Vizgin, V. P. Zhukovsky as a Philosopher: Notes of a Favorable Reader

Abstract: The article is devoted to Vasily Zhukovsky (1783–19520) as a figure understudied in the history of philosophy. Creative legacy of Vasily Zhukovsky as a poet, translator and literary critic has been studied a lot but his philosophical views are rarely paid attention to. According to the author of the article, it is very important to study Vasily Zhukovsky as a foregoer of the Russian religious philosophy in order to understand the genesis and development of the Russian religion. Based on the analysis of Zhukovsky’s epistolary legacy, his diaries and notes, the author of the article makes an attempt to outline the nature of his philosophy and localize the forms and spheres where his philosophy was especially revealed. The author shows the cultural environment in which Zhukovsky’s philosophical thought developed. Noteworthy that sentimentalism and romanticism are viewed not only as categories of the literary theory and history but also as cultural forms defining peculiarities of philosophizing in the zone of their influence. Indeed, the author believes that Zhukovsky can be viewed as one of the founders of the lyrical philosophizing, the latter in many ways creating the singularity of the Russian philosophical thought as a spiritual and cultural phenomenon. The author shows that the development of Zhukovsky’s philosophical thought was defined, firstly, by his religious world view and, secondly, by his talent for teaching.

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