Dark Enlightenment and Romantic Reaction in Russia

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

This roundtable explores the concept of the Dark Enlightenment within Russian intellectual discourse. The Dark Enlightenment is a philosophical and political movement that advocates for a reactionary revolution, seeking to reintegrate metaphysical and sacred dimensions into political thought. In the Russian context, this movement is deeply rooted in longstanding intellectual traditions of organicism and the preservation of the sacred within the political sphere. The roundtable will debate on the role of key Russian thinkers who have engaged with Enlightenment ideas through the lens of Russian eschatology such as the Russian-French philosopher Alexandre Kojève, and more contemporary interpretations of the Dark Enlightenment that emerged from the Soviet underground and the subcultures of 1990s Russia. Through this analysis, the session aims to assess the rise of the Dark Enlightenment in Russian political culture and its broader implications both domestically and internationally.

Sub Unit

• Religion, Philosophy

Chair

• Charlie Smith, U of Illinois at Chicago

Roundtable Speakers

• Fabrizio Fenghi, Brown U

• Isabel Jacobs, Czech Academy of Sciences (Czech Republic)

• Charlie Smith, U of Illinois at Chicago

• Trevor Wilson, UNC at Chapel Hill

• Alexandre Zaezjev, McGill U (Canada)