Was Fedorov's cosmism a "materialized Hegelianism"?

Question

In the introduction to Boris Groy’s excellent book Russian Cosmism, which is a compilation of writings from within the Russian cosmist movement, he says the following:

In a sense, Fedorov developed his project of the resurrection of past generations as an attempt to “materialize” Hegelian philosophy. Hegel understood the historical process as a work of negation: we should negate the past and present to let the historical new emerge. According to Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, the goal of history consists, however, in the spiritual reconstruction of all its past epochs.

He even compares Fedorov's Hegelian materialism to Marx's. However, he doesn't cite anything except for Hegel's Phenomenology for this remark. So my question is, was Fedorov's philosophy significantly influenced by Hegel, or even conceived as a materialist take on Hegel's philosophy of historical progress? Has their been any work showing this?

Answer 1

No, Fedorov was not influenced by Hegel at all. He was an eccentric and reclusive self-taught genius that was called 'Socrates from Moscow' by some of his contemporaries.

Fedorov did not read Hegel. However, it is easy to draw parallels as the author of the book that you read did because both thinkers constructed humongous and controversial metaphysical systems that are impossible to fully comprehend. Both philosophers (I am actually not sure if you can call Fedorov a philosopher, because 'new ager', 'visionary' or 'heretic/gnostic' might be better terms) also had a bizarre way of unifying pure mysticism with sharp logic and scientific rationality.

On a side note I would like to add that the thinker that did have a big influence great Russian thinkers of this era was one of Hegel's best friends that ended up being his rival (think 2pac and biggie smalls), which is Schelling.

Answer 2

Short Answer

Yes, Fedorov's cosmism can be seen as a "materialized Hegelianism" in the sense that it reinterprets Hegelian ideas of historical progress and spiritual reconstruction in a material and technological context. While he shares some conceptual similarities with Hegel, particularly in the idea of transforming and reconciling history, Fedorov's focus on physical resurrection and cosmic transformation through science is unique.

Long Answer

The concept of Fedorov's cosmism as a form of "materialized Hegelianism" is supported by certain parallels and reinterpretations of Hegelian philosophy:

1. Historical Progress:

   • Hegel: Hegel's philosophy of history involves the dialectical process where each epoch negates and transcends the previous one, culminating in the realization of the World Spirit.
   • Fedorov: Fedorov envisions a transformative historical process focused on the physical resurrection of past generations and the advancement of humanity through scientific means. This can be viewed as a materialization of Hegelian dialectics, aiming for a unified human history.

2. Reconstruction of the Past:

   • Hegel: In the "Phenomenology of Spirit," Hegel describes history’s goal as the spiritual reconstruction of all past epochs.
   • Fedorov: Fedorov literalizes this idea by proposing the actual physical resurrection of all past human beings, achieving historical reconciliation and continuity.

Comparison to Marx

While Marx reinterpreted Hegelian dialectics in a materialist and socio-economic context, Fedorov’s cosmism applies materialism to technological and scientific realms, diverging from Marx’s focus on class struggle and economic conditions.

Scholarly Work

Several scholars have explored these connections:

• George M. Young's "The Russian Cosmists" provides an overview of the movement and discusses Fedorov's ideas in relation to Western philosophical traditions, including Hegel.
• Boris Groys' "Russian Cosmism" touches on how Fedorov reinterprets Hegelian ideas in a material context.
• Michael Hagemeister has extensively written on Russian cosmism, offering insights into Fedorov’s philosophical influences.