On the way to the Kingdom of Reason: Irrational Rationality of the Early Soviet Period

Authors

  • Olga F. Rusakova Dr. Habil. In Political Sciences, Professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Law, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 16, Kovalevsky Str., Yekaterinburg, 620108, Russia Author
  • Vasiliy M. Rusakov Dr. Habil. Philosophy, Professor at Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, 51, Lenin Av., Yekaterinburg, 620000, Russia Author
  • Yan Yu. Moiseenko Junior Researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Law, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 16, Kovalevsky Str., Yekaterinburg, 620108, Russia Author

Keywords:

Early Soviet period, Enlightenment rationalism, mass consciousness, irrational, rational.

Abstract

The authors take a deep dive into the correlation between rational and irrational in both Enlightenment
philosophy and classical Marxism, which is embodied in Russia in the form of Marxism-Leninism. The cult of Rationalism
prevailed during the first years of Soviet power, which was expressed in V.I. Lenin’s academic works and was
implemented into political practice. However, the established rationality resulted in the Mythology of Reason and
mystification of science, which, like magic, “is capable of everything”. This kind of rationalism penetrated deeply into
different forms of mass consciousness and gave birth to the irrational Kingdom of Reason, based on which all spheres of
life within Soviet society were supposed to be transformed.

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Published

2024-02-14

Issue

Vol. 3 (2024)

Section

Articles