UDC 413.211
M. N. Marchenko (Bryansk, Russia)
Nihilism as a phenomenon of Russian life and Russian concept according to dictionaries of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The article examines the history of the use of the words “nihilism, nihilist” in Russian lexicographic publications, which appeared in the Russian language, primarily as a result of understanding the image of Bazarov from I. S. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons.”
MiddleXIXcentury for Russia became a period of severe social upheaval. At this time, “new people” - commoners - entered the arena of social struggle with their demands and new formations, which began to crowd out the nobles and their way of life.
It is the collision of these two sides that I. S. Turgenev traces in his novel “Fathers and Sons,” which was published in 1862. It immediately attracted the attention of the general public and continues to arouse great interest among readers both due to the severity of the questions posed in it and its artistic merits. In this work, Turgenev managed to raise deep political, philosophical and aesthetic problems, capture real life conflicts, and reveal the essence of the ideological struggle between the main social forces in Russia in the late 50s and early 60s of the 19th century.
The image of the main character of the novel, Evgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov, shocked the imagination of the entire reading public. For the first time in Russian literature, a democrat commoner was depicted - a man of enormous willpower and strong convictions. Arkady Kirsanov, who considered himself his student, calls Bazarovnihilist. And Bazarov does not deny this. For people of that time and the class where Evgeny Bazarov ended up, this word was akin to a curse and sounded somehow barbaric and wild to them.
The word itselfnihilism has existed for a long time. “In the Middle Ages there was a heretical teachingnihilism anathematized by Pope Alexander III in 1179. Teachingnihilism ... rejected the human nature of Christ.
In Western philosophical thought the termnihilism introduced by the German writer and philosopher. This concept was used by many philosophers ... and most often they understood this term as an awareness of the illusory and inconsistency of the Christian idea of the supermundane and the idea, which they considered a version religious faith».
In Russian literature the wordnihilism first used by N.I. Nadezhdin in the article “The Host of Nihilists”, published in the “Bulletin of Europe” in the meaningdeniers and skeptics . In 1858, a book by Kazan professor V. Bervi was published: “A Psychological Comparative View of the Beginning and End of Life.” It also uses the wordnihilism , as a synonym for skepticism. A critic and publicist, having ridiculed Bervy's book, picked up this word. But it did not become popular until in the novel "" he callednihilist . His hero immediately turned into a generalized image of the Russiannihilist , and the author was credited as the inventor of the concept itself.The enormous impression made by this novel made the termnihilist. However, none of the people of the 60s officially accepted it. Pisarev, who in a number of articles recognized in Bazarov the embodiment of the ideals and views of the new generation, called himself a “thinking realist.” [1;97 ]
Thus, in the second half of the 19th centurynihilists V Russian Empire they began to call young people who wanted to change the existing state and social system in the country, denied, preached, and also did not recognize the prevailing moral norms. In particular, that's what they called it. The word had a clear negative.Nihilists were depicted as shaggy, unkempt, dirty men and women who have lost all femininity.
From all of the above we can conclude thatnihilist is a denier, a destroyer, and in his denial he stops at nothing.
The author’s definition of this concept is also found in the novel, as Arkady Kirsanov explains to his father and uncle that “nihilist “This is a person who does not bow to any authority, who does not accept a single principle on faith, no matter how respectful this principle may be.”nihilist Pavel Petrovich, an ardent opponent of the new trend, expressed the opinion that
is a person “who doesn’t respect anything.”nihilism History of the lexicographic reflection of the wordpresented in the “Ideological and Evaluative Dictionary of the Russian Language X”I X-early 20th centuries” by A.L. Golovanevsky., included in the Russian language,” published by E.P. Pechatkin in 1861, where the following definition is given: “the teaching of skeptics who do not admit the existence of anything.” It is interesting that the novel “Fathers and Sons” itself appeared in Russian in 1862, that is, the “Dictionary of 1861” took into account the history of the use of this concept in the period preceding the appearance of Turgenev’s novel. "Russian Dictionary literary languagenihilism "(BAS) binds the first fixation of a word
with V.I. Dahl’s dictionary, the first edition of which was published later than E.P. Pechatkin’s dictionary. Later in I.F. Burdon's dictionary different yearsnihilism publications definition
uses with the meaning given by the 1861 Dictionary.nihilism In V.I. Dahl's dictionarynihilism - this is “an ugly and immoral doctrine that rejects everything that cannot be touched.”
The negative assessment of the word is clearly visible here, which also reflects the public attitude towards this movement. In F. Tol's dictionary the wordnihilism retains a negative connotation, but is interpreted more as a term in the sense of “materialism, thoughtless championing of progress, boastful liberalism, denial of modern reality.” By the end of the years the word almost disappeared from Russian polemical literature, but began to be used in Western European literature as a designation for Russian revolutionary movement. He was also accepted by some Russian emigrants, who wrote in
foreign languages about the Russian revolutionary movement. This is how the story “” was published. At the beginning of the twentieth century this concept interpreted as “any denial of the historical foundations modern life"or "the direction of Russian thought of the late 50-60s, denying religion, criticizing patriarchal conditionsfamily life and the subordinate position of women."It is noteworthy that on the basis of this word new terms arise, reflected in the third edition of V.I. Dahl’s dictionary edited by I.A. Baudouin de Courtenay, for example, “ theoretical, scientific nihilism
- denial of everything, non-recognition of authorities and principles" and "nihilism practical nihilismnihilism - destruction of the existing order, the desire for a revolution." We see that over time the concept itself develops, the specifics of its interpretation change, which becomes more scientific and terminological. A.N. Chudinova in the 1910 edition of the “Dictionary of Foreign Words Included in the Russian Language” says that that took place in the 60sXIXcentury. This is confirmed by one of the definitions given in the “Dictionary of the Modern Russian Language”: “a trend among Russian commoners of the sixties, who had a sharply negative attitude towards bourgeois-noble customs and traditions, towards serfdom ideology.”
In the dictionary of A.L. Golovanevsky it is noted that the definitionnihilist was first recorded in the first edition (1894) of A.N. Chudinov’s “Dictionary of Foreign Words included in the Russian Language”, and BAS attributes the first fixation of the lexemenihilist by 1898 in the “Explanatory Dictionary of Foreign Words” by A.D. Mikhelson.
As we see, the phenomenonnihilism , apparently, was more widespread than the idea of specific individuals professing this doctrine.
Currently, on the semantic basis of the conceptnihilism more widely used term"legal nihilism ", that is, disrespect for. “It reflects a widespread phenomenon in legal life Russian society. Its structure-forming component is an idea that denies social attitudes and carries a significant ideological load, determined not only by trends in social development and corresponding values, but also by a number of psychogenic factors.”[10; 108]
Literature:
: In 86 volumes. T.21. - St. Petersburg:Semenovskaya Typolitography (I.A. Efron) , 1890-1907. - 500 s.
Turgenev I.S. Fathers and Sons. (Novel for Art. school age)/ I.S. Turgenev. – Kaliningrad: K-e book publishing house, 1984. – 221 p.
Golovanevsky A.L. Ideological and evaluative dictionary of the Russian language of the 19th – early 20th centuries. / A.L. Golovanevsky. – Bryansk: Bryansk Publishing House. state ped. Univ., 1995.-169 p.
(Big Academic Dictionary) - Dictionary of modern Russian literary language in 17 volumes. T.7/ Ed. V.I.Chernysheva - M.;L.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1948-1965. - 1610 pp.
Dal V.I. Explanatory dictionary in 4 volumes. T.2 – M.:,Published by bookseller-typographer M. O. Wolf, 1955. – 779 p.
Desktop dictionary for reference in all branches of knowledge in 3 volumes. T 2/ Ed. F. Toll and V. R. Zotov. – St. Petersburg:F. Toll, 1863-1864. – 1132 p.
Dictionary of scientific terms, foreign words and expressions included in the Russian language / Edited by V.V. Bitner. – St. Petersburg:Bulletin of Knowledge, 1905. - 951 p.
Dictionary of political, socio-economic and some other words / comp. Achadov. – M., 1906.
Dal V.I. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. In 4 volumes. T.2. 3rd ed./Ed. I.A. Baudouin de Courtenay. – St. Petersburg:Publishing house of the partnership M. O. Wolf, 1903-1909. - 1017 p.
Gulyaikhin V. N.// Issues of law and politics. 2012. No. 3. P. 108-148
Turgenev I.S. Full SOBR. Op. and letters: in 28 volumes. M.-L.: Nauka, 1960-1968.t.15, 245 p.
Information about the author: Marchenko Marina Nikolaevna, 1st year master’s student of the Faculty of Philology, direction: “Philology” of Bryansky state university named after Academician I.G. Petrovsky
Scientific director: Golovanevsky Arkady Leonidovich, Doctor of Philology, Professor, Head of the Department of Russian Language, Bryansk State University named after Academician I.G. Petrovsky
Nihilists
Nihilism(from Latin nihil - nothing) - a worldview position expressed in the denial of the meaningfulness of human existence, the significance of generally accepted moral and cultural values; non-recognition of any authorities. In Western philosophical thought, the term "N." introduced by the German writer and philosopher F. G. Jacobi. This concept has been used by many. philosophers. S. Kierkegaard considered the crisis of Christianity and the spread of the “aesthetic” worldview to be the source of N. F. Nietzsche understood by N. the awareness of the illusoryness and inconsistency of both the Christian idea of a supra-mundane God (“God is dead”) and the idea of progress, which he considered a version of religious faith. O. Spengler N. called a feature of modern European culture experiencing a period of “decline” and “senile forms of consciousness,” which in the cultures of other peoples supposedly inevitably followed a state of highest prosperity. M. Heidegger considered N. as a main movement in the history of the West, which could lead to a world catastrophe.
History of appearance
The word itself has been around for a long time. In the Middle Ages there was a doctrine nihilism, anathematized by Pope Alexander III in 1179. The doctrine of nihilism, falsely attributed to the scholastic Peter Lombard, rejected the human nature of Christ.
Ideology
Nihilists hold some or all of the following statements:
No reasonable evidence of a supreme ruler or creator
- “real morality” does not exist
Objective secular ethics is impossible, so life, in a certain sense, has no truth, and no action is objectively preferable to any other.
Nihilism in Russia. Russian literature.
In Russian literature, the word “nihilism” was first used by N. I. Nadezhdin in the article “The Host of Nihilists” in the Bulletin of Europe 1829 in the meaning of deniers and skeptics. In 1858, a book by Kazan professor V.V. Bervi “A Psychological Comparative View of the Beginning and End of Life” was published. It also uses the word “nihilism” as a synonym for skepticism.
The term took hold in articles and novels that were directed against the movement of the 1860s. At best, the new people who appeared in anti-nihilistic literature were shaggy, unkempt, dirty men and women who had lost all maiden femininity; but often to these qualities the fierce portrayers of nihilists added blackmail, theft and sometimes even murder. By the end of the 1860s and beginning of the 1870s. the word nihilist almost disappears from Russian polemical literature, but is resurrected in Western European literature as a designation for the Russian revolutionary movement; it is also accepted by some Russian emigrants who have written in foreign languages about the Russian revolutionary movement.
Russian nihilism
Russian nihilism is Russian maximalism, there is an inability to establish steps and gradations, to justify the hierarchy of values. This kind of nihilism easily flourishes on completely Orthodox soil. In no other people can one find such contempt for cultural values, for human creativity, for knowledge, for philosophy, for art, for law, for relative and conditional forms public, like the Russian people. Russian people are inclined to consider everything nonsense and decay, with the exception of one thing needed - for one this is the salvation of the soul for eternal life and the Kingdom of God, for the other - social revolution and the salvation of the world through a perfect social system. Nihilism was developed in the 19th century. Nihilists opposed the remnants of serfdom.
Notes
see also
- Denial of denial
Links
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
See what “Nihilists” are in other dictionaries: NIHILISTS. Nihilist (from Latin nihil “nothing”: a person who does not recognize anything, a denier) is a social political and literary term , widespread in Russian journalism and fiction in the 60s. In the novel by I. S. Turgenev... ...
Literary encyclopedia
- (from the Latin nihil nothing), people who deny generally accepted spiritual values, moral norms, and forms of social life. In Russia, the term became widespread after the appearance of I. S. Turgenev’s novel Fathers and Sons (1862). From publicists... ...Russian history People who deny the historical foundations of modern life (family, religion, etc.). This nickname, launched by Turgenev, soon lost its original meaning and became vulgar. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Pavlenkov F...
Nihilism (nihilists) Cf. What (nihilism) consists of? In the rejection of God's providence and the benefits brought by the powers that be... in disrespect, disrespect, destruction and disobedience. They deny what exists, consider what is strong to be shaky, and what is strong and weak is considered... ...
NIHILISTS- (Latin nihil - nothing), in Russia from the 2nd half of the 19th century. people who rejected generally accepted values: ideals, moral standards, culture... Russian statehood in terms. 9th – early 20th century
Nihilists. (Deniers)- Political movement widespread in Russia in the 1860s. Many supporters of nihilism resorted to methods of terror against the tsarist reaction and entered the populist movement of the 1870s... Historical reference book of Russian Marxist
- (English Vera; or, The Nihilists) the first melodramatic play by Oscar Wilde in 1880. The play was dedicated to the Russian terrorist and revolutionary Vera Zasulich. Productions The premiere took place in 1881 at the Adelphi Theater, but on December 17 of that... ... Wikipedia
Wed. What (nihilism) consists of? In the rejection of God's providence and the benefits brought by the powers that be... in disrespect, disrespect, destruction and disobedience. They deny what exists, consider what is strong to be shaky, and what is strong and weak is passed off as existing and strong... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary
Nihilism (from nihil nothing) is a direction or doctrine that asserts that there is nothing higher than the sensory, that all life and reality is limited only by phenomena. This is nihilism, as it were, theoretical. In moral... ... Guide to heresies, sects and schisms
Target: give the concept of nihilism, get acquainted with the characteristics of the definition of nihilism given in different sources of different times; compare the concept of nihilism and Bazarov’s views; show how a person’s beliefs influence his destiny; analyze the consequences of nihilism, lead to the idea of the destructive impact of nihilism on the character of the individual and society; development of oral skills monologue speech, expressive reading.
Epigraph:
“Turgenev’s heart could not be with the first Bolshevik in our literature.”
Boris Zaitsev.
1. Introductory speech by the teacher.
Slide No. 1.
The topic of today's lesson is “Nihilism and its consequences.” Today we will try to find out more deeply what is hidden under the frightening word “nihilism”; we will talk about the beliefs of Yevgeny Bazarov, the hero of I. S. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons”. Let’s try to answer the question: “Does a person’s fate depend on his beliefs? Can beliefs destroy a person, destroy his life, or, conversely, make him happy?
In preparation for the lesson, you guys had to re-read certain chapters of the novel “Fathers and Sons” and complete some tasks.
2. We have to vocabulary work.
Let's see how the same concept of “nihilism” is revealed in different sources.
(Reading the wording of the definitions of nihilism given in the Bolshoi encyclopedic dictionary, V. Dahl's dictionary, Explanatory dictionary and Encyclopedia Britannica.)
Slide number 2.
NIHILISM (from Latin nihil - “nothing”) is the denial of generally accepted values: ideals, moral standards, culture, forms of social life.
Large encyclopedic dictionary
NIHILISM is “an ugly and immoral doctrine that rejects everything that cannot be touched.”
V.Dal
NIHILISM - “naked denial of everything, logically unjustified skepticism.”
Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language
NIHILISM is “the philosophy of skepticism, the denial of all forms of aesthetics.” Social sciences and classical philosophical systems were completely denied, and any power of the state, church, or family was denied. Science for nihilism has become a panacea for all social problems.
Britannica
What did you notice?
It is interesting to note that different sources give their own version of the interpretation of this concept and its origin. The Encyclopedia Britannica traces its history back to the Middle Ages. Modern researchers attribute it to early XIX century. Some publications believe that the concept of nihilism was first defined by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. “What does nihilism mean? - he asks and answers: - That the highest values lose their value... there is no goal, there is no answer to the question “why?”
The history of the word “nihilist” in Russia is interesting.
Student message:
The word "nihilist" has a complex history. It appeared in print in the late 20s. XIX century And at first this word was used in relation to ignoramuses who do not know anything and do not want to know. Later, in the 40s, the word “nihilist” began to be used as an expletive by reactionaries, calling their ideological enemies – materialists, revolutionaries – as such. Progressive figures did not abandon this name, but put their own meaning into it. Herzen argued that nihilism means the awakening of critical thought, the desire for accurate scientific knowledge.
So, is nihilism a belief or a lack thereof? Can nihilism be considered a socially positive phenomenon? Why?
Nihilism is a belief that is rigid and unyielding, based on the denial of all previous experience of human thought, on the destruction of traditions. The philosophy of nihilism cannot be positive, because... rejects everything without offering anything in return. Nihilism arises where life is devalued, where the goal is lost and there is no answer to the question about the meaning of life, about the meaning of the existence of the world itself.
3. I.S. Turgenev in his famous novel “Fathers and Sons” outlined in a publicly accessible form the idea of nihilism through the mouth of the character Evgeny Bazarov.
Slide number 7
Let's remember Bazarov's views. At home you had to fill out the table by selecting quotes from the novel (reading the quotes and discussing them).
Scientific and philosophical views:
- “There are sciences, just as there are crafts and knowledge; and science doesn’t exist at all... Studying individual personalities is not worth the trouble. All people are similar to each other both in body and soul; each of us has the same brain, spleen, heart, and lungs; and the so-called moral qualities are the same for everyone: small modifications mean nothing. One human specimen is enough to judge all others. People are like trees in the forest; not a single botanist will study each individual birch tree.”
- “Every person hangs by a thread, an abyss can open up under him every minute, and he still comes up with all sorts of troubles for himself, ruining his life.”
- “Now we generally laugh at medicine and do not bow to anyone.”
Political Views:
- “The only good thing about a Russian person is that he has a very bad opinion of himself...”
- “Aristocracy, liberalism, progress, principles... - just think, how many foreign and useless words! Russian people don’t need them for nothing. We act because of what we recognize as useful. At the present time, the most useful thing is denial - we deny... Everything..."
- “And then we realized that chatting, just chatting about our ulcers, is not worth the effort, that it only leads to vulgarity and doctrinaire; we saw that our wise men, the so-called progressive people, and accusers are no good, that we are engaged in nonsense, talking about some kind of art, unconscious creativity, about parliamentarism, about the legal profession and God knows what, when it comes to daily bread when the grossest superstition strangles us, when all our joint stock companies are bursting solely because there appears to be a shortage of honest people, when the very freedom that the government is fussing about will hardly benefit us, because our peasant is happy to rob himself just to get drunk in a tavern...”
- “Moral illnesses come from bad upbringing, from all sorts of trifles that people’s heads have been stuffed with since childhood, from the ugly state of society, in a word. Correct society, and there will be no diseases... At least, with the correct structure of society, it will be completely indifferent whether a person is stupid or smart, evil or kind.”
- “And I hated this last guy, Philip or Sidor, for whom I have to go out of my way and who won’t even say thank you to me... and why should I thank him? Well, he will live in a white hut, and a burdock will grow out of me, well, what then?”
Aesthetic views:
- “A decent chemist is 20 times more useful than any poet.”
- “And nature is trifle in the sense in which you understand it. Nature is not a temple, but a workshop, and man is a worker in it..."
- “Raphael is not worth a dime...”
- “...The day before yesterday, I see he’s reading Pushkin... Please explain to him that this is no good. After all, he is not a boy: it’s time to give up this nonsense. And I want to be a romantic nowadays! Give him something useful to read..."
- “Have mercy!” At 44 years old, a man, the father of a family, in ... the district - plays the cello! (Bazarov continued to laugh...)"
Do Bazarov’s views correspond to nihilistic views, or was Turgenev mistaken in classifying him as a nihilist?
Bazarov's views are fully consistent with nihilistic views. Denial, reaching the point of absurdity, of everything and everyone: moral laws, music, poetry, love, family; an attempt to explain all phenomena of reality, even inexplicable ones, with the help of scientific research, materialistically.
What do the heroes of the novel “Fathers and Sons” say about nihilists?
Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov says that a nihilist is a person “who does not recognize anything.” Pavel Petrovich adds, “who doesn’t respect anything.” Arkady: “who approaches everything from a critical point of view, does not bow to any authorities, does not accept a single principle on faith, no matter how respectful this principle may be.”
Which of the 3 interpretations is more suitable for Bazarov’s nihilism?
And what does Bazarov admit? (science, the huge role of self-education, labor, work)
Is it good or bad to be critical of everything?
Looking at everything critically, you can find shortcomings, mistakes, and correct them. Doubt and denial have always been the engine of scientific and social progress. Everything new is built on the basis of the negation of the old. But you can’t blindly deny everything, you can’t give up positive experience, traditions. There must be a new positive program. What do you offer in return, in what ways?
Bazarov was critical of serfdom, autocracy, the state system in general, religion, laws, and traditions. Bazarov is going to “clear the place”, i.e. break the old.
What are people called who break the old system?
Revolutionaries.
This means that Bazarov is a revolutionary in his views. Turgenev wrote: “...and if he is called a nihilist, then he must be read as a revolutionary.” Now tell me, in the name of what are they breaking the old? For what?
To build something new - better than the old.
- So what is Bazarov going to build?
- Nothing. He says it's none of his business. His job is to clear the place, and that’s all.
- What is good and what is bad in Bazarov’s program?
- It's good that he sees the shortcomings modern society. It's bad that he doesn't know What build, and is not going to build. He has no creative program.
- How does Turgenev relate to Bazarov’s beliefs? Does he separate them?
- The author does not share Bazarov’s nihilistic beliefs; on the contrary, he consistently debunks them throughout the course of the novel. From his point of view, nihilism is doomed, because... has no positive program.
- Turgenev is a liberal by his worldview and an aristocrat by origin. How could he make his opponent better and let him win?
Perhaps you will find the answer to this question in the statement of Turgenev himself: “To accurately and powerfully reproduce the truth, the reality of life is the highest happiness for a writer, even if this truth does not coincide with his own sympathies.”
According to these words of Turgenev, it turns out that the image of Bazarov is an objective truth, although it contradicts the author’s sympathies.
How do you feel about Bazarov? Why does Turgenev write about his hero like this: “If the reader does not love Bazarov with all his rudeness, heartlessness, ruthless dryness and harshness, if he does not love him, then I am guilty and have not achieved my goal.”
Turgenev is a great psychologist. His Bazarov, although cynical and shameless in words, is a moral man at heart. In Bazarov there is hidden much of what he denies: the ability to love, romanticism, the origin of the people, family happiness, and the ability to appreciate beauty and poetry. (In moments of despair, he wanders through the forest, before a duel he notices the beauty of nature; trying to hide his embarrassment, he behaves cheekily; duel).
Why didn’t Bazarov refuse to participate in the duel?
Pavel Petrovich threatened to hit him with a stick if he refused. So what? A person who sincerely does not recognize any conventions can afford not to care about public opinion. Bazarov is much younger than Pavel Petrovich and would hardly allow himself to be beaten. But he was afraid of something else - shame. And this proves that far from everything he spoke about with a contemptuous grin, he was truly indifferent.
Without realizing it himself, Bazarov lives by fairly high moral principles. But these principles and nihilism are incompatible. Something will have to be given up. Bazarov as a nihilist and Bazarov as a person fight among themselves in their souls.
Do you think a person’s beliefs affect his destiny?
The hero’s beliefs, which he consistently puts into practice, cannot but affect his fate. They model his fate. And it turns out that a strong and powerful person, before whom no one has ever given up, who denies romanticism, trusts his ideas so much that just the thought of a mistake makes him despondent, into a state of depression. For this he will be terribly punished: medical studies will prove fatal for him, and medicine, which he revered so much, will not be able to save him. The logic of the novel forces us to see in Bazarov’s death the triumph of the forces of common sense, the triumph of life.
4. Consequences of nihilism.
Can you give examples of nihilism in the history of our country?
“Only we are the face of our Time. The horn of time blows to us.
The past is tight. The Academy and Pushkin are more incomprehensible than hieroglyphs.
Throw Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and others from the Steamboat of modernity.”
These words were written in 1912. Below them are the signatures of several poets, including V. Mayakovsky.
Slide No. 10
The authors of the manifesto called themselves futurists, from lat. futurum - future. They despised society and its laws, old literature with its traditions, generally accepted rules of behavior, principles, and authorities. They performed reading their strange, rough, wild poems, appeared before the public dressed provocatively, with painted faces, they constantly mocked readers and listeners, were rude to them, showing them how they despised the well-fed, prosperous world. They tried to crush even language and made daring experiments on the poetic word.
It seems to me that these people are like nihilists.
We will talk in detail about futurists at next year. What kind of movement is this, what did it bring to literature? But I want to note that V. Mayakovsky joined the futurists only in his very early work. A later views his were no longer so extreme. Moreover, he wrote poems in which he talks with Pushkin about the purpose of a poet and poetry.
There was a similar period in the history of our country after the Great October Revolution socialist revolution, when some artists decided to abandon all previous experience and create a new proletarian culture from scratch.
Slide No. 11
It is to this period that Boris Zaitsev’s opinion, taken as an epigraph to our lesson, dates back to: “Turgenev’s heart could not be with the first Bolshevik in our literature.”
Boris Zaitsev lived long life. He observed the flourishing of the Silver Age culture, and then the split of the world, the destruction of the society in which he lived and worked, the extermination of culture and civilization. A forced emigrant who lived abroad for the rest of his life, an excellent expert classical literature, he had the right to see in Bazarov’s nihilism the militant nihilism of the Bolshevik and to connect all the events that happened half a century later with the ideas that Bazarov preached.
Nowadays a lot is said and written about the impending environmental disaster. Many species of animals and plants disappeared. Decreases ozone layer. In big cities there is not enough drinking water. Various disasters occur in different parts of the planet: earthquakes, floods, global warming. You ask, what does nihilism have to do with it? Let us remember Bazarov’s phrase: “Nature is not a temple, but a workshop.” Over the years, man has truly treated nature as a workshop. He comes up with new high technologies, uses latest achievements chemistry, physics, genetic engineering. And at the same time, he doesn’t think that the waste of these high technologies, all kinds of experiments cause great harm nature and man himself. And we must treat nature first of all as a temple, and then as a workshop.
The problem of dialogue between man and nature is a universal human problem. It was constantly considered by Russian literature of both the 19th and 20th centuries. Let's now listen to a poem by Robert Rozhdestvensky. Written in the 1970s, it unfortunately remains relevant today.
Yes, there is less and less living nature around us, more and more zones unsuitable for human habitation: the Chernobyl zone, the Aral Sea zone, the Semipalatinsk zone... And this is the result of a thoughtless invasion of the natural world by scientific and technological progress.We cut ice, change the flow of rivers,
We reiterate that there is a lot to do...
But we will come again to ask for forgiveness
By these rivers, dunes and swamps,
At the most gigantic sunrise,
In the smallest fry...
I don’t want to think about it yet.
We have no time for that now
Bye.
Airfields, piers and platforms,
Forests without birds and land without water...
Less and less - surrounding nature,
More and more - the environment.
So, is nihilism a disease or a cure for diseases?
Nihilism is a disease very familiar to our country, which has brought troubles, suffering, and death. It turns out that Bazarov is a hero of all times and peoples, born in any country where there is no social justice and prosperity. Nihilistic philosophy is untenable because... she, denying spiritual life, denies moral principles. Love, nature, art are not just lofty words. These are the fundamental concepts underlying human morality.
We must understand that there are values in the world that cannot be denied. A person should not rebel against those laws that are not determined by him, but dictated...Whether by God, or by nature - who knows? They are immutable. This is the law of love for life and love for people, the law of the pursuit of happiness and the law of enjoying beauty...
Slide No. 12-13
Look how beautiful our land is at any time of the year! Cultivate in yourself pity for a broken tree, for an abandoned dog. And when you grow up and become workers, builders, engineers, be able to think not only about production, but also about our land, about nature.
In Turgenev’s novel, what is natural wins: it returns to parents' house Arkady, families are created based on love, and the rebellious, tough, prickly Bazarov, even after his death, is still loved and remembered by his parents.
You need to understand: by denying nature, you deny yourself, your life as part of human nature.
Let our lesson today end with the final lines of Turgenev’s novel. Let them sound like a hymn glorifying nature, love, life!
Slide No. 14
“Isn’t love, holy, devoted love, omnipotent? Oh no! No matter what passionate, sinful, rebellious heart hides in the grave, the flowers growing on it serenely look at us with their innocent eyes: they tell us not only about eternal peace, about that great peace of “indifferent” nature; they also talk about eternal reconciliation and endless life..."
Slide No. 15
Homework assignment.
Group 1 - write an essay - essay “My thoughts on the lesson “Nihilism and its consequences.”
Group 2 – written answer to the question “How do I understand nihilism.”
The problem of nihilism in I. S. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons”
Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” was published in 1862.
The image of Yevgeny Bazarov shook the imagination of the entire reading public. In Russian literature, a commoner democrat was depicted for the first time - a man of enormous willpower and strong convictions.
The main conflict between the democrat hero and the liberals is formulated in Bazarov’s words addressed to Arkady Kirsanov: “You, for example, don’t fight - and you imagine yourself to be great - but we want to fight.” Turgenev endowed Bazarov with his own unique attitude to philosophy, politics, science, and art.
Bazarov is a nihilist, denier, destroyer. In his denial he stops at nothing. Why did you see Turgenev? hero of his time in Bazarovo? He began working on the novel at a time when serfdom had not yet been abolished: when revolutionary sentiment was still growing. first of all, the ideas of negation and destruction in relation to the old order, the old authorities] principles were striking. Bazarov's nihilism is not absolute. Bazarov did not deny what has been proven by experience and life practice. Thus, he is firmly convinced that work is the basis of life and a person’s calling, that chemistry is a useful science, that the main thing in a person’s worldview is a natural scientific approach to everything. Bazarov says that he is preparing himself to do “many things,” although what these things are and what specific Bazarov is striving for remains unclear.
“At the present time, the most useful thing is to deny - we deny,” he says. Bazarov is an exponent of the idea! advanced democratic movement, which took shape and developed under the sign of the negation of everything historically associated with the noble-serf society, with the culture of the nobility, with the old world.< быть, это слово означает человека, который, который нечего не признает?» Павел Петро вич тут же подхватил: «Скажи: который ни чего не уважает». Аркадий объяснил им: «Ни гилист - это человек, который не склоняете:
before any authorities, who does not accept a single principle on faith, no matter how respectful this principle may be.” However, Pavel Petrovich remained unconvinced: a nihilist is a person “who does not respect anything.”
Bazarov denied everything that was close and dear to Pavel Petrovich and that was the essence of his existence. Bazarov became increasingly imbued with contempt for the liberal aristocrat. In this carefully traced ideological and psychological process of accumulation and growth of first deep hostility and antipathy, and then outright enmity, the very reality of the reality of that time was reflected. If the relations between Democrats and liberals at the end of the 1840s were dominated by hostility, irony, and polemical skirmishes, then by the end of the 1850s these relations became irreconcilably hostile. Their meetings in the same environment immediately gave rise to disputes and conflicts. Having placed a person from the democratic camp at the center of the novel and recognizing his strength and significance, Turgenev did not sympathize with him in many ways. Bazarov and his associates. (in reality, and not in the novel, since in the novel he does not have them) they denied art because in the 1850-1860s it was placed by some poets and critics above those pressing civic and political tasks that, from their point of view , should have been resolved in the first place. They objected even when it came to the works of such geniuses as Raphael or Shakespeare.
The word "nihilist" literally translates from Latin as "nothing." This is a person who does not recognize any authority. This term became widespread in literature and journalism in the 60s of the 19th century.
Current of social thought
In Russia, this movement gained maximum popularity after the novel by I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons". Nihilism manifested itself as the social mood of commoners who rejected established moral norms. These people refuted everything that was usual. Accordingly, a nihilist is a person who does not recognize anything. Representatives of this movement rejected religious prejudices, despotism in society, art, and literature. Nihilists advocated for a woman’s personal freedom, her equality in society, and also, to a certain extent, promoted selfishness. The program of this movement was very sketchy, and those who promoted it were too straightforward.
If we talk about nihilism as a worldview, then it cannot be called integral. A nihilist is a person who was distinguished only by his expression of rejection of the surrounding reality. The ideas of this social movement were expressed at that time by the magazine “Russian Word”.
Nihilism before Fathers and Sons
As mentioned above, the term itself became widespread after the novel “Fathers and Sons” was published. In this work, the nihilist is Evgeny Bazarov. He had followers, but more on that later. It was after the publication of the novel that the term “nihilism” spread. Before this, such ideas were called “negative trends” in magazines, and their representatives were called “whistlers.”
For opponents of the social trend, a nihilist is one who sought to destroy moral principles and promoted immoral principles.
"What is Bazarov?"
This is exactly the question P.P. asks. Kirsanov to his nephew Arkady. The words that Bazarov is a nihilist amazed brother Pavel Petrovich. For representatives of his generation, life without principles is impossible.
It is worth noting that nihilists in literature are primarily Turgenev’s heroes. The most striking, of course, is Bazarov, who had followers, Kukshina and Sitnikov.
Nihilist principles
Representatives of this movement are characterized by main principle- lack of any principles.
Bazarov’s ideological position is most clearly reflected in disputes with Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov.
The heroes have different attitudes towards the common people. Bazarov considers these people “dark”; Kirsanov is touched by the patriarchal nature of the peasant family.
For Evgeniy, nature is a kind of storehouse in which a person can manage. Pavel Petrovich admires her beauty.
The main nihilist in the novel “Fathers and Sons” has a negative attitude towards art. Reading literature for Bazarov is a waste of time.
Evgeniy and Pavel Petrovich are representatives of different social strata. Bazarov is a commoner. This largely explains his attitude towards the people and indifference to everything beautiful. He imagines how hard life is for those who cultivate the land. Russian nihilists, as a rule, were indeed commoners. This is probably the reason for their revolutionary mood and rejection of the social system.
Followers of Bazarov
To the question of which of the heroes was a nihilist in Fathers and Sons, one can, of course, answer that Arkady Kirsanov considered himself a student of Bazarov. Kukshina and Sitnikov also pose as his followers. However, can they be considered nihilists?
Arkady, although he tries to imitate Bazarov, has a completely different attitude towards art, nature, and his family. He only adopts Bazarov’s cold manner of communicating, speaks in a low voice and behaves casually. Arkady is a well-mannered young man. He is educated, sincere, intelligent. The younger Kirsanov grew up in a different environment; he did not have to earn money for his studies.
However, when Evgeny Bazarov falls in love with Anna Odintsova, it seems that his behavior also carried a tinge of pretense. Of course, he is much firmer than Arkady, he shares the ideas of nihilism more deeply, but at the same time, he still could not reject all values in his soul. At the end of the novel, when Bazarov is waiting own death, he recognizes the power of parental love.
If we talk about Kukshina and Sitnikov, they are portrayed by Turgenev with such irony that the reader immediately understands: they should not be perceived as “serious” nihilists. Kukshina, of course, “springs up”, trying to seem different from what she really is. The author calls her a “creature,” thereby emphasizing her fussiness and stupidity.
The writer pays even less attention to Sitnikov. This hero is the son of an innkeeper. He is narrow-minded, behaves casually, probably copying Bazarov’s manner. He has a dream to make people happy, using the money earned by his father for this, which expresses a disrespectful attitude towards other people's work and towards his parents.
What did the author want to say with such an ironic attitude towards these characters? Firstly, both heroes personify negative sides the personality of Bazarov himself. After all, he also does not show respect for established values that were laid down many centuries ago. Bazarov also shows disdain for his parents, who live only by love for their only son.
The second point that the writer wanted to show is that the time of the “bazaars” has not yet come.
History of the origin of the term “nihilism”
Thanks to Turgenev, the concept of nihilism became widespread, but he did not coin this term. There is an assumption that Ivan Sergeevich borrowed it from N.I. Nadezhin, who in his publication used it to negatively characterize new literary and philosophical movements.
Nevertheless, it was after the dissemination of the novel “Fathers and Sons” that the term received socio-political overtones and began to be widely used.
It must also be said that literal translation this word does not convey the content of this concept. Representatives of the movement were not at all devoid of ideals. There is an assumption that the author, by creating the image of Bazarov, expresses condemnation of the revolutionary democratic movement. At the same time, Turgenev says that his novel is directed against the aristocracy.
So, the term “nihilism” was originally intended as a synonym for the word “revolution”. However, the word gained such popularity that a seminarian who preferred studying at the university and abandoned a spiritual career, or a girl who chose her husband at the behest of her heart, and not at the behest of her relatives, could consider herself a nihilist.
