Кузнецов Михаил Юрьевич
The Kharkiv School Zelenogorsky, Leikfeld, and the Synthesis of Ideas

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  • Аннотация:
    Fyodor Zelenogorsky (1843-1918) and Pavel Leikfeld (1863-1920) were prominent Russian philosophers at Kharkiv National University, blending German idealism (Fichte, Schelling) with classical studies. Zelenogorsky explored dialectical links between ancient and modern philosophy via Schelling"s "absolute identity," while Leikfeld applied Fichtean activism to Plato and Aristotle. Their academic work shaped philosophical education, emphasizing synthesis over imitation. By adapting Western ideas to Russian contexts, they enriched both classical scholarship and national intellectual traditions, leaving a lasting legacy in humanities education. (Updated the work. The "old" version from 2019 was combined with the "new" version from 2025.)

Introduction

   Russian philosophy is not merely a collection of ideas but a reflection of the soul of a people torn between the mystical East and the rational West. Its history is a history of the search for truth, which began not in academic offices but in monastic cells, on battlefields, and in peasant huts.
   Keywords: Classical Studies, Fichteanism, Schellingianism, Kharkiv National University, Zelenogorsky, Leikfeld, German Idealism.
Origins: From "The Sermon on Law and Grace" to the Schism

   The first philosophical thoughts in Rus" were closely tied to Christianity. Metropolitan Hilarion, in "The Sermon on Law and Grace" (11th century), contrasted the Old Testament law with the grace of the New Testament, which became a metaphor for the choice between rigid dogmas and spiritual freedom. Later, during the era of the Muscovite Tsardom, philosophy merged with religious disputes: the Old Believers, who rejected Nikon"s reforms, defended the idea of "ancient piety" as the foundation of true faith. Their struggle was the first Russian revolt against centralization, foreshadowing future conflicts between the people and the authorities.
   With Peter the Great, European philosophy arrived in Russia: Descartes" rationalism, Locke"s empiricism, and later, the ideas of Kant and Hegel. But Russian thinkers did not merely copy the West-they sought their own path. Alexander Radishchev, in "A Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" (1790), combined Enlightenment humanism with a critique of serfdom, earning him the label from Catherine the Great as a "rebel worse than Pugachev."
   The 19th century gave rise to two camps:
   Westernizers (Chaadaev, Herzen, Belinsky) saw Russia"s future in Europeanization.
   Slavophiles (Khomyakov, Kireyevsky, Aksakov) believed in a unique path based on Orthodoxy and communality.
  
   The debate between them was a debate about the very essence of Russian identity: Should we be part of Europe or remain the "Third Rome," the guardian of true faith?
  
F.A. Zelenogorsky and P.E. Leikfeld: Classical Scholars, Fichteans, and Schellingians in the History of Kharkiv National University

   Fyodor Alexandrovich Zelenogorsky (1843-1918) and Pavel Emilevich Leikfeld (1863-1920) were outstanding representatives of Russian philosophical thought in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Their works significantly influenced the development of classical studies and university philosophy at Kharkiv National University (KhNU). Both thinkers drew on the traditions of German idealism, particularly Fichteanism and Schellingianism, which allowed them to develop an original approach to the study of ancient philosophy and its reception in the European intellectual tradition [Abashnik 2012: 69-70 & Abashnik 2023: 71-74].
   Zelenogorsky and Leikfeld developed the ideas of J.G. Fichte, emphasizing the role of the subject in cognition, and F.W.J. Schelling, whose philosophy of nature and doctrine of the identity of spirit and nature greatly influenced their methodology. In particular, Zelenogorsky, in his works, highlighted the dialectical interconnection between ancient and modern philosophy, examining it through the lens of Schelling"s concept of absolute identity. Leikfeld, in turn, focused on Fichtean activism, applying it to the analysis of Platonic and Aristotelian traditions [Abashnik 2014: 80-120].
   The activities of Zelenogorsky and Leikfeld were closely tied to Kharkiv University, where they contributed to the development of philosophical education. Zelenogorsky, as a professor, introduced courses on the history of ancient philosophy into the curriculum, while Leikfeld fostered the traditions of classical idealism through seminars on German philosophy [Zelenogorsky 1902]. Their efforts laid the foundation for further studies in classical scholarship at KhNU, as reflected in the works of their students.
   Russian philosophy is an eternal dialogue between faith and reason, between the pursuit of freedom and the thirst for order. Its lesson is that truth cannot be imposed from above-it is born in debates, suffering, and the search.
In Fine

   The history of Russian thought is not a linear progression but a complex, often painful process of synthesizing opposites.
   Russian thinkers, even when engaging with Western ideas, never became their blind imitators. Zelenogorsky and Leikfeld, drawing on Fichte and Schelling, demonstrated that German idealism could be reinterpreted within the context of the Russian academic tradition. Their work at Kharkiv University is an example of how foreign systems of ideas can become tools for addressing local questions [Abashnik 2018].
   Classical studies, to which they dedicated themselves, became a bridge between antiquity and modernity. Plato and Aristotle, read through the prism of Schellingianism, spoke in a language understandable to the Russian intelligentsia. This was not mechanical borrowing but creative assimilation a process in which foreign wisdom acquired new meanings.
  
   Russian philosophy has always balanced between two poles:
  
  
   Reason, demanding systematicity and clarity, as with the Westernizers.
   Faith, seeking depth and wholeness, as with the Slavophiles.
   But truth, as history has shown, is born not in extremes but in dialogue. Even the most radical debates-between materialists and idealists, nihilists and conservatives-enriched rather than destroyed Russian thought.
  
Conclusions:

   1. Russian thought developed through the synthesis of opposites: faith and reason, tradition and innovation, Eastern mysticism and Western rationalism. This is not a conflict but a fruitful dialogue that enriches the national intellectual tradition.
   2. Even when engaging with European philosophical systems (Fichte, Schelling, Hegel), Russian thinkers, including F.A. Zelenogorsky and P.E. Leikfeld, adapted them to the local context, creating original synthetic models.
   3. The work of Zelenogorsky and Leikfeld at Kharkiv University laid the foundation for the systematic study of ancient philosophy through the lens of German idealism, influencing the development of humanities education in Russia.
   4. The Russian philosophical tradition is not an abstract theory but a response to historical challenges: from religious schisms to social transformations. Its strength lies in its ability to combine metaphysical depth with practical orientation.
References

  
   Abashnik V. A. Philosophical Activity of P. E. Leikfeld / Vladimir Alekseevich Abashnik // Grani (Dnipropetrovsk). - 2012. - No. 8(88). - Pp. 69-72.
   Abashnik V. A. (2014). Kharkiv University Philosophy (1804-1920). Vol. I. Kharkiv.
   Abashnik, V. A. (2018). German Idealism and Russian Philosophy. Kharkiv: V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. https://philosophy.karazin.ua/ua/kafedra/staff_tpf/visnyk/conf_nimetskyi_idealizm.pdf
   Abashnik, V. (2023). PAVLO LEIKFELD (1859-1930) AND THE INDUCTIVE PHILOSOPHY OF WILLIAM WHEWELL (1794-1866). Bulletin of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series "Philosophy. Philosophical Peripeteias", (69), 71-81. https://doi.org/10.26565/2226-0994-2023-69-9
   Zelenogorsky, Fedor Alexandrovich. On Teaching Philosophy at the University / F.A. Zelenogorsky. - Kharkiv: Typography of the Provincial Administration, 1902. - 8 p. - Separate reprints from the journal "Peaceful Labor," No. 2. https://escriptorium.karazin.ua/items/8b049ef7-568b-44c1-9270-199667d8543f
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