g t o F e d o r o v , t h e first a n d f o r e m o s t t a s k o f t h e Tsar w a s t h e u n i f i c a t i o n o f all t h e l a n d s o f t h e E a r t h u n d e r t h e aegis o f R u s s i a n A u t o c r a c y . . . . Y e t F e d o r o v w a s u n d e r n o illusion t h a t all p e o p l e o f t h e w o r l d w o u l d i m m e d i a t e l y h e e d t h e T s a r ' s a p p e a l f o r f r a t e r - n i f i c a t i o n [sic]. F o r t h i s r e a s o n t h e T s a r m u s t c r e a t e a C h r i s t - l o v i n g A r m y a n d a Pacifica- t i o n N a v y , w h i c h w o u l d p r o p a g a n d i z e a n d , w h e n all else f a i l e d , c o n q u e r t h e d e r e l i c t p e o p l e a n d b r i n g t h e m u n d e r t h e T s a r ' s r u l e . " ( p p . 2 6 9 - 7 1 ) T h e n e x t p a s s a g e , t o t h i s r e v i e w e r , u n d e r s c o r e s t h e m u d d l e o f F e d o r o v ' s " t h o u g h t " s y s t e m as w e l l as L u k a s h e v i c h ' s p r o s e style: " A s e x p l a i n e d in P a r t O n e a b o v e , t h e seven- t e e n a v a t a r s o f s e l f - c r e a t i o n a n d E u p s y c h i a [ t h a t is, h a p p i n e s s ] w e r e t h e r e s u l t s o f t h e c u l m i n a t i o n o f t h e e i g h t d e v e l o p m e n t a l c o l u m n s o f t h e e v o l u t i o n o f m a n ' s h u m a n i t y . M o r e p r e c i s e l y , s e l f - c r e a t i o n a n d its r e s u l t a n t i m m o r t a l i t y w o u l d b e t h e p r o d u c t s o f m u l - t i u n i t a r i a n k i n s h i p , u n i t e d m a n k i n d , p o s i t i v e c h a s t i t y , p a t r i f i c a t i o n o f u n i v e r s a l s p a c e - u n i v e r s a l r e s u r r e c t i o n , u n i v e r s a l s y n t h e s i s , s y n t h e s i s o f h i s t o r y , t h e s c i e n c e s , a r t , p s y c h o l - o g y , a n d t h e o l o g y w i t h a s t r o n o m y , t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f m a n k i n d i n t o a m a n k i n d t h a t w o u l d b e p a t t e r n e d a f t e r t h e social p r o j e c t o f t h e H o l y T r i n i t y , a n d t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e C o p e r n i c a n t e m p l e o f t h e u n i v e r s e . " (p. 2 9 2 ) A r t h u r A. L e v i n The University o f Calgary K. M. Jensen. Beyond Marx and Mach: Aleksandr Bogdanov's Philosophy o f Living Ex- perience (Sovietica 41). Dordrecht, Holland/Boston: D. Reidel Publishing Company, 1978. ix. 186 pp. $24.00. T h e r e a s o n f o r t h e a u t h o r ' s c h o i c e o f t h i s p a r t i c u l a r w o r k f o r a n a l y s i s a n d e x p o s i t i o n is t h a t i t r e p r e s e n t s B o g d a n o v ' s W e l t a n s h a u u n g . J e n s e n c o n t e n d s t h a t s c h o l a r s f a i l e d t o p a y s u f f i c i e n t a t t e n t i o n t o T h e P h i l o s o p h y o f L i v i n g E x p e r i e n c e a n d t h u s m i s s e d Bog- http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Canadian-American Slavic Studies Brill

Stephen Lukashevich. N. F. Fedorov (1828-1903): A Study in Russian Eupsychian and Utopian Thought. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1977. 316 pp. $18.50.

Levin, ArthurA.
Canadian-American Slavic Studies , Volume 14 (1): 114 – Jan 1, 1980
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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 1980 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0090-8290
eISSN
2210-2396
DOI
10.1163/221023980X00634
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Abstract

f l a v o r to t h e b o o k . I a m r e a d y to say t h a t t h i s w o r k is t h e first s e r i o u s s t e p t o w a r d a t h o r o u g h i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f t h e b i z a r r e , r e l i g i o - e s t h e t i c f e r v o r t h a t a c c o u n t e d f o r t h e Silver Age. I h i g h l y r e c o m m e n d it. Stephen Lukashevich U n i v e r s i t y o f D e l a w a r e S t e p h e n L u k a s h e v i c h . N . F. F e d o r o v ( 1 8 2 8 - 1 9 0 3 ) : A S t u d y in R u s s i a n E u p s y c h i a n a n d U t o p i a n T h o u g h t . N e w a r k : U n i v e r s i t y o f D e l a w a r e Press, 1 9 7 7 . 3 1 6 p p . $ 1 8 . 5 0 . It is m y d u t y , alas, t o r e p o r t t h a t t h e b o o k u n d e r r e v i e w is a n u n i l l u m i n a t i n g , v e r b o s e , p r e t e n t i o u s a n d u n c r i t i c a l o u t l i n e o f t h e " t h o u g h t " ( a b o u t w h i c h m o r e b e l o w ) o f N i k o l a i F e d o r i c h F e d o r o v , w h o f o r a q u a r t e r c e n t u r y w o r k e d as a s p e c i a l i s t c a t a l o g u e r in t h e R u - m i a n t s e v M u s e u m ( n o w L e n i n S t a t e L i b r a r y ) in M o s c o w . F e d o r o v ' s v e r y m e a g r e p r e s e n t f a m e r e s t s c h i e f l y o n his R u s s o p h i l e a n d f a n t a s t i c a l w r i t i n g s , w h i c h , w h i l e p u r p o s e l y n o t p u b l i s h e d b y t h e i r a u t h o r w h o t h e r e b y e x e r c i s e d , w e feel, s o u n d j u d g m e n t , a p p e a r e d p o s t h u m o u s l y o w i n g t o t h e z e a l o f t w o less c a u t i o u s d i s c i p l e s . Y e t , a c c o r d i n g t o L u k a s h e v i c h , F e d o r o v " w a s w i t h o u t d o u b t t h e m o s t f o r m i d - a b l e R u s s i a n t h i n k e r o f t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y . " ( p . 13) In s u p p o r t o f t h i s d o g m a t i c a n d h i g h l y q u e s t i o n a b l e s t a t e m e n t , L u k a s h e v i c h a t t e m p t s , a l b e i t w i t h s c a n t success, t o reveal F e d o r o v ' s i n t e l l e c t u a l i n f l u e n c e o n s u c h l u m i n a r i e s as D o s t o e v s k i i , V l a d i m i r S o l o v ' e v , L e v T o l s t o i , a n d M a k s i m G o r ' k i i as w e l l as o n a n u m b e r o f o t h e r less i m p o r t a n t R u s s i a n w r i t e r s a n d t h i n k e r s . P e r h a p s t h e b e s t w a y o f a l l o w i n g t h e r e a d e r t o j u d g e F e d o r o v ' s " t h o u g h t , " as d i s t i l l e d b y L u k a s h e v i c h , is t o c i t e a c o u p l e o f e x a m p l e s , s e l e c t e d b y us well-nigh a t r a n d o m : " A c - c o r d i n g t o F e d o r o v , t h e first a n d f o r e m o s t t a s k o f t h e Tsar w a s t h e u n i f i c a t i o n o f all t h e l a n d s o f t h e E a r t h u n d e r t h e aegis o f R u s s i a n A u t o c r a c y . . . . Y e t F e d o r o v w a s u n d e r n o illusion t h a t all p e o p l e o f t h e w o r l d w o u l d i m m e d i a t e l y h e e d t h e T s a r ' s a p p e a l f o r f r a t e r - n i f i c a t i o n [sic]. F o r t h i s r e a s o n t h e T s a r m u s t c r e a t e a C h r i s t - l o v i n g A r m y a n d a Pacifica- t i o n N a v y , w h i c h w o u l d p r o p a g a n d i z e a n d , w h e n all else f a i l e d , c o n q u e r t h e d e r e l i c t p e o p l e a n d b r i n g t h e m u n d e r t h e T s a r ' s r u l e . " ( p p . 2 6 9 - 7 1 ) T h e n e x t p a s s a g e , t o t h i s r e v i e w e r , u n d e r s c o r e s t h e m u d d l e o f F e d o r o v ' s " t h o u g h t " s y s t e m as w e l l as L u k a s h e v i c h ' s p r o s e style: " A s e x p l a i n e d in P a r t O n e a b o v e , t h e seven- t e e n a v a t a r s o f s e l f - c r e a t i o n a n d E u p s y c h i a [ t h a t is, h a p p i n e s s ] w e r e t h e r e s u l t s o f t h e c u l m i n a t i o n o f t h e e i g h t d e v e l o p m e n t a l c o l u m n s o f t h e e v o l u t i o n o f m a n ' s h u m a n i t y . M o r e p r e c i s e l y , s e l f - c r e a t i o n a n d its r e s u l t a n t i m m o r t a l i t y w o u l d b e t h e p r o d u c t s o f m u l - t i u n i t a r i a n k i n s h i p , u n i t e d m a n k i n d , p o s i t i v e c h a s t i t y , p a t r i f i c a t i o n o f u n i v e r s a l s p a c e - u n i v e r s a l r e s u r r e c t i o n , u n i v e r s a l s y n t h e s i s , s y n t h e s i s o f h i s t o r y , t h e s c i e n c e s , a r t , p s y c h o l - o g y , a n d t h e o l o g y w i t h a s t r o n o m y , t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f m a n k i n d i n t o a m a n k i n d t h a t w o u l d b e p a t t e r n e d a f t e r t h e social p r o j e c t o f t h e H o l y T r i n i t y , a n d t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e C o p e r n i c a n t e m p l e o f t h e u n i v e r s e . " (p. 2 9 2 ) A r t h u r A. L e v i n The University o f Calgary K. M. Jensen. Beyond Marx and Mach: Aleksandr Bogdanov's Philosophy o f Living Ex- perience (Sovietica 41). Dordrecht, Holland/Boston: D. Reidel Publishing Company, 1978. ix. 186 pp. $24.00. T h e r e a s o n f o r t h e a u t h o r ' s c h o i c e o f t h i s p a r t i c u l a r w o r k f o r a n a l y s i s a n d e x p o s i t i o n is t h a t i t r e p r e s e n t s B o g d a n o v ' s W e l t a n s h a u u n g . J e n s e n c o n t e n d s t h a t s c h o l a r s f a i l e d t o p a y s u f f i c i e n t a t t e n t i o n t o T h e P h i l o s o p h y o f L i v i n g E x p e r i e n c e a n d t h u s m i s s e d Bog-

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Canadian-American Slavic Studies – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 1980

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