What is the essence of Westernism and Slavophilism

Slavophilism and Westernism are the ideological movements and directions of Russian social thought of the 1830-1850s, between which there was an acute debate about the further cultural and socio-historical ways of Russia's development.

In the 1840s, in Russia under conditions of repressions against revolutionary ideology, liberal ideological trends — Westernism and Slavophilism — were widely developed. The most active Westerners included V.P. Botkin, I.S. Turgenev, V.M. Maykov, A.I. Goncharov, V.G. Belinsky, N.Kh. Ketcher, K.D. Cavelin and other representatives of the Russian noble intelligentsia. In a fundamental dispute, they were opposed by the Kireevsky brothers, Yu.F. Samarin, A.S. Khomyakov, I.S. Aksakov and others. Despite their ideological disagreements, all of them were ardent patriots, not doubting the great future of Russia, sharply criticizing Nikolaev Russia.

Serfdom, which they considered the extreme manifestation of arbitrariness and despotism reigning in Russia at that time, was subjected to the most harsh criticism from the Slavophiles and Westerners. In criticizing the autocratic-bureaucratic system, both ideological groups expressed a common opinion, but their arguments sharply diverged in the search for ways to further develop the state.

Slavophiles

The Slavophiles, rejecting modern Russia, believed that Europe and the entire Western world had also outlived themselves and had no future, and therefore could not serve as role models. The Slavophiles ardently defended the identity of Russia, due to the historical cultural and religious characteristics of the West. The Slavophiles considered the Orthodox religion to be the most important value of the Russian state. They argued that the Russian people had, since the time of the Moscow state, a special attitude to the authorities, which allowed Russia to live for a long time without revolutionary upheavals and upheavals. In their opinion, the country should have the power of public opinion and an advisory voice, but only the monarch has the right to make final decisions.

Due to the fact that the teachings of the Slavophiles contain 3 ideological principles of Russia of Nicholas I: nationality, autocracy, Orthodoxy, they are often referred to as political reaction. But all these principles were interpreted by the Slavophiles in their own way, considering Orthodoxy a free community of believing Christians, and autocracy as an external form of government allowing the people to search for "inner truth." Defending the autocracy, the Slavophiles, however, were convinced democrats, not attaching special importance to political freedom, they defended the spiritual freedom of the individual. The abolition of serfdom and the granting of civil liberties to the people occupied one of the main places in the works of the Slavophiles.