Sandwiched between the East and West, Russian intellectuals have
for centuries been divided geographically, politically, and
culturally into two distinct groups: the Slavophiles, who rejected
Western-style democracy, preferring a more holistic and abstract
vision, and the more rational and scientific-minded Westernizers.
These two ideologies cut across the political spectrum of late
nineteenth-century Russia and competed for dominance in the
country's intellectual life. The tension created between these two
opposing groups caused the feeling that violent upheaval was
Russia's future. In turn, many began to think that Russia was
possibly following the path of France and that a French-style
revolution might be possible on Russian soil. In The French
Revolution in Russian Intellectual Life, Dmitry Shlapentokh
describes the role that the French democratic revolution played in
Russia's intellectual development by the end of the nineteenth
century. The revolutionary upheaval in Russia at the beginning of
twentieth century and the continuous expansion of the West
convinced most Russian intellectuals that the French Revolution in
its democratic reading was indeed the pathway of history. Yet the
rise of totalitarian regimes and their expansion proved the
validity of the sober vision of nineteenth-century Russian
intellectuals. Some conservative Russian intellectuals believed
that not only would Russia preserve its authoritarian regime but it
would spread this regime all over the world. In this context,
Shlapentokh argues the French Revolution with its democratic
tradition was only a phenomenon of Western civilization and hence
transitory. The flirtation with Western ideology, with its
democratic polity and market economy that followed in the wake of
the collapse of the communist regime, culminated in an increasing
push for corporate authoritarianism and nationalism. This work
helps explain why Russia turned away from democratic to autocratic
stylesi?1/2economic pulls to capitalism notwithstanding. It has
insight which helps to explain why Russia moved towards an
authoritarian regime instead of democracy.
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