faculty, where his chief teacher was Jurkevič. In addition, he attended the philosophical lectures of Kudrjavcev-Platonov at the seminary. Throughout life Solov'ev cherished these two teachers in grateful memory. We are already acquainted with Jurkevič, the opponent of Černyševskii. The characteristics of Kudrjavcev's philosophy will be suggested by the consideration that he adopted the additional name of Platonov. A highminded opponent of contemporary philosophy, especially of materialism, positivism, and Darwinism, he exercised an enduring influence upon Solov'ev.
Study of the slavophils led Solov'ev to Plato, and also to neoplatonism, to Plotinus; he was especially interested in the work of Homjakov. From the slavophils he passed to Schelling, and Schelling smoothed his path to Baader, Jacob Boehme, and all the mystics, Swedenborg of course not excepted. Solov'ev found in the mystics the mainspring of true knowledge. The gnostics (Philo and Valentinus), the first Greek fathers of the church (especially Origen), and Augustine, became his favourite authorities. The study of ecclesiastical history and the ideal of the union of the churches led Solov'ev to the Catholic traditionalists (de Bonald, de Maistre, etc.).
Even before he left the university, but still more in later years (his translation of Kant's Prolegomena was published in 1889), Solov'ev was much disquieted by Kant as well as by the mystics. Hegel reinforced the rationalistic trend, whilst Schopenhauer and Eduard von Hartmann confirmed Solov'ev in his mysticism. In addition, Schopenhauer directed his attention to Hindostan, whilst his own inclinations towards magian superstition made spiritualism, hypnotism, and occultism congenial to him. He was greatly influenced by Auguste Comte: at first by positivism, which, however, he soon came to regard as inadequate, his own earliest philosophical writings being refutations of positivism; and subsequently by Comte's works upon the religion of humanity.[1]
In 1874 he took up his residence as professor of philosophy in Moscow, and published his work on The Crisis in Western Philosophy. Next year, however, he set out on a journey to
- ↑ In the Russian edition of Brockhaus' encyclopædia, the following articles on philosophers, theologians, and mystics are penned by Solov'ev: Plato, Plotinus, Proclus, Origen, Pelagius, Basil the Great, Duns Scotus, Hugues of Saint-Victor, Raymond Lully, Hermes Trismegistus, Campanella, Malebranche, Swedenborg, de Maistre, Kant, Hegel, Comte, Hartmann, Maine de Biran.
