On the involuntary amateurism of Russian emigrant philosophy

Abstract

The article, based on an analysis of the concepts of “professionalism” and “amateurism,” attempts to assess the limits of their applicability to philosophy. It is pointed out that, starting from the 19th century, one of the main criteria of professionalism in philosophy has been the philosopher’s affiliation with the university. The thesis is put forward that amateurism in philosophy cannot be unequivocally assessed as a negative phenomenon, since this assessment is refuted by the very history of philosophy. The conclusions obtained in the article are used to reflect on the phenomenon of “involuntary amateurism” of Russian emigrant philosophy, which refers to the excommunication of its represenrarives from top-ranking universities as a result of the forced expulsion from Russia in 1922. The status of educational institutions founded by Russian emigrants is examined, and the conclusion is made that they were, rather, people's universities, which were not academic in the full sense of the word. The question is raised about what makes philosophers deprived of institutionalization as professionals. The thesis is put forward that in the conditions of forced marginalization, professional philosophical thinking could find its expression in various forms. Public lectures and epistolary heritage are analyzed as examples of “non-standard forms” of philosophy making. The analysis is based on the materials published in the book “Semyon Frank in European and emigrant culture” written by Teresa Obolevich in 2023. In conclusion, it is suggested that the use of the methodology of network interactions by R. Collins could be used in the study of Russian emigrant philosophy to help resist attempts to deprofessionalize it.