The Discovery of Chance : The Life and Thought of Alexander Herzen

Alexander Herzen--philosopher, Novelist, Essayist, Political Agitator, And One Of The Leading Russian Intellectuals Of The Nineteenth Century--was As Famous In His Day As Tolstoy And Dostoevsky. While He Is Remembered For His Masterpiece My Past And Thoughts And As The Father Of Russian Socialism, His Contributions To The History Of Ideas Defy Easy Categorization Because They Are So Numerous. Aileen M. Kelly Presents The First Fully Rounded Study Of The Farsighted Genius Whom Isaiah Berlin Called The Forerunner Of Much Twentieth-century Thought. In An Era Dominated By Ideologies Of Human Progress, Herzen Resisted Them Because They Conflicted With His Sense Of Reality, A Sense Honed By His Unusually Comprehensive Understanding Of History, Philosophy, And The Natural Sciences. Following His Unconventional Decision To Study Science At University, He Came To Recognize The Implications Of Early Evolutionary Theory, Not Just For The Natural World But For Human History. In This Respect, He Was A Darwinian Even Before Darwin. Socialism For Russia, As Herzen Conceived It, Was Not An Ideology--least Of All Marxian Scientific Socialism--but A Concrete Means Of Grappling With Unique Historical Circumstances, A Way For Russians To Combine The Best Of Western Achievements With The Possibilities Of Their Own Cultural Milieu In Order To Move Forward. In The Same Year That Marx Declared Communism To Be The Solution To The Riddle Of History, Herzen Denied That Any Such Solution Could Exist. History, Like Nature, Was Contingent--an Improvisation Both Constrained And Encouraged By Chance.--provided By Publisher. Who Was Herzen? -- Russia And The Romantic Revolution -- A Romantic Youth -- A Revolution In Science -- Science And History -- An Education In Method -- Science And Saint-simonism -- Prison And Exile -- Awakening -- The Discovery Of Chance -- From Bacon To Feuerbach: Nature And Time -- Man In The Middle -- A Conservative Revolution -- A Glowing Footprint: Herzen And Proudhon -- Toward Another Shore -- View From The Other Shore -- The Living Truth -- In Defence Of Inconsistency -- What Is History? -- The Polish Rising -- True Nihilism -- The Last Years. Aileen M. Kelly. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents 7 Acknowledgments 9 1. Who Was Herzen? 13 2. Rus sia and the Romantic Revolution 20 3. A Romantic Youth 36 4. A Revolution in Science 47 5. Science and History 66 6. An Education in Method 79 7. Science and Saint- Simonism 100 8. Prison and Exile 131 9. Awakening 150 10. The Discovery of Chance 172 11. From Bacon to Feuerbach: Nature and Time 199 12. Man in the Middle 240 13. A Conservative Revolution 273 14. A Glowing Footprint: Herzen and Proudhon 301 15. Toward Another Shore 334 16. View from the Other Shore 352 17. The Living Truth 375 18. In Defense of Inconsistency 394 19. What Is History? 424 20. The Polish Uprising 464 21. True Nihilism 486 22. The Last Years 512 Epilogue 536 Notes 547 Illustration Credits 595 Index 597 Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Epigraph -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1. Who Was Herzen? -- Chapter 2. Russia and the Romantic Revolution -- Chapter 3. A Romantic Youth -- Chapter 4. A Revolution in Science -- Chapter 5. Science and History -- Chapter 6. An Education in Method -- Chapter 7. Science and Saint-Simonism -- Chapter 8. Prison and Exile -- Chapter 9. Awakening -- Chapter 10. The Discovery of Chance -- Chapter 11. From Bacon to Feuerbach: Nature and Time -- Chapter 12. Man in the Middle -- Chapter 13. A Conservative Revolution Chapter 14. A Glowing Footprint: Herzen and Proudhon -- Chapter 15. Toward Another Shore -- Chapter 16. View from the Other Shore -- Chapter 17. The Living Truth -- Chapter 18. In Defense of Inconsistency -- Chapter 19. What Is History? -- Chapter 20. The Polish Uprising -- Chapter 21. True Nihilism -- Chapter 22. The Last Years -- Epilogue -- Notes -- Illustration Credits -- Index