Slavery and Freedom

by Nikolai Berdyaev

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Facsimile of 1943 Edition. In this work Berdyaev outlines his philosophical journey and describes the influences which brought him to his intellectual position. In his view, the only way of escape from the many forms of slavery--spiritual, economic, political--which shackle and impoverish the spirit lies in the fuller realization of personality, as he defines it. Berdyaev essentially embraced a religious view of man in the world and his work played a large part in the renaissance of show more religious and philosophical thought in Russian intellectual life early in the 20th century. In 1922 he and other intellectuals were expelled from the USSR. In the end he advocated for a "personal transvaluation of values." show less

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galacticus Both religious Russian existentialist works.

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A presentation of the ideas of Berdyaev regarding the nature of man and his place in the world.
> Nicolas Berdiaeff. — De l'esclavage et de la liberté de l'homme. Paris, Aubier, in-12, 302 pages.
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In: Revue Philosophique de la France et de l'Étranger, T. 138 (1948), pp. 116-119… ; (en ligne),
URL : https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k17282k/f120.item

> « Une personne ne ressemble à rien au monde,
ne peut être comparée à rien… La personne,
l’homme en tant que personne, n’est pas
un enfant de ce monde. Son origine est ailleurs.
Et c’est ce qui fait de l’homme
une énigme … La personne n’est pas un objet
parmi les objets, ni une chose parmi d’autres.
Elle est un sujet. »
—Berdiaeff, De l’esclavage et de la liberté de l’homme, p. 20.

> « La personne est l’immuable dans ce qui show more change sans cesse, l’unité dans la multiplicité…
La personne ne représente pas un état figé : elle s’explicite, se développe, s’enrichit, mais son
développement est celui d’une seule et même personne, qui reste, malgré tout, permanente, qui
ne cesse jamais d’être elle-même. »
—Berdiaeff, De l’esclavage et de la liberté de l’homme, p. 22.

> « La personne n’est pas seulement capable d’éprouver de la douleur, mais elle est, dans un certain
sens, douleur elle-même. La lutte pour la personne, l’affirmation de la personne sont des
actes douloureux. La réalisation de la personne ne s’ejffectue pas sans résistance, elle exige une
lutte contre le pouvoir asservissant du monde, le refus de transiger avec le monde. »
—Berdiaeff, De l’esclavage et de la liberté de l’homme, p. 28.
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131+ Works 1,700 Members
The Russian Orthodox religious philosopher Nikolai A. Berdyaev was born into an aristocratic family in Kiev, Ukraine. At the turn of the century, the Czarist government exiled him for his Marxist views. After the revolution he founded the Free Academy of Spiritual Culture and was given the chair of philosophy at the University of Moscow. He was show more imprisoned for his defense of religion and was driven into exile, first to Berlin (1922), then to Paris (1934). In Berlin, Berdyaev founded the Academy of the Philosophy of Religion, which he later moved to Clamart near Paris. Although Berdyaev's early interest was in Marxism, his view insisted that only transcendental critical idealism can solve the problem of truth. Berdyaev later became interested in mystical and religious ideas, and developed a process cosmology and theology. Berdyaev's last testament The Realm of Spirit and the Realm of Caesar was found after his death and put into publishable form by a group of his friends. Berdyaev was strongly committed to freedom and individualism, which caused him great difficulty with ecclesiastical and political authorities. Berdyaev died in 1948. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

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Common Knowledge

Original publication date
1939
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the fight against the slavery of man.
First words
Man is a riddle in the world, and it may be, the greatest riddle.
Quotations
This is a philosophical book and it presupposes spiritual reform.
Blurbers
Underhill, Evelyn

Classifications

Genres
Philosophy, Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, General Nonfiction, Politics and Government
DDC/MDS
197Philosophy and PsychologyModern western philosophyPhilosophy of Russia
LCC
B4238 .B43 .O323Philosophy, Psychology and ReligionPhilosophy (General)By periodModernBy region or country
BISAC

Statistics

Members
155
Popularity
210,613
Reviews
3
Rating
½ (4.33)
Languages
5 — Dutch, English, French, Italian, Russian
Media
Paper
ISBNs
9
ASINs
10