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| Unit name |
Russian Thought of the Silver Age |
| Unit code |
RUSS30052 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
H/6
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
|
| Unit director |
Dr. Coates |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department |
Department of Russian |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Arts |
Description including Unit Aims
This new unit will explore developments in Russian thought from about 1890 to the October Revolution of 1917, a period commonly referred to as the Silver Age. Despite the continuing and increasing impact of socialist and materialist ideologies, notably Marxism, on Russian politics and culture in the decades preceding the Revolution, the Silver Age is defined rather by a parallel resurgence of interest in metaphysics, and a range of religious/spiritual responses to the uncertainties of the age: it is the philosophical expression of these which will form the basis of the course.
The course will examine such themes as the relationship of faith to reason, the relationship of the spirit to the body, conceptions of love, revolution and apocalypse, and the struggle for and against the Orthodox Church.
Thinkers to be covered include Vladimir Solov’ev, Dmitrii Merezhkovskii, Vasilii Rozanov, Lev Shestov, Pavel Florenskii, and Sergei Bulgakov.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Successful students will:
- be knowledgable about a significant cultural, historical or linguistic subject related to the language they are studying;
- will have advanced skills in the selection and synthesis of relevant material;
- be able to evaluate and analyse relevant material from a significant body of source materials, usually in a foreign language, at an advanced level;
- be able to respond to questions or problems by presenting their independent judgements in an appropriate style and at an advanced level of complexity;
- be able to transfer these skills to other working environments, including postgraduate study.
Teaching Information
Two seminar hours per week across one teaching block (22 contact hours).
Assessment Information
- To introduce students to a significant body of knowledge of a complexity appropriate to final year level. The content matter will normally include one or more of the following: literature; social, cultural or political history; linguistics; cultural studies; film, television or other media.
- To facilitate students’ engagement with a body of literature, including secondary literature, texts, including in non-print media, primary sources and ideas as a basis for their own analysis and development. Normally many or most of these sources will be in a language other than English and will enhance the development of their linguistic skills.
- To develop further skills of synthesis, analysis and independent research, building on the skills acquired in units at level I.
- To equip students with the skills to undertake postgraduate study in a relevant field.
