Ethics and social philosophy in the works of Aleksandr Kireyev

In this article, the author studies the ethics and social philosophy of General Aleksandr Kireyev, who was the intellectual leader of late Slavophilism. Te reasons for his special interest in ethics during the period of his struggle against Nihilism in the 1850’s - 1870’s are reviewed. On the basis of Kireyev’s writings (“My Program of Ethics for My Brother Nikolay Kireyev” and his reviews of the books of Heimann Steinthal and Tomas Fowler), his philosophical outlook is detected. Aleksandr Kireyev’s views on the social and spiritual role of philosophy itself, especially ethics, are analyzed. Special atention is drawn to his contacts with such prominent Russian philosophers as Vladimir Solovyev, Konstantin Leontyev, Pyotr Astafyev, and Nikolay Strakhov. Kireyev’s ethical and social philosophical teaching, which was finally put into shape in his works in the late 19th - early 20th centuries, is also analyzed. Te influence of Kireyev’s works (“Shall We Get Rid of Nihilism?“, “Short Statement of Slavophile Teaching”, and “Te Principles of New Sociology”) on public opinion in Russia is demonstrated.