The genesis of the term "intelligentsia" within historical dimension
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21847/1728-9343.2017.3(149).108124Keywords:
intelligentsia, intelligence, intellectuals, "educated class", intelligentsia of Russian Empire, Soviet intelligentsiaAbstract
The article deals with the genesis of the term "intelligentsia" within historical dimension, consideration of basic approaches and interpretation of this concept. The origins of the definition as well as its content in diverse historical periods are considered on the basis of a number of sources. The basic issues of contemporary discussion concerning an interpretation of the intelligentsia concept within the sphere of Ukrainian science and media are distinguished.
The analysis of genesis and transformation of content of the intelligentsia definition within historical dimension allows to make such conclusions.
Firstly, a lack of clear and approved theory concerning the origins of intelligentsia concept has caused further mythologization of the latter. Eventually, some theses about history of the definition have become more popular and have complicated the view of a full picture. In particular, it applies to attribution of the authorship of this term to P. Boborykin and simultaneous disregard of evidences for a "Polish trace" in genesis of the term.
Secondly, a view of content of the definition is deeply subjective in the contexts of personal perception and particular historical period. It makes a formulation of universal definition impossible. This circumstance causes the need for consideration of intelligentsia phenomenon within certain chronological or even geographical boundaries. A perception of the intelligentsia definition can became thereby a source for study of history of some period, country or nation.
Finally, the author discerns such issues concerning an interpretation of the intelligentsia concept. The first issue deals with universality/specificity of the term (is intelligentsia a local phenomenon of Eastern Europe (within Russian Empire, USSR and countries that were in their sphere of influence), or it has a wider application?). The second one is the content of the concept in Russian Empire and USSR. The third issue concerns the relation of concepts "intelligentsia" and "the intellectuals".
These circumstances make it difficult to study the topic, while actualizing the need for further balanced scientific research in this field.
References
The phenomenon of Ukrainian intelligentsia in the context of global transformations (2016), Works of the scientific conference, Krasnoarmiisk, 316 p. (ukr).
Liutyi,Taras(2016), Why intellectuals?, available at: http://tyzhden.ua/Columns/50/178579 (ukr).
Hromadske radio (2016), [The Revolution of Dignity was made by intellectuals - philosopher, available at: https://hromadskeradio.org/programs/rankova-hvylya/revolyuciyu-gidnosti-robyly-intelektualy-filosof (ukr)
Zarycki, Tomasz (2009), The power of the intelligentsia: The Rywin Affair and the challenge of applying the concept of cultural capital to analyze Poland’s elites, Theory and Society, Volume 38, Issue 6, pp. 613 - 648. DOI: 10.1007/s11186-009-9092-6.
Kosenko, V.D. (2010), The phenomenon of intelligentsia: historical stages of formation, Visnyk NTUU «KPI». Filosofiia. Psykholohiia. Pedahohika, 3, Kyiv, pp. 35 - 39 (ukr).
Novosadova, N.H.(2014), Discourse on definition of intelligentsia during XIX century, Naukovi zapysky Vinnytskoho derzhavnoho pedahohichnoho universytetu imeni Mykhaila Kotsiubynskoho. Seriia: Istoriia, Vyp. 22, pp. 229 - 232 (ukr).
Vinogradov, V.V. (1999), History of the words, Moscow, 1138 p. (rus).
Intelligentsia (2005), Dictionary of philosophical terms. «Intelligentsia», Moscow, p. 204 (rus).
Gella, Aleksander (1971), The Life and Death of the Old Polish Intelligentsia, Slavic Review, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 1 - 27. DOI: 10.2307/2493440.
Dal, V.I. (1881), Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language. «Intelligentsia», T. 2, Saint Petersburg, p. 44 (rus).
Berdiaiev, N.A. (1991), A philosophical truth and a truth of intelligentsia, Vekhi, Intelligentsia v Rossii: Sb. statei 1909 - 1910, Moscow, pp. 24 - 43 (rus).
Kistiakovskyi, B.A. (1991), In defense of the law, Vekhi, Intelligentsia v Rossii: Sb. statei 1909 - 1910, Moscow, pp. 109 - 136 (rus).
Struve, P.B. (1991), Intelligentsia and the revolution, Vekhi, Intelligentsia v Rossii: Sb. statei 1909 - 1910, Moscow, pp. 136 - 153 (rus).
Bulgakov, S.N. (1991), Heroism and asceticism, Vekhi, Intelligentsia v Rossii: Sb. statei 1909 - 1910, Moscow, pp. 43 - 85 (rus).
Miliukov, P.N. (1991), Intelligentsia and historical tradition, Vekhi, Intelligentsia v Rossii: Sb. statei 1909 - 1910, Moscow, pp. 294 - 382 (rus).
Pomerants, G.S. Intelligentsia, intelligenty and intelligentnost, available at: http://www.pomeranz.ru/p/lect_intell.htm
Tugan-Baranovskii, M.I. (1991), Intelligentsia and socialism, Vekhi, Intelligentsia v Rossii: Sb. statei 1909 - 1910, Moscow, pp. 419 - 440 (rus).
Sevastianov, A. (2011), Middle class instead of the intelligentsia?, Vekhi - 2009. K 100-letiiu sbornika, Moscow, pp. 90 - 100 (rus).
Lenin, V.I. (1970), To A.M. Gorky, Polnoie sobraniie sochinenii, izd. 5-e, T. 51, Moscow, p. 48 (rus).
Intelligentsia (1953), Great Soviet Encyclopedia, T. 18, Moscow, pp. 270 - 273 (rus).
Solzhenitsyn, A.I. (1974), The Obrazovanshchina, Iz-pod glyb, Paris, pp. 217 - 261 (rus).
Glezerman, G.E. (2001), Philosophical dictionary. «Intelligentsia», Moscow, p. 211 (rus).
Intelligentsia (2003), Filosofskii slovar: Osnovan H. Shmidtom, Moscow, pp. 180 - 181 (rus).
Oxford Living Dictionaries «Intelligentsia», available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/intelligentsia (eng)
Merriam-Webster dictionary «Intelligentsia», available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intelligentsia (eng)
Holobutskyi, P.V. (2005), Encyclopedia of the history of Ukraine. «Intelligentsia and intellectuals», T.3, Kyiv, pp. 507 - 511 (ukr).
Zarycki, Tomasz (2003), Cultural capital and the political role of the intelligentsia in Poland, Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics, Volume 19, №4, pp. 91 - 108. DOI: 10.1080/13523270300660030.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2017 Oleksandra Rodyhina
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
1. Authors bear responsibility for the accuracy of facts, quotations, numbers and names used.
2. Manuscripts are not sent back.
3. The publisher does not always agree with the authors' opinion.
4. The authors reserve the right to authorship of the work and pass the first publication right of this work to the journal under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which allows others to freely distribute the published research with the obligatory reference to the authors of the original work and the first publication of the work in this journal.
5. The authors have the right to conclude separate supplement agreements that relate to non-exclusive work distribution in the form in which it has been published by the journal (for example, to upload the work to the online storage of the journal or publish it as part of a monograph), provided that the reference to the first publication of the work in this journal is included.
