The issues of methodology of science in the Russian philosophy of the 19th–20th centuries

Abstract

In this article, an attempt is made to fill a large gap in social and philosophical studies and break developed stereotypes about unrealistic and limited views of Russian Narodnik philosophers. Besides, it contributes to the overcoming of an obsolete view on the heritage of the Russian philosophical and sociological thought. The thoughts of the Russian scientist N.I. Kareev are of a certain interest in revealing this topic. In his works, he held numerous interdisciplinary discussions with Russian and Western philosophers. The crucial issues in the system of Kareev’s social and philosophic conception are these of methodology of science, including the role of philosophy of history in the system of historic knowledge and subjective synthesis as an essential component of scientific cognition. Kareev treated methodological synthesis of sciences as a necessary process for the scientific cognition of history. This synthesis manifested itself in creating classification of sciences and establishing the system of historical knowledge. Kareev attributes a special role to the philosophy of history in methodological synthesis, which distinguishes his discourse from the discourse of Western philosophers.

Keywords: historica, historiosophy, methodology of science, philosophy of history, theory of historical process, Nikolay I. Kareev, August Komte