Alexander Herzen
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Alexander Ivanovich Herzen (russian: Алекса́ндр Ива́нович Ге́рцен, translit=Alexándr Ivánovich Gértsen; ) was a Russian writer and thinker known as the "father of Russian
socialism Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
" and one of the main fathers of agrarian populism (being an ideological ancestor of the
Narodniki The Narodniks (russian: народники, ) were a politically conscious movement of the Russian intelligentsia in the 1860s and 1870s, some of whom became involved in revolutionary agitation against tsarism. Their ideology, known as Narodism ...
,
Socialist-Revolutionaries The Socialist Revolutionary Party, or the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries (the SRs, , or Esers, russian: эсеры, translit=esery, label=none; russian: Партия социалистов-революционеров, ), was a major politi ...
,
Trudoviks The Trudoviks (russian: Трудова́я гру́ппа, translit=Trudovaya gruppa, lit=Labour Group) were a social-democratic political party of Russia in early 20th century. History The Trudoviks were a breakaway of the Socialist Revolut ...
and the agrarian American Populist Party). With his writings, many composed while exiled in London, he attempted to influence the situation in Russia, contributing to a political climate that led to the
emancipation of the serfs Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...
in 1861. He published the important
social novel The social novel, also known as the social problem (or social protest) novel, is a "work of fiction in which a prevailing social problem, such as gender, race, or class prejudice, is dramatized through its effect on the characters of a novel". Mor ...
'' Who is to Blame?'' (1845–46). His autobiography, '' My Past and Thoughts'' (written 1852–1870), is often considered one of the best examples of that genre in
Russian literature Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia and its émigrés and to Russian language, Russian-language literature. The roots of Russian literature can be traced to the Middle Ages, when epics and chronicles in Old East Slavic were c ...
.


Life

Herzen (or Gertsen) was born out of wedlock to a rich Russian landowner, Ivan Yakovlev, and Henriette Wilhelmina Luisa Haag from
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
. Yakovlev supposedly gave his son the surname Herzen because he was a "child of his heart" (German ''Herz''). He was first cousin to Count
Sergei Lvovich Levitsky Count Sergei Lvovich Levitsky (russian: Серге́й Льво́вич Львов-Леви́цкий; 17 August 1819 – 22 June 1898), is considered one of the patriarchs of Russian Empire photography and one of Europe's most important early ph ...
, considered the patriarch of Russian photography and one of Europe's most important early photographic pioneers, inventors and innovators. In 1860, Levitsky would immortalize Herzen in a famous photograph. Herzen was born in Moscow, shortly before
Napoleon's invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...
and brief occupation of the city. His father, after a personal interview with
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, was allowed to leave Moscow after agreeing to bear a letter from the French to the Russian emperor in St. Petersburg. His family accompanied him to the Russian lines. A year later, the family returned to Moscow and stayed there till after Herzen had completed his studies at Moscow University. In 1834, Herzen and his lifelong friend
Nikolay Ogarev Nikolay Platonovich Ogarev (Ogaryov; ; – ) was a Russian poet, historian and political activist. He was deeply critical of the limitations of the Emancipation reform of 1861 claiming that the serfs were not free but had simply exchanged one f ...
were arrested and tried for attending a festival where verses by Sokolovsky, that were uncomplimentary to the tsar, were sung. He was found guilty, and in 1835 banished to Vyatka, now Kirov, in north-eastern European Russia. He remained there until 1837, when the tsar's son, Grand Duke Alexander (who later became become tsar Alexander II), accompanied by the poet Zhukovsky, visited the city and intervened on his behalf. Herzen was allowed to leave Vyatka for
Vladimir Vladimir may refer to: Names * Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name * Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name * Volodymyr for the Ukr ...
, where he was appointed editor of the city's official gazette. In 1837, he eloped with his cousin Natalya Zakharina, secretly marrying her. In 1839 he was set free and returned to Moscow in 1840, where he met literary critic
Vissarion Belinsky Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky ( rus, Виссарион Григорьевич БелинскийIn Belinsky's day, his name was written ., Vissarión Grigórʹjevič Belínskij, vʲɪsərʲɪˈon ɡrʲɪˈɡorʲjɪvʲɪdʑ bʲɪˈlʲinskʲ ...
, who was strongly influenced by him. Upon arrival, he was appointed as secretary to Count
Alexander Stroganov Alexander Grigoriyevich Stroganov (russian: Алекса́ндр Григо́рьевич Стро́ганов; 31 December 1795 – 14 August 1891) was Russia's minister of the interior from 1839 to 1841 and then a member of the State Council f ...
in the ministry of the interior at
St Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
; but due to complaining about a death caused by a police officer, was sent to
Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ol ...
where he was a state councillor until 1842. In 1846, his father died, leaving him a large inheritance. In 1847, Herzen emigrated with his wife, mother and children, to Italy never to return to Russia. From Italy, on hearing of the
revolution of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europe ...
, he hastened to Paris and then to
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. He supported the
revolutions of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...
, but was bitterly disillusioned with European socialist movements after their failure. Herzen gained his reputation as a political writer. His assets in Russia were frozen due to his emigration, but
Baron Rothschild Baron Rothschild, of Tring in the County of Hertfordshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1885 for Sir Nathan Rothschild, 2nd Baronet, a member of the Rothschild banking family. He was the first Jewish mem ...
, with whom his family had a business relationship, negotiated the release of the assets, which were nominally transferred to Rothschild. Herzen and his wife Natalia had four children together. His mother and one of his sons died in a shipwreck in 1851. His wife carried on an affair with the German poet
Georg Herwegh Georg Friedrich Rudolph Theodor Herwegh (31 May 1817 – 7 April 1875) was a German poet,Herwegh, Georg, The Columbia Encyclopedia (2008) who is considered part of the Young Germany movement. Biography He was born in Stuttgart on 31 May 1817, ...
and died from
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
in 1852. That same year, Herzen left Geneva for London, where he settled for many years. He hired
Malwida von Meysenbug Malwida von Meysenbug (28 October 1816 — 23 April 1903) was a German writer, her work including ''Memories of an Idealist'', the first volume of which she published anonymously in 1869. As well, she was a friend of Friedrich Nietzsche and Richa ...
to educate his daughters. With the publications of his
Free Russian Press The Free Russian Press (russian: Вольная русская типография, also: Вольная русская книгопечатня) was a printing company and a publishing house launched in 1853 in London by Alexander Hertzen with a ...
, which he founded in London in 1853, he tried to influence the situation in Russia and improve the situation of the Russian peasantry he idolized. In 1856 he was joined in London by his old friend
Nikolay Ogarev Nikolay Platonovich Ogarev (Ogaryov; ; – ) was a Russian poet, historian and political activist. He was deeply critical of the limitations of the Emancipation reform of 1861 claiming that the serfs were not free but had simply exchanged one f ...
. They worked together on their Russian periodical ''Kolokol'' ("''Bell''"). Soon Herzen began an affair with Ogarev's wife Natalia Tuchkova, daughter of the war hero general Tuchkov. Tuchkova bore Herzen three more children. Ogarev found a new wife and the friendship between Herzen and Ogarev survived. Herzen spent time in London organising with the
International Workingmen's Association The International Workingmen's Association (IWA), often called the First International (1864–1876), was an international organisation which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, communist and anarchist groups and trad ...
, becoming well acquainted with revolutionary circles including the likes of
Bakunin Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (; 1814–1876) was a Russian revolutionary anarchist, socialist and founder of collectivist anarchism. He is considered among the most influential figures of anarchism and a major founder of the revolutionary ...
and
Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...
. It was during his time in London that Herzen began to make a name for himself for "scandal-mongering" when he told Bakunin, freshly arrived after having escaped imprisonment in Siberia, that Marx had accused him of being a Russian agent; in reality, the two were on very good terms. In 1864, Herzen returned to Geneva and, after some time, went to Paris where he died in 1870 of tuberculosis complications. Originally buried in Paris, his remains were taken to Nice a month later.


Political positions

Herzen promoted the ideas of Westernizer
Vissarion Belinsky Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky ( rus, Виссарион Григорьевич БелинскийIn Belinsky's day, his name was written ., Vissarión Grigórʹjevič Belínskij, vʲɪsərʲɪˈon ɡrʲɪˈɡorʲjɪvʲɪdʑ bʲɪˈlʲinskʲ ...
after his death in 1848. He was influenced by
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...
, Schiller, Saint-Simon,
Proudhon Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (, , ; 15 January 1809, Besançon – 19 January 1865, Paris) was a French socialist,Landauer, Carl; Landauer, Hilde Stein; Valkenier, Elizabeth Kridl (1979) 959 "The Three Anticapitalistic Movements". ''European Soci ...
, and especially
Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends a ...
and
Feuerbach Ludwig Andreas von Feuerbach (; 28 July 1804 – 13 September 1872) was a German anthropologist and philosopher, best known for his book '' The Essence of Christianity'', which provided a critique of Christianity that strongly influenced ge ...
. Herzen started as a liberal but increasingly adopted socialism. He left Russia permanently in 1847, but his newsletter ''Kolokol '' published in London from 1857 to 1867, was widely read. Herzen combined key ideas of the French Revolution and German idealism. He disliked bourgeois or middle-class values, and sought authenticity among the peasantry. He fought for the emancipation of the Russian serfs, and after that took place in 1861 he escalated his demands regarding constitutional rights, common ownership of land, and government by the people. Herzen was disillusioned with the
Revolutions of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...
but not disillusioned with revolutionary thought. He became critical of those 1848 revolutionaries who were "so revolted by the Reaction after 1848, so exasperated by everything European, that they hastened on to Kansas or California". Herzen had always admired the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
and broadly adopted its values. In his early writings, he viewed the French Revolution as the end of history, the final stage in social development of a society based on humanism and harmony. Throughout his early life, Herzen saw himself as a revolutionary radical called to fight the political oppression of
Nicholas I of Russia Nicholas I , group=pron ( – ) was List of Russian rulers, Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. He was the third son of Paul I of Russia, Paul I and younger brother of his predecessor, Alexander I ...
. Essentially, Herzen fought against the ruling elites in Europe, against Christian hypocrisy and for individual freedom and self-expression. He promoted both socialism and
individualism Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and to value independence and self-reli ...
and argued that the full flowering of the individual could best be realized in a socialist order. However, he would always reject grand narratives such as a predestined position for a society to arrive at and his writings in exile promoted small-scale communal living with the protection of individual liberty by a non-interventionist government.


Writings

His literary career began in 1842 with the publication of an essay, in Russian, on ''Dilettantism in Science'', under the pseudonym of Iskander, the Turkish form of his Christian name. His second work, also in Russian, was his ''Letters on the Study of Nature'' (1845–46). In 1847 appeared his novel '' Who is to Blame?'' This is a story about how the domestic happiness of a young tutor, who marries the unacknowledged daughter of a Russian sensualist of the old type, dull, ignorant and genial, is troubled by a Russian sensualist of the new school, intelligent, accomplished, and callous, with there being no possibility of saying who is most to blame for the tragic ending. Also in 1847 were published in Russian periodicals the stories which were afterwards collected and printed in London in 1854, under the title of ''Prervannye Razskazy'' (''Interrupted Tales''). In 1850 two works appeared, translated from the Russian manuscripts, ''From Another Shore'' and ''Lettres de France et d'Italie''. In French also appeared his essay ''Du Developpement des idées revolutionnaires en Russie'', and his ''Memoirs'', which, after being printed in Russian, were translated under the title of ''Le Monde russe et la Révolution'' (3 vols., 1860–1862), and were in part translated into English as ''My Exile to Siberia'' (2 vols., 1855).


Works

* ''Legend'' (Легенда, 1836)Alexander Herzen
at
Lib.ru Lib.ru, also known as Maksim Moshkow's Library (russian: link=no, библиотека Максима Мошкова, started to operate in November 1994) is the oldest electronic library in the Russian Internet segment. Founded and supported ...
* ''Elena'' (Елена, 1838) * ''Notes of a Young Man'' (1840) * ''Diletantism in Science'' (1843) * '' Who is to Blame?'' (Кто виноват?, 1846) * ''Mimoezdom'' (Мимоездом, 1846) * ''Dr. Krupov'' (Доктор Крупов, 1847) * ''Thieving Magpie'' (Сорока-воровка, 1848) * ''The Russian People and Socialism'' (Русский народ и социализм, 1848) * ''From the Other Shore'' (1848–1850) * ''Letters from France and Italy'' (1852) * ''Selected Philosophical Works'' 1956 * '' My Past and Thoughts'': The Memoirs of Alexander Herzen


Free Russian Press

Having founded in London in 1853 his
Free Russian Press The Free Russian Press (russian: Вольная русская типография, also: Вольная русская книгопечатня) was a printing company and a publishing house launched in 1853 in London by Alexander Hertzen with a ...
, the fortunes of which he gave an interesting account in a book published (in Russian) in 1863, he published a large number of Russian works, all against the system of government prevailing in Russia. Some of these were essays, such as his ''Baptized Property'' (1853), an attack on
serfdom Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which develop ...
; others were periodical publications, the ''Polyarnaya Zvyezda'' (or ''Polar Star''), the '' Kolokol'' (or ''Bell''), and the ''Golosa iz Rossii'' (or ''Voices from Russia''). As the first independent Russian political publisher, Herzen began publishing ''The Polar Star'', a review which appeared infrequently and was later joined by ''The Bell'', a journal issued between 1857 and 1867 at Herzen's personal expense. Both publications acquired great influence via an illegal circulation in Russian territory; it was said the Emperor himself read them. Both publications gave Herzen influence in Russia reporting from a
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
perspective about the incompetence of the
Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
and the Russian
bureaucracy The term bureaucracy () refers to a body of non-elected governing officials as well as to an administrative policy-making group. Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments staffed with non-elected offi ...
. For its first three years, the Russian Free Press went on printing without selling a single copy and scarcely able to get a single copy into Russia; so when at last a bookseller bought 10 shillings worth of ''Baptized Property'', the half-sovereign was set aside by the surprised editors in a special place of honor. The death of emperor
Nicholas Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglicanism, Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the n ...
in 1855 led to a complete change. Herzen's writings, and the magazines he edited, were smuggled wholesale into Russia, and their words resounded throughout the country, and all over Europe. Their influence grew. The year 1855 gave Herzen reason to be optimistic; Alexander II had ascended the throne and reforms seemed possible. Herzen urged the Tsarist regime 'Onward, onward' towards reform in ''The Polar Star'' in 1856. Writing in 1857 Herzen became excited by the possibility of social change under Alexander II, "A new life is unmistakably boiling up in Russia, even the government is being carried away by it". ''The Bell'' broke the story that the government was considering serf emancipation in July 1857, adding that the government lacked the ability to resolve the issue. Yet by 1858, full serf emancipation had not been achieved and Herzen grew impatient with reform. By May 1858 ''The Bell'' restarted its campaign for the comprehensive emancipation of the serfs. Once the
Emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia The emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia, also known as the Edict of Emancipation of Russia, (russian: Крестьянская реформа 1861 года, translit=Krestyanskaya reforma 1861 goda – "peasants' reform of 1861") was the first ...
was achieved, ''The Bells campaign changed to 'Liberty and Land', a program that tried to achieve further social change in support of serf rights. Alexander II granted serfs their freedom, the law courts were remodelled, trial by jury was established, and liberty was, to a great extent, conceded to the press.


Contemporary reputation

Herzen drew criticism from both liberals who opposed violence and from radicals who thought Herzen was too soft. Liberals led by
Boris Chicherin Boris Nikolayevich Chicherin (russian: Бори́с Никола́евич Чиче́рин) ( 1828 – 1904) was a Russian jurist and political philosopher, who worked out a theory that Russia needed a strong, authoritative government to perseve ...
and
Konstantin Kavelin Konstantin Dmitrievich Kavelin (russian: Константи́н Дми́триевич Каве́лин; November 4, 1818 – May 5, 1885) was a Russian historian, jurist, and sociologist, sometimes called the chief architect of early Russian libe ...
believed individual freedom would be achieved through the rationalisation of social relations. Their statist variety of liberalism was opposed by Herzen as it supposed that Russian society would evolve to an ideal state based on a
Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends a ...
ian view of reason. They believed the revolutionaries would merely postpone the establishment of the ideal state, while Herzen thought that, on the contrary, they were blind to historical reality. Russian radicals disliked Herzen as too moderate. Radicals such as
Nikolai Chernyshevsky Nikolay Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky ( – ) was a Russian literary and social critic, journalist, novelist, democrat, and socialist philosopher, often identified as a utopian socialist and leading theoretician of Russian nihilism. He was ...
and
Nikolay Dobrolyubov Nikolay Alexandrovich Dobrolyubov ( rus, Никола́й Алекса́ндрович Добролю́бов, p=nʲɪkɐˈlaj ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ dəbrɐˈlʲubəf, a=Nikolay Alyeksandrovich Dobrolyubov.ru.vorb.oga; 5 February Old_Style_a ...
wanted more commitment to violent revolution and the withdrawal of any hope in the reformist
Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
. Radicals asked Herzen to use ''The Bell'' as a mouthpiece for violent radical revolution, but Herzen rejected these requests. He argued that the Russian Radicals were not united and strong enough to create successful political change, stating, "You want happiness, I suppose? I dare say you do! Happiness has to be conquered. If you are strong, take it. If you are weak, hold your tongue". Herzen feared a new revolutionary government would merely replace the dictatorship with another dictatorship. The radicals describe Herzen as a liberal for not wanting immediate change, but Herzen rejects their pleas arguing for change at a pace that will ensure success. Herzen briefly joined with other Russian liberals such as Kavelin to promote the peasant 'awakening' in Russia. Herzen continued to use ''The Bell'' as an outlet to promote unity with all sections of the Russian society behind a demand for a national
parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. However his hopes of acting as a uniting force were ended by the
January Uprising The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...
of 1863/1864, when the liberal support for Tsarist revenge against the Poles ended Herzen's link with them; Herzen had pleaded the insurgents' cause. This breach resulted in a declining readership for ''The Bell'', which ceased publication in 1867. By his death in 1870, Herzen was almost forgotten.


Influence in the 19th and 20th century

Herzen opposed the aristocracy that ruled 19th century Russia and supported an agrarian collectivist model of
social structure In the social sciences, social structure is the aggregate of patterned social arrangements in society that are both emergent from and determinant of the actions of individuals. Likewise, society is believed to be grouped into structurally rel ...
. A rise in
populism Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
by 1880 led to a favourable re-evaluation of his writings. In Russia the distinctly western notion of "progress" was replaced by a conservative promise of modernization based on the incorporation of modern technology to serve the established system. The promise of modernization in the service of autocracy frightened Herzen who warned of a Russia governed by "Genghis Khan with a telegraph." Alongside
populism Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
, Herzen is also remembered for his rejection of corrupt government of any political persuasion and for his support for individual rights. A
Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends a ...
ian in his youth, this translated into no specific theory or single doctrine dominating his thought. Herzen came to believe the complex questions of society could not be answered and that Russians must live for the moment and not a cause, essentially life is an end in itself. Herzen found greater understanding by not committing himself to an extreme but rather lived impartially enabling him to equally criticise competing ideologies. Herzen believed that grand doctrines ultimately result in enslavement, sacrifice and tyranny.
Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
declared that he had never met another man "with so rare a combination of scintillating brilliance and depth". Herzen was a hero of the 20th-century philosopher Isaiah Berlin. The words of Herzen that Berlin repeated most insistently were those condemning the sacrifice of human beings on the altar of abstractions, the subordination of the realities of individual happiness or unhappiness in the present to glorious dreams of the future. Berlin, like Herzen, believed that "the end of life is life itself" and that each life and each age should be regarded as its own end and not as a means to some future goal. Berlin called Herzen's autobiography "one of the great monuments to Russian literary and psychological genius, worthy to stand beside the great novels of ...
Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 (Old Style dat ...
and
Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
." ''Russian Thinkers'' (The Hogarth Press, 1978), a collection of Berlin's essays in which Herzen features, was the inspiration for
Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...
's ''
The Coast of Utopia ''The Coast of Utopia'' is a 2002 trilogy of plays: ''Voyage'', ''Shipwreck'', and ''Salvage'', written by Tom Stoppard with focus on the philosophical debates in pre-revolution Russia between 1833 and 1866. It was the recipient of the 2007 Ton ...
'', a trilogy of plays performed at London's National Theatre in 2002 and at New York's Lincoln Center in 2006–2007. Set against the background of the early development of Russian socialist thought, the
Revolutions of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...
and later exile, the plays examine the lives and intellectual development of, among other Russians, the
anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...
Mikhail Bakunin Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (; 1814–1876) was a Russian revolutionary anarchist, socialist and founder of collectivist anarchism. He is considered among the most influential figures of anarchism and a major founder of the revolutionary ...
, the
literary critic Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...
Vissarion Belinsky Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky ( rus, Виссарион Григорьевич БелинскийIn Belinsky's day, his name was written ., Vissarión Grigórʹjevič Belínskij, vʲɪsərʲɪˈon ɡrʲɪˈɡorʲjɪvʲɪdʑ bʲɪˈlʲinskʲ ...
, the novelist
Ivan Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 (Old Style dat ...
and Herzen, whose character dominates the plays.


See also

*
Malwida von Meysenbug Malwida von Meysenbug (28 October 1816 — 23 April 1903) was a German writer, her work including ''Memories of an Idealist'', the first volume of which she published anonymously in 1869. As well, she was a friend of Friedrich Nietzsche and Richa ...
* Pluralism


Trivia

Herzen is the lead character in
Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...
's 2002 trilogy of plays ''
The Coast of Utopia ''The Coast of Utopia'' is a 2002 trilogy of plays: ''Voyage'', ''Shipwreck'', and ''Salvage'', written by Tom Stoppard with focus on the philosophical debates in pre-revolution Russia between 1833 and 1866. It was the recipient of the 2007 Ton ...
.''


Notes


Further reading

* Acton, Edward. ''Alexander Herzen And the Role of the Intellectual Revolutionary,'' Cambridge University Press, 1979. * Carr, E.H. ''The Romantic Exiles: A Nineteenth-Century Portrait Gallery'', Victor Gollancz, 1933; Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1933. * Coates, Ruth. "The Early Intellectual Careers of Bakhtin and Herzen: Towards a Philosophy of the Act," ''Studies in East European Thought,'' Vol. 52, No. 4, Dec., 2000. * Eckardt, Julius
''Modern Russia,''
Smith, Elder & Co., 1870. * Gavin, W. J. "Herzen and James: Freedom as Radical," ''Studies in Soviet Thought,'' Vol. 14, No. 3/4, Sep./Dec., 1974. * Grenier, Svetlana. "Herzen's Who Is to Blame?: The Rhetoric of the New Morality," ''The Slavic and East European Journal,'' Vol. 39, No. 1, Spring, 1995. * Iskander, Fasil. ''Alexandre Herzen (1812–1870): Russe de coeur, Europeen d'esprit, Suisse d'adoption. L'errance d'un temoin prophetique,'' Meandre Editions, Fribourg 1997, * Kelly, Aileen. "The Destruction of Idols: Alexander Herzen and Francis Bacon," ''Journal of the History of Ideas,'' Vol. 41, No. 4, Oct./Dec., 1980. * Kelly, Aileen M. ''The Discovery of Chance: The Life and Thought of Alexander Herzen,'' Harvard University Press, 2016, . * Malia, Martin Edward. ''Alexander Herzen and the Birth of Russian Socialism,'' Grosset & Dunlap, 1965. * Morson, Gary Saul. "Herzen: The Hero of Skeptical Idealism" (review of Aileen M. Kelly, ''The Discovery of Chance: The Life and Thought of Alexander Herzen'', Harvard University Press, 592 pp., $39.95), ''
The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...
'', vol. LXIII, no. 18 (November 24, 2016), pp. 45–46, 48. * Orlova-Kopeleva, Raisa: ''Als die Glocke verstummte. Alexander Herzens letztes Lebensjahr,'' Karin Kramer Verlag, Berlin 1988, * Palmieri, F. Aurelio
“The Earliest Theorists of the Russian Revolution,”
''The Catholic World'', Vol. CVIII, October 1918/March 1919. * Partridge, Monica. "Alexander Herzen and the English Press," ''The Slavonic and East European Review,'' Vol. 36, No. 87, Jun., 1958. * Partridge, Monica. "Alexander Herzen: collected studies", UNESCO, 1993 * Rzhevsky, Nicholas. "The Shape of Chaos: Herzen and War and Peace," ''Russian Review,'' Vol. 34, No. 4, Oct., 1975. * Smith-Peter, Susan. ''Imagining Russian Regions: Subnational Identity and Civil Society in Nineteenth-Century Russia.'' Brill, 2018. * Weidemeier, William Cannon. "Herzen and Nietzsche: A Link in the Rise of Modern Pessimism," ''Russian Review,'' Vol. 36, No. 4, Oct., 1977. *


External links

*
Tom Stoppard's article on Herzen in the London ObserverALEXANDER II AND HIS TIMES: A Narrative History of Russia in the Age of Alexander II, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky (with several chapters on Herzen)Herzen : The revolutionist by Keith Gessen (The New Yorker)Alexander Herzen and Russian (spiritual) Landscape
(in Japanese) * Archive o
Aleksandr Ivanovič Gercen Papers
at the
International Institute of Social History The International Institute of Social History (IISH/IISG) is one of the largest archives of labor and social history in the world. Located in Amsterdam, its one million volumes and 2,300 archival collections include the papers of major figu ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Herzen, Alexander 1812 births 1870 deaths Writers from Moscow People from Moskovsky Uyezd People from the Russian Empire of German descent 19th-century philosophers 19th-century novelists from the Russian Empire 19th-century philosophers from the Russian Empire 19th-century writers from the Russian Empire Cultural critics Memoirists from the Russian Empire Philosophers of economics Philosophers of social science Political philosophers Agnostics from the Russian Empire Philosophers from the Russian Empire Russian social commentators Social critics Social philosophers Moscow State University alumni