Who are nihilists: description, beliefs and examples of famous personalities. Essay on the topic Nihilism and nihilists in the novel I

The image of Bazarov continues the tradition of depicting “extra people” started by Pushkin at the beginning of the 19th century. Onegin, Pechorin, Oblomov are smart, educated people who have their own point of view, but do not know how to practically apply their knowledge. They are outstanding representatives of their time, reflecting the political and social changes taking place in society. Bazarov is one of them, a “new man”, a rebel, a commoner, who set as his task “first... to clear the place”, and “build” later.

The prototype of the main character was a young provincial doctor who amazed the writer with his intelligence and spiritual strength.

The novel begins on May 20, 1859. A young man, Arkady Kirsanov, returns home after studying and brings with him to stay with his friend, who introduced himself as “Evgeny Vasiliev”. We soon learn that Bazarov is the son of a district doctor and a noblewoman. Not only is he not ashamed of his position in society, but he even rejects his noble roots. “The devil knows. Some kind of second major,” he says with disdain about his mother’s father.
From the very first description we see that Bazarov is smart and self-confident. He devoted his life entirely to natural sciences and medicine. The hero recognizes as truth only what can be seen and touched, and all other feelings are “nonsense” and “romanticism.” Bazarov is an ardent materialist, taking his beliefs to extremes. He rejects music, poetry, painting, art in general. In the surrounding nature, he sees only a human workshop and nothing more. “What is Bazarov?” we ask in the words of Pavel Petrovich.

It is interesting that the description of the hero’s appearance already tells us about the extraordinary nature of his nature: tall stature, a bare red arm, “a long, thin face with a wide forehead, a flat upward, pointed nose downward,” “large greenish eyes and drooping sand-colored sideburns,” face “enlivened by a calm smile and expressed self-confidence and intelligence.” You can also notice the author’s attitude towards the hero. It is not read directly, but if you compare it with how ironically Turgenev speaks about Pavel Petrovich’s appearance, you can notice some respect and sympathy for Bazarov’s unusual appearance. From this description we can draw conclusions about Bazarov: his red naked hand speaks of a lack of panache, simplicity and “plebeianism,” and the slowness, or rather, reluctance of actions creates a certain feeling of tactlessness, even ignorance.

Bazarov has special views on life: he is a nihilist, that is, “a person who does not bow to any authority, who does not accept a single principle on faith, no matter how respectful this principle may be.” Bazarov’s life credo is built on denial: “In the present time, denial is the most useful thing - we deny.”

Bazarov is shown by Turgenev as a supporter of the most “complete and merciless denial.” “We act by virtue of what we recognize as useful,” says Bazarov... “At the present time, the most useful thing is denial, we deny.” What is Bazarov denying? He himself gives a short answer to this question: “Everything.” And, first of all, what Pavel Petrovich is “terrified to say” is autocracy, serfdom and religion. Bazarov denies everything that is generated by the “ugly state of society”: popular poverty, lack of rights, darkness, patriarchal antiquity, community, family oppression, etc.

Such denial, undoubtedly, was of a revolutionary nature and was characteristic of the revolutionary democrats of the 60s. Turgenev himself understood this very well, in one of his letters about “Fathers and Sons” he said about Bazarov: “He is honest, truthful and a democrat to the end of his nails... if he is called a nihilist, then it should be read: a revolutionary.”

More than once Bazarov expresses his ideas: “a decent chemist is twenty times more useful than any poet,” “nature is nothing... Nature is not a temple, but a workshop, and a person is a worker in it,” “Raphael is not worth a penny.” This hero even denies love.
He denies the principles of the liberals, and English aristocracy, and the logic of history, and authorities, and parliamentarism, and art, and the community with mutual responsibility - in a word, everything that the liberal “fathers” believed in. He laughs at the “mysterious relationship between a man and a woman” and ranks the words: romanticism, art, nonsense, rot.
Bazarov denied the possibility of enjoying the beauty of nature, “he called love in the ideal sense, or, as he put it, romantic, nonsense, unforgivable foolishness.” However, it would be incorrect to say that Bazarov cuts from the shoulder, completely rejecting everything. Denying abstract science, Bazarov advocates concrete, applied sciences; rejecting authorities for the sake of authorities, he takes into account the opinions of “smart” people.

Turgenev could not, of course, see his positive hero in the nihilist Bazarov. But he wanted the reader to “love” Bazarov “with all his rudeness, heartlessness, ruthless dryness and harshness.” The writer did not want to give his hero unnecessary “sweetness”, to make him an “ideal”, but wanted to “make him a wolf” and still “justify him”. In Bazarov, he “rushed about a gloomy, wild, large figure, half grown out of the soil, strong, evil, honest and yet doomed to destruction, because she still stands on the threshold of the future...” That is, Turgenev believed that Bazarov’s time has not yet come, but it is thanks to such individuals that society moves forward.

The image of Bazarov was continued in the literary tradition in Chernyshevsky’s work “What is to be done?”

The word "nihilist" literally translates from Latin as "nothing." This is a person who does not recognize any authority. This term became widespread in literature and journalism in the 60s of the 19th century.

Current of social thought

In Russia, this movement gained maximum popularity after the novel by I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons". Nihilism manifested itself as the social mood of commoners who rejected established moral norms. These people refuted everything that was usual. Accordingly, a nihilist is a person who does not recognize anything. Representatives of this movement rejected religious prejudices, despotism in society, art, and literature. Nihilists advocated for a woman’s personal freedom, her equality in society, and also, to a certain extent, promoted selfishness. The program of this movement was very sketchy, and those who promoted it were too straightforward.

If we talk about nihilism as a worldview, then it cannot be called integral. A nihilist is a person who was distinguished only by his expression of rejection of the surrounding reality. The ideas of this social movement were expressed at that time by the magazine “Russian Word”.

Nihilism before Fathers and Sons

As mentioned above, the term itself became widespread after the novel “Fathers and Sons” was published. In this work, the nihilist is Evgeny Bazarov. He had followers, but more on that later. It was after the publication of the novel that the term “nihilism” spread. Before this, such ideas were called “negative trends” in magazines, and their representatives were called “whistlers.”

For opponents of the social trend, a nihilist is one who sought to destroy moral principles and promoted immoral principles.

"What is Bazarov?"

This is exactly the question P.P. asks. Kirsanov to his nephew Arkady. The words that Bazarov is a nihilist amazed brother Pavel Petrovich. For representatives of his generation, life without principles is impossible.

It is worth noting that nihilists in literature are primarily Turgenev’s heroes. The most striking, of course, is Bazarov, who had followers, Kukshina and Sitnikov.

Nihilist principles

Representatives of this movement are characterized by the main principle - the absence of any principles.

Bazarov’s ideological position is most clearly reflected in disputes with Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov.

The heroes have different attitudes towards the common people. Bazarov considers these people “dark”; Kirsanov is touched by the patriarchal nature of the peasant family.

For Evgeniy, nature is a kind of storehouse in which a person can manage. Pavel Petrovich admires her beauty.

The main nihilist in the novel “Fathers and Sons” has a negative attitude towards art. Reading literature for Bazarov is a waste of time.

Evgeniy and Pavel Petrovich are representatives of different social strata. Bazarov is a commoner. This largely explains his attitude towards the people and indifference to everything beautiful. He imagines how hard life is for those who cultivate the land. Russian nihilists, as a rule, were indeed commoners. This is probably the reason for their revolutionary mood and rejection of the social system.

Followers of Bazarov

To the question of which of the heroes was a nihilist in Fathers and Sons, one can, of course, answer that Arkady Kirsanov considered himself a student of Bazarov. Kukshina and Sitnikov also pose as his followers. However, can they be considered nihilists?

Arkady, although he tries to imitate Bazarov, has a completely different attitude towards art, nature, and his family. He only adopts Bazarov’s cold manner of communicating, speaks in a low voice and behaves casually. Arkady is a well-mannered young man. He is educated, sincere, intelligent. The younger Kirsanov grew up in a different environment; he did not have to earn money for his studies.

However, when Evgeny Bazarov falls in love with Anna Odintsova, it seems that his behavior also carried a tinge of pretense. Of course, he is much firmer than Arkady, he shares the ideas of nihilism more deeply, but at the same time, he still could not reject all values ​​in his soul. At the end of the novel, when Bazarov awaits his own death, he recognizes the power of parental love.

If we talk about Kukshina and Sitnikov, they are portrayed by Turgenev with such irony that the reader immediately understands: they should not be perceived as “serious” nihilists. Kukshina, of course, “springs up”, trying to seem different from what she really is. The author calls her a “creature,” thereby emphasizing her fussiness and stupidity.

The writer pays even less attention to Sitnikov. This hero is the son of an innkeeper. He is narrow-minded, behaves casually, probably copying Bazarov’s manner. He has a dream to make people happy, using the money earned by his father for this, which expresses a disrespectful attitude towards other people's work and towards his parents.

What did the author want to say with such an ironic attitude towards these characters? Firstly, both heroes personify the negative sides of Bazarov’s own personality. After all, he also does not show respect for established values ​​that were laid down many centuries ago. Bazarov also shows disdain for his parents, who live only by love for their only son.

The second point that the writer wanted to show is that the time of the “bazaars” has not yet come.

History of the origin of the term “nihilism”

Thanks to Turgenev, the concept of nihilism became widespread, but he did not coin this term. There is an assumption that Ivan Sergeevich borrowed it from N.I. Nadezhin, who in his publication used it to negatively characterize new literary and philosophical movements.

Nevertheless, it was after the dissemination of the novel “Fathers and Sons” that the term received socio-political overtones and began to be widely used.

It must also be said that the literal translation of this word does not convey the content of this concept. Representatives of the movement were not at all devoid of ideals. There is an assumption that the author, by creating the image of Bazarov, expresses condemnation of the revolutionary democratic movement. At the same time, Turgenev says that his novel is directed against the aristocracy.

So, the term “nihilism” was originally intended as a synonym for the word “revolution”. However, the word gained such popularity that a seminarian who preferred studying at the university and abandoned a spiritual career, or a girl who chose her husband at the behest of her heart, and not at the behest of her relatives, could consider herself a nihilist.

EAT. KONYSHEV, Ph.D. Philol. Sc., Associate Professor, Department of History of Russian Literature of the 19th-19th centuries, Oryol State University

Tel. 8-910-206-64-64

THE PROBLEM OF NIHILISM IN THE NOVEL “FATHERS AND SONS”

The article is devoted to the problem of nihilism in the novel “Fathers and Sons”. Turgenev explores various directions in the development of the idea of ​​negation. On the one hand, Bazarov is a scientist. As a theorist he belongs to the philosophy of the Enlightenment. The essence of such nihilism lies in empiricism, in the rejection of authority and the recognition of experience. On the other hand, Bazarov is an extremist. This nihilism leads not only to the denial of principles, but also to the destruction of all existing social institutions.

Key words: Turgenev, Bazarov, Dostoevsky, nihilism, denial, enlightenment.

As you know, the sixties of the nineteenth century were marked by the rapid collapse of the traditional way of Russian life. The former, customary moral norms ceased to operate with the usual degree of effectiveness, and others that replaced them had not yet acquired sufficient imperativeness. The process of personal emancipation steadily captured all layers of society. In this regard, the problem of nihilism acquires particular significance in literature. Admittedly, the first to make its artistic discovery was Turgenev. But if critics and readers did not have any particular disputes about how Chernyshevsky, Leskov, Dostoevsky and other writers treated nihilism, then with Turgenev there was no such clarity. It seems that the writer was completely sincere when he asserted: “Did I want to scold Bazarov or extol him? I don’t know this myself, because I don’t know whether I love him or hate him! There were serious reasons for such a statement. The question of what exactly Evgeny Bazarov denies is too complicated.

It is characteristic that many scenes, many judgments in the novel have exceptional ambiguity. Let us dwell on the definition that is formulated in the first chapters of the novel: “A nihilist is a person who does not bow to any authority, who does not take a single principle for granted, no matter how respectful this principle may be.” It is very significant that not a word is said here about destruction, but only a call to each of us to be independent and independent in our judgments. If such a call is perceived within the framework of everyday consciousness, then any civilized person may well agree with it. But if we are talking about Christian dogmas, then they are initially considered incomprehensible to reason, and in this sense, nihilism is completely unacceptable for a believer.

Let's look at another example. Let us recall the episode when Bazarov declares that he and his like-minded people deny everything:

How? Not only art, poetry... but also... scary to say...

That’s it,” Bazarov repeated with inexpressible calm.

It is quite possible that in this famous scene Bazarov is only expressing

his skeptical attitude towards noble culture and asserts a positive

© E.M. Konyshev

the role of science, labor, and specific practical activities. It is possible that he is not even thinking about any radical political actions. But it is possible that Bazarov is one of those extreme radicals whose sentiments were expressed in the proclamation “Young Russia”, which said: “We will be more consistent not only than the pathetic revolutionaries of 1948, but also the great terrorists of 1992, We will not be afraid if we see that in order to overthrow the modern order we will have to shed three times as much blood as was shed by the Jacobins in the 90s.”2 As we see, the socio-political meaning embedded in Bazarov’s remark can be interpreted in different ways. The same applies to its philosophical content. If we had before us a novel by Dostoevsky, then in the above scene, without any doubt, we were talking about God. Turgenev actually didn’t mean this. In a letter to Fet, he states: “You also mention parallelism; but where is he - let me ask, and where are these couples, believers and non-believers? Pavel Petrovich - does he believe or not? I don’t know this” [P., 4, 370]. And yet, the depth and ambiguity of the artistic depiction are such that one can discern in this scene the presence of its religious overtones. Pavel Petrovich is shocked, he is even afraid to say what Bazarov dares to deny. Only a believer can react to the words of a nihilist in this way.

In general, there are quite a few statements in the novel that take on a special meaning in the context of Dostoevsky’s works. Bazarov’s words about one of his followers make many people think: “We need the Sitnikovs. I, understand this, need such idiots. It’s really not for the gods to burn pots!..” It is impossible not to notice that it was Turgenev who was the first to show how the very thoughts arise that would lead Raskolnikov to the theory of dividing people into two categories, and Peter Verkhovensky to the creation of his fives.

The noted ambiguity of interpretation of nihilism in the novel “Fathers and Sons” has a special artistic significance. It seems to us that the idea of ​​nihilism, depicted in the novel “Fathers and Sons,” occupies a rather unique place in its structure to break out of the monologue novel scheme given by M.M. Bakhtin. Is the nihilistic idea just a simple artistic characteristic of Bazarov? Not only. To some extent it is possible

to say that Turgenev needs Bazarov himself to test the idea. It represents the object of the controversy waged by Turgenev; it is verified by the events described in the novel, and thereby, to some extent, organizes its plot. The author does not share this idea, but does not deny it either; he depicts it, preserving all its full significance as an idea, and in this sense, Turgenev, like Dostoevsky, can be called an “artist of the idea.” Turgenev nowhere sets out Bazarov’s ideas in a monologue form, nor does he show its psychological formation in one individual consciousness. We first become acquainted with the content of Bazarov’s idea in its retelling by Arkady Kirsanov, at the same time Nikolai Petrovich and Pavel Petrovich give their definitions of nihilism. Then it appears in the laconic but aphoristic remarks of Bazarov, all the time interrupted by provoking questions and remarks of his opponents. Finally, it is reduced to a parodic expression (“Down with the authorities!” Sitnikov shouted.”). An idea reveals its different facets, shades, and possibilities. It should also be noted that, although the novel is aimed at establishing many of those spiritual values ​​that were rejected by Bazarov, there are many pages in it on which the idea of ​​denial receives emotional support. “My whole story is directed against the nobility as an advanced class” [P., 4, 379], Turgenev himself admitted. In any case, one thing is certain: the idea of ​​nihilism lives a truly picturesque life in Fathers and Sons; throughout the novel it comes into contact with various phenomena of life, is tested, verified or refuted by them. In all this there is something reminiscent of the poetics of Dostoevsky.

I especially wanted to highlight the words of M.M. Bakhtin that Dostoevsky “often guessed how, under certain changed conditions, a given idea would develop and act, in what unexpected directions its further development and transformation might go”3. Something similar can rightfully be said about the author of the novel “Fathers and Sons.” Turgenev discerns in the worldview of his hero various possibilities, various development trends.

How exactly does nihilism appear in Turgenev’s novel? First of all, there is no doubt that Bazarov’s views are close to the ideology of the Enlightenment. And in the light of this it becomes clear

Turgenev’s famous words about Bazarov: “... with the exception of his views on art, I share almost all of his beliefs.” It is known that educational tasks faced Russian social thought right up to the sixties of the nineteenth century. Their reflection in Turgenev’s work has long been noted by our literary scholars. S.M. wrote about this in their works. Petrov, G.N. Pospelov, P.G. Pustovoit, Yu.G. Nigmatullina. In 1984, V.N. Tikhomirov’s monograph “Turgenev and Enlightenment” was published. It should be noted that sometimes we place excessive emphasis on the limitations of Enlightenment ideals, on their inability to resolve the socio-philosophical and moral problems of humanity. Meanwhile, if the wisdom of common sense soberly realizes the limits of its capabilities, then it is not hostile to public interests and Bazarov, constantly talking about the benefits for the world, could really be needed by Russia.

In Turgenev's nihilist, there is a noticeable desire to affirm positive life values. It is no coincidence that he so dislikes all sorts of abstract dreams and is so attentive to practical activities. Bazarov calls for abandoning what he considers the imaginary values ​​of noble culture and returning to reality: “You, I hope, do not need logic in order to put a piece of bread in your mouth when you are hungry. Where do we care about these distractions!” .

When such reasoning is heard, Bazarov can be reproached for a certain limitation of his demands, but there is no senseless denial with laughter and whistles. On the contrary, here there is a desire to gain a foothold on the earth as firmly as possible, to become closer to the soil, to the people. It is not by chance that something peasant is often felt in Bazarov, something that brings him closer to the heroes of “Notes of a Hunter.” Yu.V. Lebedev points out: “It is not difficult to notice in the Khor (essay “Khor and Kalinich”) and in characters related to him future Bazarovian traits. Khor is a type of practitioner, reformer, Russian person with a state mentality. Turgenev proudly writes that “the Russian man is so confident in his strength and strength that he is not averse to breaking himself: he pays little attention to his past and boldly looks forward. What’s good, he likes, what’s reasonable, give it to him, but where it comes from, he doesn’t care.” Essentially, it has already sprouted here

the grain of Bazarov’s future program and even Bazarov’s theory of sensations, based on trust in the spontaneity of democratic feelings”4. Similar observations are made by G.B. Kurlyandskaya: “Odnodvorets Ovsyanikov is also a bearer of practical consciousness, which affected the ability to understand the new and progressive, and to think critically about reality. He sees the collapse of the previous feudal-serf relations: “different times have come,” but at the same time he considers his era timeless: “the old has died out, but the young is not born!”5. If you think about this subtle observation, it turns out that something Bazarovsky also appears in Ovsyanikov. Here there is practical consciousness, a critical attitude to reality, and a negative assessment of modernity. Let us recall Bazarov’s statement that in modern life, in family or social life, there is nothing that does not deserve denial.

Turgenev agreed with a certain fairness of such a demand, since it corresponded to a certain extent with his own views. EAT. Efimova pointed out: “Forward movement can be carried out, according to Turgenev, only through denial caused by this movement itself. In the course of development, negation is negated by a new, opposite phenomenon, and synthesis occurs on a higher basis.”6. In the light of such historical and philosophical views, Turgenev portrays Bazarov’s nihilism as a painful, but necessary and useful stage in the development of both the individual and the entire society. N.F. Budanova emphasizes that “Turgenev recognizes the necessity and usefulness (within certain limits) of nihilism as the denial of outdated foundations and forms of life that interfere with social progress”7. We can say that this is nihilism aimed at affirmation.

But Turgenev was close not only to the enlighteners. Even in his youth, he went through the school of romanticism and therefore was well aware of the one-sidedness of all rationalistic concepts. In relation to beauty, the deep contradiction between armchair theory and living life that Turgenev’s Bazarov will encounter will be revealed.

Is the existence of art justified from the point of view of reason? Not at all. What in art cannot be translated into the language of abstract logical concepts is discarded by the mind, and what remains turns out to be a rationalistic idea,

which the image only illustrates. A work of art turns into a clear example of abstract reasoning, needed only because people do not always want or are able to logically reason clearly and consistently, and therefore the truth should be presented to them, like children, in the form of a fairy tale, fable, etc. In this case, the mind recognizes the benefits of art, but still, with this approach, its benefits do not appear to be very significant, since it represents knowledge of a lower type. In this case, one cannot help but recall Chernyshevsky with his “Aesthetic relations of art to reality.” When a rationalist recognizes art, then, from his point of view, it is nothing more than a “surrogate for reality.” And this is not an error in reasoning, but an inevitable conclusion from a consistently pursued enlightenment view of art. Bazarov agrees: “the drawing will clearly present to me what is presented in the book on ten whole pages,” but he nevertheless does not recognize any kind of art. There is no contradiction here, since illustration can be useful and instructive, but it is still not art.

From the point of view of reason, Bazarov tries to approach romantic love. He is not an ascetic at all and does not at all deny the natural attraction of a man to a woman. Another thing is irrational, fatal passion. For those who stand on the position of common sense, it is absurd and unreasonable: “No, brother, this is all licentiousness, emptiness! And what is this mysterious relationship between a man and a woman? We physiologists know what this relationship is. Study the anatomy of the eye: where does that mysterious look come from, as you say?” . The rationalist Bazarov is completely consistent when he denies fatal love. It contradicts his views on the world; it is not part of his harmonious system of views on life, society and man. And when he falls in love, the foundations of his worldview will begin to crumble. As Yu.V. writes Lebedev, “... for Bazarov, a democrat and natural scientist, love for Odintsova is not an ordinary feeling, but an event that shakes the foundations of his beliefs, calling into question his philosophical system”8. Bazarov conquered his passion for Odintsova, or, more precisely, did not become a slave to this passion. But he learned, he felt the possibility of fatal, irrational love. He touched another world, which his philosophy did not even suspect. The self-confident mind found itself limited by race

pike perch. Now Bazarov knows that in life there are irrational elements that can be suppressed by willpower, but which do not obey logical arguments.

Life, mysterious, complex, mysterious, constantly refutes Turgenev’s hero. As a result, Bazarov finds himself in a state of spiritual crisis, deep moral confusion. As the plot develops, Turgenev portrays no longer self-confident, but, as Dostoevsky wrote, “restless and yearning Bazarov (a sign of a great heart), despite all his nihilism”9. It is this Bazarov who becomes characterized by melancholy, boredom, melancholy and disappointment in life: “The narrow place that I occupy is so tiny in comparison with the rest of the space where I am not and where no one cares about me; and the part of time that I manage to live is so insignificant before eternity, where I have not been and will not be.” . To understand why Evgeny Bazarov is now beginning to perceive the world this way, we must remember the following. Humanists of the Renaissance believed that God placed man at the center of the world and that this world was commensurate with man and could well be mastered by him. Humanists were so delighted with the power and dignity of man that God became something of secondary importance to them. Eighteenth-century enlighteners accepted God only as the first cause of all things. And man was perceived by them only as a rational animal. Such an animal fit well into the natural world, where the laws of reason reign. But if humanists and educators were full of optimism, then Turgenev’s Bazarov with extraordinary acuteness begins to perceive his lostness and loneliness in a world where there is no God. The romantic Turgenev here conveys to the hero not only his thoughts and feelings, his moods of cosmic pessimism, but also the world’s sorrow, which was first reflected in Byron’s work.

Reflecting on Bazarov’s nihilism, one more aspect of this problem should be highlighted. Turgenev called himself an atheist, but at the same time he was not hostile to religion and was not indifferent to it. In his work, he experienced the undoubted influence of Christian traditions. It seems that this is what allowed him to intuitively grasp in Bazarov’s reasoning the direction of nihilism that leads to universal destruction. The educator does not see or understand such a danger. Human

Christianly oriented in this regard is more sensitive, more insightful. Turgenev reflected in 1860 in the article “Hamlet and Don Quixote”: “But in denial, like in fire, there is a destructive force - and how to keep this force within boundaries, how to show it exactly where to stop when what it must destroy, and what it should spare is often fused and inextricably linked?” . It seems that these lines were inspired not only by thoughts about the image of Hamlet. There is no doubt that the first outlines of such a hero as Evgeny Bazarov already appeared before the writer’s mind’s eye. And it is precisely characteristic of him that he strives for absolute negation.

G.B. Kurlyandskaya writes: “Nihilism as depicted by Turgenev is the denial, first of all, of the spiritual primary source of life, the desire to absolutize transient, finite forms of existence”10. This is a deep thought with which one cannot but agree. But I would like to expand it in more detail. The fact is that you can deny God from different ideological positions. Enlightenment scholars often fiercely attacked the Church, accusing it of selfishly seeking to preserve ignorance and prejudice, but they were generally indifferent to the idea of ​​God. If there is no God, then there is no one and there is no need to challenge. The romantics were much more religious, but it was they who, carried away by the idea of ​​denial, slipped into demonism and anti-Godism.

How does all this relate to Bazarov? In a dispute with Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, Turgenev’s hero takes an educational position. And as is typical for an enlightener: while proclaiming his slogan of universal negation, he does not experience any religious anxiety. The question of the existence of God, which so worries Dostoevsky’s heroes, clearly does not interest him at this moment. Later, when Bazarov discovers a romantic perception of life, he begins to develop Byronic moods, but it is then that his denial acquires some demonic features. One feels that Bazarova is beginning to

to create negation for the sake of negation. It is no coincidence that he admits to a friend: “...I adhere to the negative direction - due to sensation. I’m happy to deny it, my brain works that way and that’s it!” . This statement, on the one hand, reveals a completely positivist system of thinking, and on the other, something demonic. And the idea of ​​universal destruction, which Stavrogin and Pyotr Verkhovensky would then preach, first arose in the minds of Turgenev’s hero.

It should be noted that there is an extremely characteristic feature of Bazarov’s description. The text constantly contains such strokes of his portrait as “arrogant pride”, “cold grin”, “almost satanic pride”. Turgenev notes the satanic, demonic beginning in his hero. Most likely, this happens subconsciously. The writer first of all uses the language code that was familiar to him as a person brought up in the traditions of Orthodox culture. This sensitivity of Turgenev to demonic manifestations in life and man saved him from educational one-sidedness and created the basis for a similarity with Dostoevsky. In the image of Bazarov, at times one feels some special irrational depth.

To summarize, I would like to emphasize once again that the idea of ​​negation is depicted by Turgenev in its movement and in the different trends of its development. On the one hand, it appears as a necessary stage in the progressive development of society. Hence, it is quite natural for the sympathy that many of Bazarov’s judgments evoke in the reader. On the other hand, Turgenev showed how the thirst for denial leads his hero to cross acceptable boundaries, how nihilism gradually but inevitably turns into a disease of the spirit. Such an illness manifests itself in the loss of connections with other people, in abandonment by God, in the feeling of one’s cosmic loneliness, in the loss of the feeling that the universe has any meaning at all. In this regard, the author of “Fathers and Sons” anticipates Dostoevsky’s most important discoveries.

Notes

1 Turgenev I.S. Complete collection op. and letters: in 28 volumes - P. T.4. - P. 370. All further references are given in the text for this edition.

2 Political processes of the 60s / Ed. B.P. Kozmina - M.-Pg. : Guiz, 1923. - P. 264.

3 Bakhtin M.M. Problems of Dostoevsky's poetics - M.: Soviet writer, 1963. - P. 121.

4 Lebedev Yu.V. Roman I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons". - M.: Education, 1982. - P. 24.

5 Kurlyandskaya G.B. Man in natural, moral and aesthetic dimensions in the works of Turgenev // Spassky Herald. - No. 8. - 2001. - P. 5.

6 Efimova E.M. On the problem of revolution in the novels “Fathers and Sons” by I.S. Turgenev and “Break” by I.A. Goncharova // Uch. zap. Oryol State ped. Institute. Department of Literature. Vol. 4. - Orel, 1964. - P. 236.

7 Budanova N.F. Turgenev and Dostoevsky. Creative dialogue. - L.: Science, 1987. - P. 41.

8 Lebedev Yu.V. Roman I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons". - M.: Education, 1982. - P. 100.

9 Dostoevsky F.M. Complete collection cit.: in 30 volumes - L., 1973. - T. 6. P. 59. Further references are given in the text indicating the volume and page.

10 Kurlyandskaya G.B. I.S. Turgenev. Worldview, method, traditions. - Tula, 2001. - P. 184.

PROBLEM OF THE NIHILISM IN TYRGENEV’S NOVEL “FATHERS AND CHILDRENS”

The article provides problem of nihilism in the novel “Father and Sons”. Tyrgenev researches different directions development ideas of dethroning. Side on the one hand, Bazarov is the scientist.How theorist he belongs to philosophy of Enlightenment. In essence such nihilism is an elementary empiricism, a refusal to accept any authority but that of experience. Side on the other hand, Bazarov is the extremist. This nihilism entails not only the dethroning of principles but the destruction of all accepted social institutions.

Key words: Tyrgenev, Bazarov, Dostoevsky, nihilism, dethroning, enlightenment.

The novel "Fathers and Sons" has a complex structure and multi-level conflict. Purely outwardly, he represents a contradiction between two generations of people. But this eternal conflict between fathers and sons is complicated by ideological and philosophical differences. Turgenev's task was to show the harmful influence of certain philosophical movements on modern youth, in particular nihilism.

What is nihilism?

Nihilism is an ideological and philosophical movement, according to which there are and cannot be authorities, and none of the postulates should be taken on faith. Bazarov's nihilism (as he himself notes) is a merciless denial of everything. The philosophical basis for the formation of nihilistic teaching was German materialism. It is no coincidence that Arkady and Bazarov suggest that Nikolai Petrovich read Buchner instead of Pushkin, in particular his work “Matter and Force”. Bazarov’s position was formed not only under the influence of books and teachers, but also from living observation of life. Bazarov's quotes about nihilism confirm this. In a dispute with Pavel Petrovich, he says that he would gladly agree if Pavel Petrovich presented him with “at least one resolution in our modern life, in family or public life, that would not cause complete and merciless denial.”

The main nihilistic ideas of the hero

Bazarov's nihilism is manifested in his attitude towards various spheres of life. In the first part of the novel, there is a clash of two ideas, two representatives of the older and younger generations - Evgeny Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov. They immediately dislike each other, and then sort things out through polemics.

Art

Bazarov speaks most harshly about art. He considers it a useless sphere that gives a person nothing except stupid romanticism. Art, according to Pavel Petrovich, is a spiritual sphere. It is thanks to him that a person develops, learns to love and think, understand others, and get to know the world.

Nature

Bazarov’s review of nature looks somewhat blasphemous: “Nature is not a temple, but a workshop. And the person in it is a worker.” The hero does not see her beauty, does not feel harmony with her. In contrast to this review, Nikolai Petrovich walks through the garden, admiring the beauty of spring. He cannot understand how Bazarov does not see all this, how he can remain so indifferent to God’s creation.

The science

What does Bazarov value? After all, he cannot have a sharply negative attitude towards everything. The only thing the hero sees value and benefit in is science. Science as the basis of knowledge and human development. Of course, Pavel Petrovich, as an aristocrat and a representative of the older generation, also values ​​and respects science. However, for Bazarov, the ideal is German materialists. For them, love, affection, feelings do not exist; for them, a person is simply an organic system in which certain physical and chemical processes occur. The main character of the novel “Fathers and Sons” is inclined to the same paradoxical thoughts.

Bazarov's nihilism comes into question; it is tested by the author of the novel. Hence, an internal conflict arises, which no longer occurs in the Kirsanovs’ house, where Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich argue every day, but in the soul of Evgeny himself.

The future of Russia and nihilism

Bazarov, as a representative of the advanced direction of Russia, is interested in its future. So, according to the hero, in order to build a new society, it is first necessary to “clear the place.”

Internal conflict in the novel. Test of love

There are two key characters in the novel who supposedly play a cameo role. In fact, they reflect Turgenev’s attitude towards nihilism; they debunk this phenomenon. Bazarov’s nihilism begins to be comprehended by him a little differently, although the author does not tell us this directly. So, in the city, Evgeniy and Arkady meet Sitnikov and Kukshina. They are innovative people who are interested in everything new. Sitnikov is an adherent of nihilism; he expresses his admiration for Bazarov. At the same time, he behaves like a buffoon, he shouts nihilistic slogans, it all looks ridiculous.

Turgenev's attitude towards his hero

It is not for nothing that a heated controversy has developed around the novel “Fathers and Sons”. Firstly, the topic was very topical. Secondly, many representatives of literary criticism were, like Bazarov, fascinated by the philosophy of materialism. Thirdly, the novel was bold, talented and new.

There is an opinion that Turgenev condemns his hero. That he slanderes the younger generation, seeing only the bad in them. But this opinion is wrong. If you look at Bazarov’s figure more closely, you can see in him a strong, purposeful and noble nature. Bazarov's nihilism is only an external manifestation of his mind. Turgenev, rather, feels disappointed that such a talented person is fixated on such an unjustified and limited teaching. Bazarov cannot but inspire admiration. He is daring and brave, he is smart. But besides this, he is also kind. It is no coincidence that all the peasant children are drawn to him.

As for the author's assessment, it is most fully manifested in the ending of the novel. Bazarov’s grave, which his parents come to, is literally buried in flowers and greenery, and birds sing over it. It is unnatural for parents to bury their children. The beliefs of the protagonist were also unnatural. And nature, eternal, beautiful and wise, confirms that Bazarov was wrong when he saw in it only material for achieving human goals.

Thus, Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” can be seen as a debunking of nihilism. Bazarov's attitude towards nihilism is not just a commitment, it is a philosophy of life. But this teaching is questioned not only by representatives of the older generation, but also by life itself. Bazarov, in love and suffering, dies from an accident, science is unable to help him, and over his grave Mother Nature is still beautiful and calm.

What does Turgenev mean by nihilism?

Turgenev, one of the best classic writers of Russian literature, recalls that after his return to St. Petersburg, when his novel was first published, he discovered that this term had already been picked up by many residents of the city. At that time, in 1862, fires broke out in St. Petersburg, and the first thing the writer heard when he arrived in St. Petersburg was the use of the term “nihilists” in reference to the arsonists.

What does Turgenev mean by nihilism? He began writing the novel at a time when serfdom had not yet been abolished, when a revolutionary mood was growing in society, and against this background the ideas of denial and destruction of the old order, old authorities and principles clearly emerged. The novel clearly shows the ideas of a democratic movement, forming and developing under the sign of the negation of the orders of the noble-serf society, noble culture, and the old world.

Nihilism, from the writer’s point of view, is the denial of old principles and foundations.

In his work, the writer highlights moral, philosophical and political problems and raises the eternal question of the relationship between fathers and children. Emphasizes the importance of love, friendship, personality development, as well as the importance for each person of choosing their own path in life and self-determination.

The image of Bazarov in the work is endowed with the striking features of a nihilist; the hero openly opposes all old principles, which becomes the cause of both Bazarov’s internal conflict and the hostile misunderstanding of him by those around him.

In the novel, Turgenev demonstrated that nihilistic philosophy is unviable. He deliberately painted pictures of impoverished Russian fortress villages in order to show the social inequality existing in the country and the unjust government of the ruling class. But at the same time, Bazarov’s nihilism in the novel “Fathers and Sons”, together with his hero, remains alone, since his ideas and worldview were not accepted even by his closest supporters - Kukshin, Sitnikov and Arkady, who betrayed his ideals.

Bazarov, who denied the existence of love, eventually himself was subjected to its tests, which he could not withstand and broke down. The nihilist hero, who argued that the mysterious female gaze is nothing more than artistic nonsense, falls in love with Anna Odintsova and is horrified to discover the presence of romance in himself. The whole tragedy of the situation lies in the fact that Bazarov’s love turned out to be non-reciprocal and doomed.

Video about Bazarov’s nihilism in the novel “Fathers and Sons”

The novel ends with the death of Bazarov, who contracted typhus while opening the corpse of a peasant. Before his death, the hero shows all his best qualities: poetic love for Anna, tender, kind feelings towards his parents, who were previously hidden under external severity, courage, strong spirit, thirst for life.

With this ending, Turgenev shows the reader Bazarov’s personality as a strong-willed person capable of influencing those around him. However, since society was not yet ready to accept his worldview, this hero turned out to be “superfluous” - his time had not yet come.

Thus, Turgenev quite clearly revealed the concept of “nihilism” in the novel “Fathers and Sons” using the example of his hero Bazarov. A hero of all times and peoples, who is born in a place where there is no social justice and well-being.

What is nihilism in the modern sense?

Since the time of Turgenev, the concept of “nihilism” has gradually acquired a more expanded meaning. So, today this term is used in philosophy, in politics, and in everyday life. However, the question “What is nihilism?” There is an unambiguous definition: this is a worldview, a position that not only questions, but also categorically denies generally accepted values: ideals, moral norms, forms of social life, generally accepted concepts of morality. There are several types of nihilism:

• Moral nihilism.
• Legal nihilism.
• Mereological nihilism.
• Epistemological.
• Metaphysical.
• Philosophical and worldview nihilism.

A nihilist is a person who does not recognize any authorities, does not take any principles for granted, and criticizes any point of view, whatever it may be.

Moral nihilists have a position of denial of both moral and immoral foundations.

Legal nihilism- a negative attitude towards the law, which can be expressed in varying degrees of intensity. Thus, there are passive and active forms of legal nihilism.

• The passive form is characterized by disbelief in legal possibilities. Legal nihilists do not recognize the positive role of law in society.
• The active form is expressed in a hostile attitude towards laws, propaganda of a personal worldview among people around. Such citizens can also be called anarchists.

Video about legal nihilism

Legal nihilism can be characteristic of society as a whole, a social group or an individual citizen, but none of the listed categories deliberately violates legal norms. That is, legal nihilists simply do not recognize law and do not believe in its social value.

The origins of this attitude towards generally established legal norms are distrust of the authorities, consideration of laws as instructions from the government. Also, the reason for the development of such civil positions can be an example of impunity of an official, a discrepancy in the prescriptions of laws with reality, vicious actions of justice, etc. As a rule, public legal nihilism arises with imperfect and contradictory legislation, the inability of the authorities to fight crime, to provide citizens with their rights and protection from arbitrariness.

Epistemological nihilists characterized by their negative attitude towards knowledge.

Nihilism in Russia

Nihilism exists only in Russia and post-Soviet countries. Residents of Western European countries do not experience this phenomenon. Such mentalities began to form in the 50-60s of the 19th century. Their main ideologists are Pisarev, Dobrolyubov, Chernyshevsky. Also, some nihilistic traits were inherent in Lenin, although he lived in a different era.

Despite the fact that Russian nihilism meant the denial of God, spirit, soul, norms and higher values, this phenomenon is still considered a religious phenomenon, since it arose on spiritual Orthodox soil. The basis of pure Russian nihilism is the Orthodox denial of the world, the feeling of a world in evil, the attitude towards wealth, luxury, creative excess in art and thoughts as sins.

Nietzsche's Nihilism

Nihilism of Nietzsche, a German philosopher and philologist, implies the devaluation of high values. That is, he connected values ​​and the nature of a person who devalues ​​them and at the same time still tries to hold on to them. Nietzsche argued that if a person falls, then you should not lend your shoulder to him. If a person is hit on the right cheek, then you should not offer the left one either. He also believed that compassion is a destructive quality for a person, and therefore denied compassion for others.

Nihilism in Nietzsche's philosophy is the idea of ​​a superman, the embodiment of the Christian ideal, free in all respects. He taught us to respond to force with force, to be courageous, daring, and to rely only on ourselves. He considered good people to be hypocrites because they never tell the truth to their face. Therefore, as he argued, the right person is an evil person who does not spare his loved ones.

Consequences of Nihilism

Today, many argue whether nihilism is a disease or a cure for diseases. The philosophy of nihilists denies such values ​​as moral principles and spiritual life - love, nature, art. But human morality is based precisely on these fundamental concepts.

Every sane person should understand that there are values ​​in the world that cannot be denied: love of life, love of people, the pursuit of happiness and the enjoyment of beauty.

How do you feel about nihilists? Do you consider Bazarov in Turgenev’s novel to be a real nihilist? Share your opinion in the comments.

The novel “Fathers and Sons” was written by I.S. Turgenev in 1862, a year after the abolition of serfdom. The action of the novel takes place in 1859 on the eve of the reform. It is quite natural that the main character is a new hero of Russian literature - a nihilist revolutionary, a democrat commoner.

Origin of Bazarov

Evgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov comes from a simple peasant family. His grandfather “plowed the land,” his father and mother live modestly and simply, and at the same time took care of their son’s future - they gave him an excellent medical education. Knowing first-hand about peasant life, Bazarov understands perfectly well that significant changes are coming. A plan for the reconstruction of social order, consisting in the absolute destruction of the past and the construction of a new world, has matured in his mind.

Bazarov is a new person. He is a nihilist, a materialist, not subject to illusions, testing everything experimentally. Bazarov is interested in natural sciences; he works all day, looking for something new.

A person, according to Bazarov, is a person with knowledge. He is sure that it is work that makes a person out of a person. Evgeniy Vasilyevich always finds himself where his knowledge will be useful. It's profitable

He learns it from other heroes and “extra” people, as well as from people of a new formation.

Bazarov is often rude and harsh in his statements: about women, about the past, about feelings. It seems to him that all this interferes with building a healthy society of the future. Everyone who does not know how to work is not needed by humanity. In many ways he can be considered wrong. What is it worth just to deny the basic values ​​of human existence: love, respect, principles, nature as a temple, the human soul.

The importance of a hero for society

Probably, Russian society needed such people to shake it up and force it to look at everything that was happening from the outside. New people appear in society only during periods of historical upheaval; they have special spiritual power, perseverance and steadfastness, the ability not to hide from the truth and to be honest with themselves even on the verge of death.

Bazarov the nihilist understands perfectly well that life will never be easy, sacrifices will be required from any person. And he is ready for them, without changing his convictions even an ounce. This makes it most attractive both for contemporaries and for the current reader.

Love in Bazarov's life

The strength of his spirituality also extends to Bazarov’s love feeling for Anna Odintsova, a strong and independent woman. He was captivated by her intelligence and her unique views on current events. Realizing that she cannot sacrifice everything for him, he confesses his feelings to her. Unrequited love for Anna Sergeevna seems to knock him out of his usual way of life. But it seems to me that if death had not interfered, Bazarov would have been able to overcome himself and his unhappy feelings, which he considered to be the weakness of his own personality.

Debunking Bazarov's theory

Sometimes strange and unusual, the hero I.S. Turgeneva delights readers with a set of qualities of a “perfect person”: fortitude, determination, perseverance, ability to persuade, etc., although it is impossible to agree with Bazarov on everything. His theory fails, and the hero realizes this - beauty, love and kindness become an integral part of his soul. And with them he dies, having found no application for his beliefs.

In the novel by I.S. Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" one of the problems is the confrontation between lordly and democratic Russia. Evgeny Bazarov, the main character of the work, calls himself a “nihilist.”

The characters in the novel interpret this concept differently. Arkady Kirsanov, who considered himself a follower of Bazarov, explains that a nihilist is a person who approaches everything from a critical point of view. Pavel Petrovich, a representative of the older generation, said the following: “A nihilist is a person who does not bow to any authorities, who does not accept a single principle on faith.” But only Evgeny Bazarov could fully experience the whole meaning of this philosophy and understand the strengths and weaknesses of nihilism.

Bazarov associated nihilism with the establishment of a materialistic worldview and the development of natural sciences. The hero really did not take anything on faith, thoroughly testing everything through experiments and practice; he considered nature not a temple, but a workshop where a person is a worker. And Bazarov himself never sat idle, did not sybaritize, like Arkady, for example. Eugene completely denied art in all its manifestations, did not believe in love, despised it, calling it “romanticism” and “nonsense.” He considered Pushkin’s work to be nonsense, and playing the cello as a disgrace. During an argument with Pavel Petrovich, Evgeniy stated that a decent chemist is much more useful than a poet. He valued only what he could touch with his hands and denied the spiritual principle. This quote can be confirmed: “Study the anatomy of the eye: where does the mysterious look come from?” Evgeny Bazarov was proud of his theory and considered its truths unshakable.

Turgenev’s female images play a special role. They are always imbued with a slight romanticism: in a woman Turgenev sees a being of a higher order. Most often, it is they who awaken in the heroes their best spiritual qualities and change them radically. This happened with Bazarov. Fate seemed to play a cruel joke on him. More recently, having heard a frank story about Pavel Petrovich’s misfortune, the nihilist said that a person who put his life on the map of love is not a man and a male.

Anna Odintsova appeared in Bazarov's life. Bazarov immediately drew attention to her. “What kind of figure is this? She doesn’t look like other women,” Evgeniy is impressed. Later the hero realizes that she is special. He likes her presence, her closeness to him makes him happy. Without noticing it, Bazarov tried with all his might to impress her, but denied his feelings and covered himself with rudeness. Evgeniy began to gradually change, become angry, and worried. Adhering previously to the theory “If you like a woman, try to get some sense, but if you can’t, turn away.” But, despite the fact that it was difficult to get any sense from Odintsova, he could not turn away. When he remembered her, he involuntarily realized the “romantic” in himself. His struggle with feeling was unsuccessful. Love could not languish in his soul for long; it demanded recognition. “I love you, stupidly, madly,” the hero says, out of breath, unable to cope with the flow of passion. Anna Sergeevna was not capable of love, Bazarov did not receive any return and fled to his parents' house. Not even from Odintsova, but from himself.

Evgeniy is still a strong character, he has not become limp, but he has become disillusioned with theory. Vedas, what he rejected and despised, took possession of him. The hero understands that love is higher, more complex than theories, and does not obey the laws of physics. This speaks to the failure of nihilism. It was love that led to the crisis in Bazarov’s views and attitude towards life. The inability to love Odintsova, the need to rethink one’s values ​​and principles led to the hero’s tragic death, because this is the only way to fully achieve peace.

I.S. Turgenev shows that it is impossible to completely deny what is the basis of human existence. Spirituality takes over. The feelings that arise in the soul of even the most ardent nihilist are capable of destroying any foundations and ideas. True values ​​cannot be despised, no matter how hard people try to do so. Such a position will only lead to confrontation with oneself, limitless internal struggle. And we must always remember that the power of love lies in the fact that everyone is powerless in front of it.

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