Anton Prakapčuk. The invention of Belarusian idealism: philosophical and historical views of Maksim Bahdanovič

The paper studies Maksim Bahdanovič’s views on philosophy of history within the intellectual context of his time. It argues that poet’s literary criticism and historical essays consistently rely on a coherent set of arguments. He sees nation as a linguistic community bound by traditions of artistic creativity, from which gradually arise specifically national forms of law and political sovereignty. Humanity in general, he thinks, historically moves from cultural unity and homogeneity on vast territories towards the multitude of independent and relatively smaller national cultures. Modern European history is seen as subject to cultural and political tendencies initiated by Renaissance. Although his theory is clearly progressist, Bahdanovič abides by idealistic principles and understands history as a contingent sphere of free human action and creativity. He also shows moderate adherence to historicism in treating cultures and epochs as unique, individual, and shaped by their specific conditions. Finally, his theory is classicist, and thus not romantic, since it regards the artistic principles of Antiquity and Renaissance as universally valuable standards of popular culture. Overall Bahdanovič’s views can be characterized as ‘historical humanism’ and appear to be close in spirit to the Neuhumanismus movement of 18-19^th centuries, specifically to Friedrich Schiller’s concept of aesthetic education. Furthermore, the paper traces Bahdanovič’s intellectual roots and possible influences back to his classical and juristic education, the sociology of Russian Narodnik Nikolay Mikhaylovsky, the writings on Slavic nationalism by Aleksandr Gradovsky, and the ideas of Giuseppe Mazzini.