Page:The Spirit of Russia by T G Masaryk, volume 2.pdf/503



USSIAN philosophy, like western philosophy, aims at a solution of the religious problem in general. But, in addition, the ecclesiastico-religious problem demands solution, and to-day this matter is the more important. The Russians, however, follow the western example here also, for they are fonder of discussing the genera] problem of religion, and under the prevailing conditions of censorship this is the safer course. The earlier thinkers, beginning with Čaadaev and the slavophils, associated the philosophy of religion with the comparative study of creeds, for the comparison of Russia with Europe renders the association essential. In this matter Solov'ev followed the slavophils.

In a survey of Russian philosophy of religion, the following points are of especial interest.

1. Unanimously, Russian writers conceive religion as belief, as faith. Faith is contrasted with knowledge, with cognition. Solov’ev considers religious faith to be a special instance of belief. (See his theory of the cognition of objects.)

In this sense, religious belief is characterised by its objects. Theism, in particular, is regarded as the preeminent type of religious belief; atheism, of unbelief. The general problem of transcendence (spiritualism versus materialism) emerges in this connection.

Neither psychologically nor epistemologically has the prob- lem of religion been adequately analysed by the Russians. Above all, they have failed to grasp the consequences of criticism for the religious problem, and it must be admitted that