Approaches to the Perception of Aristotle's Character in Russian Intellectual Literature (Second half of the 18th – early 20th centuries)

Abstract

The article provides a review of different genres' texts, belong to the Russian intellectual literature of the late 18th – early 20th centuries, containing some information about the Aristotle's character. The main directions of the ancient philosopher's character perception in Russian culture are singled out in the article, as well as their features and source base. The conclusion is made that the Aristotle's representation as a pious person prevailing in the literature of the 18th century are contingent on the values of the Russian culture of this period. The subsequent literary tradition has worked directly with historical and pseudo-historical evidence, until the middle of the 19th century. Just some “interesting facts” were borrowed from these evidence, and on this basis were built popular opinions about the character of Aristotle. From the mid 19th century Russian literature, the criticism of historical evidence begins to be traced, as well as attempts to reconstruct the character of Aristotle based on the content of his works and testament. It is concluded that Russian literature as a whole is characterized by the perception of predominantly positive traits of Aristotle's character.