K.D. Kavelin “On the objectives of art”: the hermeneutical attitude of a positivist historian

We show the views of the Russian thinker, historian K.D. Kavelin on the goals of art. In Kavelin’s intention, art, being a form of culture, should be considered in the context of the “mental structure” of the society. It is shown that, being a positivist-minded researcher, Kavelin stands up for the method of understanding, i.e. explanation, immersed in a special historical, cultural and psychological situation. It is shown that Kavelin’s thought, without even realizing, moves in the trinity of the hermeneutic circle: “artist - text - public” and vice versa “public - text - artist”. In Kavelin’s reflections, an “artist” is not only a painter, but also any other representative of art; accordingly, a “text” is a painting, a piece of music, a play, a book, and so on. In Kavelin’s reflections, the dialogue between the artist and the public is based on the principle of constant “re-reading” of the text in order to gain a new understanding of life.