Reasonable Education and Freedom in the Historiosophical Reflection of Pyotr Chaadayev

Abstract

This article analyses the pedagogical potential of the philosophical outlooks of Pyotr Chaadayev, one of the most significant Russian thinkers of the first half of the 19th century. The aim is to extract from his historiosophical reflections, contained in his (Philosophical) Letters and Apologie d’un Fou (Apologia of the Insane), the components that are fundamentally important for the education of man as a constitutive element of his education. These components include the synergy of reason and faith,
freedom and dialogical relationality. Although Chaadayev’s concept is rooted in the realities of the mid-19th century, this article also provides valuable insights into the complex Russia-West relations, the consequences of which are still felt today.