At the Vanishing Point in History

Putin''s war has meant the return of the Russian intelligentsia-a concept that was all but dead in the first decade of the 2000s. At the Vanishing Point in History brings together distinguished humanities scholars and prominent novelists to examine the roots and causes of the unfolding catastrophe in Eastern Europe.Well-versed in Russian culture, history, and philosophical thought, this distinguished group of Russian emigres seek to explore the past to understand the present. They are guided by a belief that it is incumbent upon them, as experts of the internal working of Russian society who have fled Russia, to carefully assess the current crisis, to reflect on its causes, and set the goals for future research in the humanities. Responding to this challenge they bring together a collection of analytic essays that provide needed background and context for the events unfolding in Europe.Today''s Russia is perhaps the most representative example of tyranny''s threat to global civilization. In its vicious assault on Ukraine, the hostile Putin regime holds not merely Russians but all of humanity hostage. The atrocities being done in Ukraine in the name of the "Russian world" make it urgent to thoroughly examine Russia''s present political pursuit in order to understand its real roots and the way out of it.>

Auteur
Marina F. Bykova is Full Professor of Philosophy at North Carolina State University, USA, and the Editor-in-chief of Studies in East European Thought and Russian Studies in Philosophy.

Texte du rabat

Putin's war has prompted a deep analysis and reevaluation of the forces driving this deadly confrontation. At the Vanishing Point in History brings together renowned humanities scholars and prominent novelists to explore the roots and causes of the ongoing catastrophe in Eastern Europe. This distinguished group of Russian émigrés, well-versed in Russian culture, history, and philosophy, aims to examine the past to understand the present. Experts in the inner workings of Russian society who have fled the country, they believe it is their responsibility to critically assess the current crisis, reflect on its origins, and outline the agenda for future research in the humanities. In response to this challenge, they present a collection of analytical essays that offer essential background and context for understanding the unfolding events in Europe. Today's Russia is perhaps the most representative example of the grave threat that tyranny poses to global civilization. In its brutal attack on Ukraine, Putin's regime holds not only Russians but all of humanity hostage. The atrocities committed in the name of the "Russian world" make it urgent to thoroughly investigate Russia's current political pursuit in order to uncover its true origins and find a way forward.

Contenu
At the Vanishing Point in History: Critical Perspectives on the Russia-Ukraine War Table of Contents Notes on Contributors Acknowledgements Introduction At the Edge of the Abyss: The Countdown Begins Marina F. Bykova (North Carolina State University, USA) Prologue Doors of Hell: New Russian Apocalypticism Mikhail Epstein (Emory University, USA) Part I. Unlearned Lessons From Russia's Bloody History The War on Progress and the Missed Opportunities of Russian Enlightenment Marina F. Bykova (North Carolina State University, USA) Between Nationalism and Universalism: The Imperial Imagination from Vladimir Solovyov to Alexandre Koj*ève Boris Groys (European Graduate School, Switzerland) *The Defeated Judge the Victors, or Bolshevism in post-October Russian Thought Alexander L. Dobrokhotov (King's College London, UK) War in Ukraine and the Ethics of Pragmatism Dmitri N. Shalin (University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA) *Against the West: The Weimar Republic and Post-Soviet Russia in the Yeltsin Era as *Aggrieved Powers Leonid Luks (Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt,Germany), Part II. The War of Obsession The End of History or the End of the Human Race? Rereading Fukuyama and Huntington**During Russia's War Against Ukraine Mikhail Sergeev (University of the Arts, Philadelphia,USA) Point of Madness and the Search for History's Meaning Mikhail Blumenkranz (Independent Scholar, Germany) Nostalgia, Trickster, and the War Mark Lipovetsky (Columbia University, USA) The Return of the Grand Inquisitor Maja Soboleva (University of Marburg, Germany) The Viscosity of Russian Space: An Essay in Structural Analysis Helen Petrovsky (Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, France) Part III. Does Russia Have a Future? Cyclical Progress. The Eternal Return of Modernity Vladimir Marchenkov (Ohio University, USA) Being Guilty, Feeling Guilty: Right and Morality in Russia in the Shadow of the Current War Michail Maiatsky (University of Fribourg / University of Lausanne, Switzerland) Russian Ouroboros Mikhail P. Shishkin (Freelance Writer, Switzerland) Defederating Russia Alexander Etkind (Central European University, Vienna, Austria)