On how “between” and “inter-” essentially differ: from a dialogue between cultures to an intercultural philosophical polylogue in the European cultural space

Abstract

The article raises the question of the reasons for the “interculturalism” of the Russian philosophical tradition. The problem is that Russian thinkers, despite their awareness of their belonging to Western European philosophical thought, and despite their foreign-language publication activity, are not fully integrated into it, or even into intercultural philosophy. According to the author, the reason is hidden in the very essence of the project of intercultural philosophizing, which originally was aimed at the philosophical legitimization of non-Euro­pean cultures that had been colonized by West Europeans. It is argued that the project of intercultural philosophy can be realized only if its supporters are able to notice the otherness within Europe; it should be stressed that what is being criticized is essentially “Western Eurocentrism”, since it is Western European philosophy that expresses the claim to be the only correct model of philosophizing. Only in this case the intercultural project will deal with the “Other Europe” where there are different types of philosophical thinking, and the “inner polylogue” will have a chance to begin. The author believes that for Russian philosophers the project of intercultural philosophy will be effective if they manage to synthesize the two cultures of philosophical thinking in Russia – religious-me­taphysical and Soviet. The latter can enrich them with the experience of intercultural perception of other traditions of philosophizing, both in Russia and abroad. This philosophical legacy – reinterpreted and recaptured – will allow us to consciously take part in the project of intercultural philosophy.