The Principle of Historicity and the A Priori Knowledge: Politico-Analytical Retrospective of the Russian Revolution

The Principle of Historicity and the A Priori Knowledge: Politico-Analytical Retrospective of the Russian Revolution


Khoros V.G.,

Head of the Center for Development and Modernization Studies, Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences, khoros@imemo.ru


elibrary_id: 72733 |


DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2018.06.11

For citation:

Khoros V.G. The Principle of Historicity and the A Priori Knowledge: Politico-Analytical Retrospective of the Russian Revolution. – Polis. Political Studies. 2018. No. 6. P. 155-171. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2018.06.11



Abstract

The article gives comment on the special issue of the “History and Modernity” journal devoted to the centenary of the Russian 1917 revolution. The articles published in this issue reflect the public opinions as well as estimations of academic circles on the subject, on the whole. There are two main approaches. First, vision of and accent on objective reasons of revolution which, to a significant extent, the preceding investigations pointed out; and second, a quest of new interpretations predominantly connected with negative characteristics of the revolution. But the latter approach often ignores the principle of historicity, that is, why actors in the past thought and acted in such or another way in specific historical situation and only on the base of this adequate understanding a scientific or moral estimation is possible. The concept of the October revolution much depends on estimation of its results, that is, the Soviet epoch in the Russian history. The author presents his own explanation of the Soviet period in the context of world-wide evolution of the socialism. His main idea is to understand the Soviet socialism as many-sided phenomenon where to see only negative aspects would be wrong. The same approach is necessary in case of 1917 revolution(s).

Keywords
Russian 1917 revolution; socialism; ideology; principle of historicity; a priori knowledge Soviet epoch.


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Content No. 6, 2018

See also:


Yerokhov I.A.,
The Revolution, Which Will Never Happen Again. – Polis. Political Studies. 2016. No6

Pantin I.K.,
To the question of the character of the October revolution. – Polis. Political Studies. 2013. No6

Rabotyazhev N.V.,
Between tradition and utopia: left-wing conservatism in Russia. – Polis. Political Studies. 2014. No4

Pastukhov V.B.,
Ukrainian revolution and Russian counter-revolution. – Polis. Political Studies. 2010. No5

Pantin I.K.,
Russian revolution as a problem of political philosophy. – Polis. Political Studies. 2011. No5


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