Aleksey Khomyakov
Encyclopedia
Aleksey Stepanovich Khomyakov (Алексей Степанович Хомяков) (May 1, 1804, Moscow
– September 23/25, 1860) was a Russia
n religious poet who co-founded the Slavophile
movement along with Ivan Kireyevsky, and became one of its most distinguished theoreticians.
. He viewed this "thousand-domed city" as an epitome of the Russian way of life. Equally successful as a landlord and conversatialist, he published but little during his lifetime. His writings, printed posthumously by his friends and disciples, exerted profound influence on the Russian Orthodox Church
and Russian lay philosophers, such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Konstantin Pobedonostsev
, and Vladimir Solovyov
.
For Khomyakov, socialism
and capitalism
were equally repugnant offspring of Western decadence. The West failed to solve human spiritual problems, as it stressed competition
at the expense of cooperation
. In his own words, "Rome
kept unity at the expense of freedom, while Protestants had freedom but lost unity."
Khomyakov's own ideals revolved around the term sobornost
, being the Slavonic
equivalent of catholicity found in the Nicene Creed
and loosely translated as "togetherness" or "symphony". Khomyakov viewed the Russian obshchina
as a perfect example of sobornost and extolled the Russian peasants for their humility.
Khomyakov died from cholera
, infected by a peasant he had attempted to treat.
His son Nikolay Khomyakov
was politician and president of the State Duma
.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
– September 23/25, 1860) was a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n religious poet who co-founded the Slavophile
Slavophile
Slavophilia was an intellectual movement originating from 19th century that wanted the Russian Empire to be developed upon values and institutions derived from its early history. Slavophiles were especially opposed to the influences of Western Europe in Russia. There were also similar movements in...
movement along with Ivan Kireyevsky, and became one of its most distinguished theoreticians.
Biography
Khomyakov's whole life was centered on MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. He viewed this "thousand-domed city" as an epitome of the Russian way of life. Equally successful as a landlord and conversatialist, he published but little during his lifetime. His writings, printed posthumously by his friends and disciples, exerted profound influence on the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
and Russian lay philosophers, such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Konstantin Pobedonostsev
Konstantin Pobedonostsev
Konstantin Petrovich Pobyedonostsyev was a Russian jurist, statesman, and adviser to three Tsars...
, and Vladimir Solovyov
Vladimir Solovyov (philosopher)
Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov was a Russian philosopher, poet, pamphleteer, literary critic, who played a significant role in the development of Russian philosophy and poetry at the end of the 19th century...
.
For Khomyakov, socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
were equally repugnant offspring of Western decadence. The West failed to solve human spiritual problems, as it stressed competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
at the expense of cooperation
Cooperation
Cooperation or co-operation is the process of working or acting together. In its simplest form it involves things working in harmony, side by side, while in its more complicated forms, it can involve something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a...
. In his own words, "Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
kept unity at the expense of freedom, while Protestants had freedom but lost unity."
Khomyakov's own ideals revolved around the term sobornost
Sobornost
Sobornost is a term coined by the early Slavophiles, Ivan Kireevsky and Aleksey Khomyakov, to underline the need for cooperation between people at the expense of individualism on the basis that the opposing groups focus on what is common between them. Khomyakov believed the West was progressively...
, being the Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic or Old Church Slavic was the first literary Slavic language, first developed by the 9th century Byzantine Greek missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius who were credited with standardizing the language and using it for translating the Bible and other Ancient Greek...
equivalent of catholicity found in the Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
and loosely translated as "togetherness" or "symphony". Khomyakov viewed the Russian obshchina
Obshchina
Obshchina or Mir ) or Selskoye obshestvo were peasant communities, as opposed to individual farmsteads, or khutors, in Imperial Russia. The term derives from the word о́бщий, obshchiy ....
as a perfect example of sobornost and extolled the Russian peasants for their humility.
Khomyakov died from cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, infected by a peasant he had attempted to treat.
His son Nikolay Khomyakov
Nikolay Khomyakov
Nikolay Alekseevich Khomyakov was a Russian politician.- Life :Khomyakov was the son of Aleksey Khomyakov, a well-known Slavophile and poet. He was a graduate of Moscow University and served in the Ministry of Agriculture....
was politician and president of the State Duma
State Duma of the Russian Empire
The State Duma of the Russian Empire was a legislative assembly in the late Russian Empire, which met in the Taurida Palace in St. Petersburg. It was convened four times between 1906 and the collapse of the Empire in 1917.-History:...
.
Works
- Полное собранiе сочиненiй. Томъ I-VIII. МоскваMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, 1900-1914.
External links
- English translations of three poems
- HerzenAlexander HerzenAleksandr Ivanovich Herzen was a Russian pro-Western writer and thinker known as the "father of Russian socialism", and one of the main fathers of agrarian populism...
's My Past and Thoughts contains delightful characterization of Khomyakov's person. - Nikolay Berdyaev's examination of his views