"As the milk, so the cream": Alexei Kozyrev on the relationship between philosophy and religious thought

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"In a sense, philosophy is the cream that rises from milk: as the milk, so the cream," said Alexei Kozyrev, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow State University, Head of the Department of the History of Russian Philosophy, and Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, during a meeting of the literary club "What to Read?! Meanings" at the National Centre RUSSIA. He used this metaphor while discussing the place of religion in Russian and global philosophical thought.

Alexei Kozyrev emphasised that Russian philosophy cannot be reduced solely to religious philosophy, although its religious strand is indeed a distinctive phenomenon in its own right.

"Russian philosophy is far more than religious philosophy alone. At the same time, Russian religious philosophy truly represents a unique phenomenon within the Russian philosophical tradition. Nikolai Ustryalov, the publisher of the collection "Smena Vekh" ("Change of Signposts"), argued that Russia produced three outstanding achievements at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: Russian classical literature, Russian music and Russian religious philosophy. I believe that view is worth considering," said Alexei Kozyrev.

The scholar then invited the audience to consider the issue from a broader perspective, asking whether major German thinkers such as Schelling, Hegel and Fichte could not also be regarded as religious philosophers. He also cited the French philosopher Nicolas Malebranche and René Descartes, who was educated at the Jesuit College of La Flèche.

"In a sense, philosophy is the cream that rises from milk: as the milk, so the cream. Catholicism gives rise to one philosophical tradition, Protestantism to another. Orthodoxy, particularly in nineteenth-century Russia, shaped its own distinctive mode of self-understanding and reflection — including reflection on faith itself and on cultural tradition. It is this search that we continue today," he concluded.

The latest meeting of the literary club "What to Read?! Meanings" was devoted to the past, present and future of Russian philosophy. Participants discussed how the ideas of Russian thinkers can help us better understand the modern world and find answers to the challenges of our time.

The literary club "What to Read?!" is an original project of the National Centre RUSSIA. It serves as a platform for dialogue about reading culture and the public discussion of important contemporary issues. Participation in the club's events is free of charge upon prior registration via the website. The latest schedule of events is available in the "Events" section.