XIX-wieczny okcydentalizm rosyjski – próba wskazania elementów konstytutywnych

The purpose of the present article is a concise presentation one of the XIX-century Russian political thought’s aspect called Occidentalism (from late latin – occidentalis that is „the Western”; russian – zapadniczestwo from zapad that is „the West”). Radical opposition of the East (Orient) and the West (Occident) is immemorial and complexed phenomenon. Skipping the strict geographical meaning, we can encounter using these notions also as synonyms of separate civilization-cultural, economic, social, political circles or as special determinants of different stages or the phase of development. Conventionality as well as relativity of both terms was conditioned by factors of temporal-spatial nature; moreover, setting against the so-called Eastern formation (Asiatic) and Western (European) one shaped different ideological structures, current historical consciousness, extensive historiosophical systems, and even culture-creating processes or forms of art. Relations between Russia and Western civilization describes division proposed by Samuel P. Huntington, consisting of four stages: 1. from old-russian state’s rise (the Kiev Russia) to the reign of Peter I The Great; 2. from „reformer tzar’s” death to the Bolshevik revolution in year 1917; 3. communist dictatorship to the fall of the Soviet Union; 4. very complicated situation of Russia in 90’s, „state on cross-roads, looking once westwards – once eastwards”. One should take into consideration fact, that modernization in history of Russia showed definite features (Russian modernization syndrome). External confrontation bringing negative results forced this country to internal reforms. The policy’s primacy over the whole of social life was effective with from above modernizations (autocratic modernization or reforms from throne). Untill the communist revolution 1917 only imitating models of modernization were realized and selectivity of undertaken workings distinguished them. The Russian Occidentalism appeared in public sphere on breakthrough of 30’s and 40’s XIX century and was present there till 50’s that age, stepping out in three variants: religious, liberal, radical-democratic. Conducted analysis concerns its following elements: 1. reason (its limitations) together with critical relation to enlightening rationalism; 2. historio- sophical and religious questions; 3. past as well as the future of Russia; 4. role of people and people’s culture; 5. opinion of capitalism. In the face of Russian revolutionary movement’s progresses we had to do with a new situation. The dynamics of dispute between Russian Occidentalism and its main antagonist – Russian Slavophile, which in a later period transformed into Panslavism – underwent the successive weakness.