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An Introduction and an Invitation
There is an opinion that Russian social theory is secondary to the European one and lacks originality. According to Vvedenskiy, such opinions have sometimes led to radical statements that Russians by nature were not disposed to: “...as if they by nature were too sober and straightforward about things to venture into philosophical abstractions” (Vvedenskiy, 1898, p. 4). In particular, B. Yakovenko wrote that the lack of characteristic features of Russian social thought is related to its “lack of originality” (Yakovenko, 2008, p. 16). Of course, Russian thinkers and social theorists built their ideas on the already existing foundation of European philosophy, religion, and science. Russia was not an intellectual periphery, but it did not set trends, by and large. This was partly due to the “catching-up” nature of Russian scientific thought in general. Russian social thought in the 19th century was characterized by a certain old-fashionedness; it relied on philosophy and religion and saw in social development deeper themes related to human nature, religion, and moral choice. The schools of social theory that were practiced in the Russian Empire were created as part of a larger universe of social thought (Vucinich, 1976). Its formation, structural place, and practical involvement in social transformation have given it some distinct features: a holistic view of social phenomena and crises; moral concepts of relations between society and the state; and an emphasis on justice, crime, and punishment, along with the integral concept of personality (Medushevskiy, 2015).