On the issue of worldview and values in the context of teaching the course "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood"

Skorokhodova Svetlana Igorevna Doctor of Philosophy Professor, Department of Philosophy, Moscow State Pedagogical University 119571, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Prospekt Vernadskogo str., 88, room 818 moscow.belgrad@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

The relevance of the topic is due to the introduction of a new compulsory subject in higher education, "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" (ORG). Within the framework of this course, the third section will be considered – "The Russian worldview and the value foundations of Russian civilization." Currently, it is necessary to talk about one's own intellectual and spiritual tradition, about a national idea, without which Russia will turn into "just a meaningless space open to any experimentation" ^{[1, pp. 8-9]}.

In 1849, A. S. Khomyakov wrote in an article "About Humbolt": "History calls on Russia to become the head of the world enlightenment, it gives it the right to do so for the comprehensiveness and completeness of its beginnings, and the right given by history to the people is an obligation imposed on each of its members" ^{[2, p. 174]}. Of course, such a high task cannot be accomplished without knowledge of one's own intellectual tradition and original culture. The role of education in the realization of the concept of patriotic education and the protection of cultural identity is great, therefore, the article also offers some reflections on the reading of this course to future teachers.

Identity is not invented, it is not invented, but it manifests itself in the originality of the way of life, spiritual and moral values and socio-cultural traditions. Within the framework of the third section, it is important to reveal the main features of the Russian worldview, which harmoniously combine a practical orientation with a spiritual and moral basis; to form the idea that the learning process cannot be divorced from philosophical and socio-historical platforms, since teachers influence the course of the history of the people and are responsible for the fate of their Fatherland.

"Russian worldview and values of Russian civilization" as the ideological foundation of the ORG course

The issue of values is dealt with in three government documents: "On the national Security Strategy" (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated 07/02/2021 No. 400), "On Approval of the Foundations of State Policy for the Preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian spiritual and Moral values" (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated 11/19/2022 No. 809) and "The Concept of Foreign Policy" (Presidential Decree RF dated 04/23/2023 No. 809). These official papers define the basic traditional values developed as a result of historical, socio-political and spiritual development. Within the framework of the article, we will not specifically focus on specific values, but we will draw attention to the fact that at present it is especially important to educate young people in the spirit of patriotism, conscious love for the motherland: no one can defeat a person rooted in his native land and involved in the history of his country. In addition, it is impossible to join the culture of other peoples without knowing and loving your own.

The Decree "On the Approval of the Foundations of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian spiritual and Moral Values" states that one of the distinctive features of Russia as a civilizational state is its multinational and multi-confessional nature. It also states that "Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and other religions, which are an integral part of the Russian historical and spiritual heritage, have had a significant impact on the formation of traditional values common to believers and non-believers." The document emphasizes that "Orthodoxy plays a special role in the formation and strengthening of traditional values." It should be noted that Russian religious philosophers also wrote that, although Russia has always been a multinational country, its traditional way of culture was associated with Orthodoxy, which at the same time peacefully coexisted with the presence of other faiths [see 3]. The Orthodox faith is one of the main Russian values. And an important pedagogical task is to form a respectful attitude towards traditional Russian religions within the framework of the implementation of the principle of unity in diversity.

In the Soviet period, there was a "historical rift", in the words of N. F. Chelishchev, the great-grandson of A. S. Khomyakov, between pre-revolutionary and Soviet Russia. After the October Revolution, militant atheism was planted, and many spiritual values were lost and forgotten. But after all, a nation is "a spiritual unity created and maintained by the community of culture, spiritual content bequeathed by the past, alive in the present and created in it for the future" ^{[4, p. 295]}.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, with the advent of new freedoms, Russia was able to restore historical continuity, forming on this basis the self-consciousness of the inhabitants of the New Russia. However, some have already developed a taste for the "American dream." At the same time, a powerful influence was exerted on our Fatherland in order to reformat public consciousness in a certain direction, to introduce into it the long-worn idea that Russia needs to diversify, change its structure and essence.

Western ideologists sought to prevent the strengthening of national identity in our country, traumatized by the collapse of the USSR. They used all possible means of influencing the human psyche, trying to discredit not only the achievements of the Soviet Union, but also the history of pre-revolutionary Russia. They opposed the formation of patriotic feelings necessary to protect a sovereign state. The results of this impact were not unambiguous.

This caused a rise in Russian national consciousness among a part of the population. However, the internal opposition at that time was not externally framed.

Currently, under the guise of democratic freedoms, an attempt is being made to push "society into the space of unlimited destruction ... eternal moral norms and cultural foundations, as well as the values of national identity behind them" ^{[5, p. 6]}. At the seminar "Value challenges of modern politics" it is important to identify the axiological foundations of existing threats to the sovereignty of our country, as well as to identify the responses of the Russian pedagogical community to them.

It is necessary to bring students to the conclusion that the survival of Russia lies in the promotion of its own Russian-centered ideology, which should be determined by the "soil", in the words of N. N. Strakhov, a certain natural, social and spiritual integrity that develops in the course of real historical life [see 6, p. 78]. Instead of ideas hostile to the Russian civilization, it is necessary to turn to your own, Russian.

In this article, we will not dwell in detail on the understanding of the "Russian idea" in a historical and philosophical context. Russian Russian ideas were not given in advance, once and for all, but were formed in the process of centuries-old creativity of the people, and in this sense, according to I. A. Ilyin's definition, "the age of the Russian idea is the age of Russia itself" ^{[7, p. 6]}. The Russian idea is connected with the question of the meaning of Russia's existence in world history [see 8, p. 163]. The Slavophiles of the 19th century, in particular, reduced its content to a consistent criticism of the European path of development, to the historical justification of the possibility of the "Russian" path.

At the same time, it is important to remember that Russia plays the role of an intermediary in the mutually enriching cultural exchange of the peoples of the East and the West: in accordance with its originality, it should skip only those valuable things that lead cultures to a common spiritual denominator. Everything good and true, regardless of whether it is European or African, must be accepted [see 9, p. 278]. It is about the creative gathering and unification of all the socio-cultural wealth accumulated in the experience of mankind [see 10, p. 263]. In this sense, the essence of the Russian idea is to inherit all the most important things in world culture and not contradict Russian values, but only enriches and strengthens them, to push the world towards morally justified forms of life. Russia, being between Europe and Asia, was "doomed" to the role of the defender of the first from the prolonged aggressive influence of the nomadic tribes of the East. V. M. Mezhuyev, a modern philosopher, wrote in 2011: "Unlike the rational legal formalism of the Western idea, the "Russian idea" is spiritually saving, morally uplifting" ^{[11, p. 392]}. He noted in it "the supremacy of truth over truth, compassion over justice, conciliarity over civil society, spiritual asceticism over the pragmatics of private life" [ibid.]. In his opinion, the Russian idea was discussed after the victory over Napoleon. The Russian idea transcends national borders and even the boundaries of world history. Students can be asked to complete the following task: to find arguments proving that the accusation of our Fatherland of aggression was used as information propaganda, since the plans of world domination are alien to the Russian idea.

Of course, in talking about the Russian idea in the classroom, the topic of Messianism should also be touched upon. V. Schubart, a German philosopher, wrote that genuine Messianism has nothing to do with imperialist. "Philotheus does not teach that Moscow should push aside, replace, surpass Rome and Byzantium; he teaches that Moscow should accept them reconciled" ^{[12, p. 88]}. "The Messianic soul hopes to save a world devoid of harmony" [ibid.]. He considered Russian Messianism in the context of the common Slavic.

Russian Russian idea gets a special expression in the works of N. F. Fedorov, the founder of Russian cosmism, who, formulating the ideas of cosmic architecture and victory over death, called for the unification of all people in fraternal and sisterly relations on the basis not of any particular religious denomination or leveling of each nation, but of a common cause. Such a thing is the victory over death, the resurrection of the dead. Only the path of filial duty, according to Fedorov, gives meaning to the gathering of all peoples around Russia: both Christian and non-Christian. He wrote that Russia "is a family of peoples gathered around the Orthodox Russian people, who all, not excluding Mohammedans, create commemorations of their ancestors" ^{[13, p. 9]}. Russia's disease does not lead to death, but to rebirth.

The Russian worldview includes a natural science component as an important element. Back in Soviet times, research was conducted aimed at scientifically substantiating Fedorov's ideas. In particular, the MPSU, which was called at that time the Lenin Moscow State Technical University, created the Laboratory of Systems Development Management Systems (1965), which was headed by Pobisk Georgievich Kuznetsov (1924-2000), an encyclopedic scientist who shared the ideas of Russian cosmism [see 14]. He developed his own model of the development of the world system, according to which the system goes to an asymptotic regime, but it can feed up to 30 billion people. The Soviet nomenclature did not accept his work, and the Kuznetsov system was defeated.

Western ideologists, on the contrary, argue that most of the global problems of our time can be solved through population control. Back in the XVIII century, Thomas Robert Malthus, an English priest and economist, put forward the idea of the need to reduce people on earth in order to avoid disaster [see 15]. His ideas are especially popular in the West nowadays. Some foreign scientists and politicians call humanity a "cancerous tumor of the earth." European practicality turned into misanthropy. These examples clearly show the difference between the Western and Russian worldview models. I recall the words of I. A. Ilyin: "The Russian idea is the idea ... of a contemplative heart. The heart ... transmitting its vision to the will for action, and thoughts for awareness and words. This is the main strength of Russia and Russian identity. This is the path of our rebirth and renewal" ^{[16, p. 318]}.

The philosophical basis of the Russian worldview and values

In 2024, Vardan Ernestovich Baghdasaryan's monograph "Traditional Values as the basis of a new worldview building in Russia" was published [see 17], in which he shares his experience teaching this section in the ORG course. It should be noted that Baghdasaryan intended to include issues related to worldview and values in each of the sections of the course.

It seems that the content of this section should also contain a philosophical orientation. At lectures, it is necessary to give a philosophical understanding of values so that students perceive them not as an installation, but as a manifestation of our historically developed holistic worldview.

Russian Russian Worldview" by S.L. Frank showed a close connection between Russian philosophy and the Russian national worldview [see 18]. He drew attention to the fact that Russian philosophy, to a much greater extent than Western European philosophy, is precisely a worldview theory and that its essence and main purpose never lie in the field of purely theoretical, impartial knowledge, but always in the religious and emotional perception and interpretation of life. The Russian worldview has a pronounced practical orientation and requires awareness of the creative depth of the human being, understanding of the past and insight into the future. Russian Russian worldview features intuition as the basis of Russian thinking, "spiritual collectivism", religiosity and the associated search for absolute goodness, striving for the Absolute, love of freedom, the highest expression of which is the freedom of the spirit.

A. F. Losev, a well-known scientist and teacher, also believed that Russian philosophy has a worldview character: the main attention is paid to the issues of the spirit, human destiny and man's relationship to God. She strives for the practical realization of her ideals. "Our philosophy should be the philosophy of the Motherland and Sacrifice, and not some kind of abstract, head and useless "theory of knowledge" or "the doctrine of being or matter" ^{[19, p. 43]}," the thinker wrote.

According to Vladimir Putin, the basis of our national worldview and culture is Russian history: "This is, of course, a source of understanding of our identity and our civilizational mission. And these are necessary lessons for solving modern problems, in order to look a little ahead at the near, medium and long term" ^[20]. S. L. Frank believed that the Russian worldview has an eschatological coloring. Russian Russian idea, according to N. A. Berdyaev, corresponds to the character and vocation of the Russian people, it is addressed to the end. From here the philosopher deduced Russian maximalism. But in the Russian mind, in his opinion, the eschatological idea takes the form of a desire for universal salvation. The Russian idea, in his understanding, is a super–task, not a fait accompli [see 21].

In the first lecture of the third section, "Worldview and Identity", one can turn to the key symbols of Russian spiritual culture, showing that it is based on the eschatology of salvation, not death. The ideal of universal salvation, first of all, manifests itself in the image of Kitezh, the ideological center of ancient Russian spiritual culture. He is opposed by the predatory desire for self-affirmation at the expense of enslavement and destruction of other peoples, expressed, in particular, in the image of Atlantis. The "Legend of the City of Kitezh" embodies the national ideal. The meaning of the legend is in sacrificial patriotism, in the struggle for a fertile type of human evolution. And although the ancient Russian Kitezh has gone under water, it must rise in the dazzling splendor of triumph over evil and death, establishing a religious and mystical ideal on earth. Atlantis, as the antithesis of Kitezh, is an expression of the eschatology of the end, of doom. The gods punished the "sacred" island for its pride and buried it forever in the ocean. Most Russian thinkers were convinced that the end of history was not catastrophic, and Russia played the main role in transforming the world.

Kitezh is synonymous in meaning with the image of Holy Russia. It is meaningful and makes it possible to feel the world as a living whole, going beyond the limited space-time frame into eternity. There is no national arrogance in the image of Holy Russia, as some Western experts claim (in particular, A. L. Yanov [see 22]). Holy Russia is a religious and mystical ideal, the origins of which can be found in ancient Russian spiritual poems that have been recorded since the XVII century. Holy Russia is a cosmic image. It is full of sacred allusions. Holy Russia is also a person, in some interpretations. In his work "Holy Russia", A. S. Glinka-Volzhsky wrote that in her image we comprehend "our own, Russian, from the inside, with a deep spiritual touch, intimately and secretly" [see 23]. In it we see not what is given, but what is given. But this "inexpressible" looks through the expression. In the article "Holy Russia" (1934), Bishop John reflected on the topic of what is the difference between Russia and Russia. "Holy Russia is a people who inherited Christianity from St. Vladimir and made it the foundation of their lives. Christianity, of course, is Orthodox" ^{[24, p. 437]}. It is not a specific place on the globe, but the totality of the views and life of the people. And the representatives of Holy Russia may be non-Russians by blood [see 24, p. 438]. As the saint wrote, even a Russian by blood can turn out to be alien to Holy Russia. As the saint wrote, even a Russian by blood can turn out to be alien to Holy Russia. Only through spiritual renewal will the "palms of Russian glory" grow.

According to V. I. Ivanov, the "metaphysics of national self-determination" is manifested in the image of Holy Russia. In the image of Holy Russia there is no manifestation of the excessive pride of Russians. He "does not exclude other shrines, does not deny other holy faces and folk angels <...> On the contrary, it logically presupposes them, because it is based on the recognition of the general law of the mystical reality of the people. <...> only the Russian character is genuine Russia, Russia is not holy – and not true Russia" ^{[25, pp. 346-348.]}. The mythologems of Kitezh, Holy Russia, according to Berdyaev, "there is a specific story imprinted in folk memory, in folk art, in language about the events and the first phenomena of spiritual life, symbolized, displayed in the natural world." "The myth depicts the supernatural in the natural, the supersensible in the sensual, the spiritual life in the life of the flesh" ^{[26, p. 60]}. A. F. Losev, finding a miracle at the heart of the myth as "a certain method of interpreting historical events, and not the search for some new events as such," concluded that "the myth there is this wonderful personal story in words" ^{[27, pp. 552, 578]}. The specificity of myth, in this understanding, does not consist in reflecting phenomena, but in establishing their connection with the meanings contained in their basis, in their essence.

E. N. Trubetskoy drew attention to the sophistic nature of the Russian worldview. He came to this conclusion, in particular, based on the analysis of Russian fairy tales [see 28]. Ivanushka, who has a mind "not of this world", is favored by the highest wisdom in the person of Vasilisa the Beautiful, the Beloved Beauty. The hero experiences a mysterious attraction to the aboveground ideal, which spiritualizes him, makes him "winged" and "prophetic". The image of the bride's things is a combination of wisdom, beauty and power over the creature to no lesser extent. The whole creature is responsible for the "Beloved Beauty". The fairy tale expresses a feminine sense of the world - the Sophia principle, according to the philosopher. It should be added that the first temple in Russia was dedicated to Sophia of the Wisdom of God. Russian Russian literature also plays an important role in the theme of eternal femininity [see 29, pp. 66-70]. N. N. Strakhov believed, like most Russian thinkers, that one of the main features of the Russian worldview is the predominance of the spiritual over the material, although the latter is not denied. I think this conclusion is proven by history. V. V. Rozanov once wrote: "Russians have the vitality of an earthworm. However, – it will be cut with a spade – both halves live. There is nothing to eat – he will dry up, after all, he did not die. It's raining again, and it's moving again. [...] and we also sing songs and make up fairy tales..." ^{[30, p. 370]}.

Students should come to the conclusion that the Russian world is "tenacious" and stable, as it is capable of spiritual regeneration. As an argument, one can cite the Russian emigration, which in the period between the two world wars, although it found itself outside its Homeland in an extreme situation, showed extraordinary vitality. The repatriates preserved and passed on not only Russian culture and language to their descendants, but also enriched the culture of those peoples among whom they had to live. Experiencing suffering and deprivation, they primarily sought to preserve historical memory and faith in the great future of Russia [see 31]. The basic traditional values, which are revealed, in particular, in the collective monograph "Russian values: Traditional meanings and their reflection in the minds of modern youth" [see 32], have proved to be stable in different historical epochs. They were developed as a result of the centuries-old spiritual and political development of the people and, as shown in the study, were an important factor in the formation of Russian identity.

Conclusion

As a result of studying the third section of the ORG, students must demonstrate an understanding that the Russian worldview is creative in nature, it includes religious, scientific, philosophical and artistic components in its unity. It manifests itself in the integrity of thinking and semantic imagery of the Russian language, which has played an important role in the formation of Russia as a state-civilization, being a tool for expressing the uniqueness of different peoples, contributing to the preservation and development of the cultural diversity of the country. The Russian Russian worldview has a Messianic character, which manifests itself in the Russian idea, which has universal significance. It contains the understanding that Russia has always held back the onslaught of enemies from both the West and the East, destroying all plans for world domination. The Russian worldview is sophistic, it is based on the philosophy of the "contemplative heart". Striving for spiritual sobriety provides an opportunity for constant moral improvement. The Russian worldview is tinged with life-affirming pathos, faith in the possible triumph of absolute goodness on Earth. The main task of the life of the Russian people, according to John of Shanghai, is the search and affirmation of the truth. The Russian worldview defines both religious and mystical ideals and the Russian national character. Pedagogical activity should form students' spiritual, moral and socio-cultural priorities for the preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian values: This is a necessary condition for the survival of Russian civilization in the modern world.