Page:The Spirit of Russia by T G Masaryk, volume 2.pdf/150

124 for Lavrov, "critical thought" becomes the creative principle as spirit was for Hegel.

It is plain that Lavrov saw the negative tendency of the Hegelian left, and that for this reason he drew nearer to Kant but failed, as we have seen, to formulate the problem with adequate precision. For like reasons and in like manner he extolled the Russian critics (Herzen, Granovskii, Bakunin, Černyševskii, and Dobroljubov) without giving any exact account of the nature of their criticism.

The same philosophical weakness clings to Lavrov's other ideas.

For example, he expounds his subjective teleology of the historical process, but looks also for objective props of this teleology; such is the origin of his formula of progress, Moreover, he believes in a coincidence of individual interest with the interest of the community, quite after the manner of the older metaphysical teleologists and teleological economists. But while expressing profound approval of this community of interests, and terming it "solidarity," he is nevertheless disquieted because, after all, the interests of the individual and those of the community are frequently divergent. When this happens, however, an appeal is made to the categorical imperative: "Live according to the ideal which thou hast formed for thyself of what a fully developed human being should be." Lavrov is aware that progress has been a most costly affair. Blood has flowed in streams, but has been poured out ever for the sake of posterity. It is therefore the duty of each one of us to pay his share of the costs of progress to do his best to lessen the evils which threaten society, in the present and in the future.

Lavrov sees that his critically-thinking individualities are in truth isolated in their brilliant and heroic struggle against society, but he consoles himself with the thought that the heroes are never quite alone, and that the number of their adherents and fellow fighters is increasing.

The duty of the strong, of the "more definite" individuals is, therefore, to join the party of those who are struggling on behalf of progress. There are in truth three tasks for the critically-thinking individuality. First of all such persons must instruct and enlighten their fellow men concerning progress, must devote themselves to propaganda; secondly, they must enter into an organised progressive fellowship; last of all