The False Messiah: Points for Recognition from Russian Literary and Philosophical Thought

Abstract

The article analyzes the representation of the False Messiah in the Russian literary and philosophical tradition. The specific subjects of analysis are the images of the Grand Inquisitor from «The Brothers Karamazov» by F. M. Dostoevsky and the Coming Man from «The Tale of the Antichrist» by V. S. Solovyov. Of the commentary works included in the discussion, particular attention is given to the texts of V. V. Rozanov. The author’s arguments are founded on the existential dialectics and hermeneutics, manifesting in both methodological and stylistic elements. The objective of the study is to construct a cogent reconstruction of the essence of the False Messiah, interpreted as presumptuous pseudo-greatness. The identified essential characteristic is explained through its correlation with a number of existential and social phenomena, including suffering and compassion, love, happiness, freedom and unfreedom. The juxtaposition of these two characters is facilitated by the examination of their concrete intuition: the Grand Inquisitor is regarded as the representation of F. M. Dostoevsky himself, while V. S. Solovyov is seen as the manifestation of his own Coming Man. The author concurs with the perspective that a deviation from materialism and a preoccupation with mysticism serve as substantial socio-cultural and ideological underpinnings for the emergence of the False Messiah. The concluding assertion engenders a sense of caution among readers regarding any messianic endeavor and all those assertions of eminence that are expressed apart from an act of self-sacrifice.