From the French language the concept of "liberalism" (liberalisme) was translated as "free-thinking", which was little understood by the simple and broad Russian soul, which had been brought up for centuries in the spirit of reverence for the tsar-priest, cultural, historical and family traditions. In this regard, it is hardly believed that the majority of Russians will believe in beautiful and high liberal ideas. But are these ideas so beautiful and does this “foreign language” concept of liberalism take root in our country?
The parameters of the Russian liberal project should be treated with a share of irony and national self-determination. For even the so-called Russian liberal project will be little understood by Western liberals.
What is a liberal project?
To understand what relates to the parameters of the Russian liberal project, we will understand the concept of liberalism and answer the question of the title. If you answer the question above sincerely (for yourself, not for the public), you will understand that the restructuring of public consciousness without restructuring the mind of a particular citizen is simply impossible. The goal is not to be a representative of a society-nation-nation, but to become a Citizen with a capital letter: with new consciousness, attitude, thinking and mentality (if the word "mentality" is applicable to a specific individual in society), the so-called citizen of the world. The project is aimed at this: the creation of citizens without history, culture, values of the country.
The main idea that liberalism carries in itself in general is: "Freedom, equality, fraternity." Appearing as part of the French Revolution, this term smoothly migrated into fashion, which the United States began to promote and even impose. The concept of liberalism has acquired the features of the United States, and now it’s not a warrior hero who was a symbol, but a consumer who strives only for the best, strives for constant and increasing consumption and a type of personality that is characterized by feminized traits (unisex fashion, refusal to parents, which leads to a reduction in the population, the active following of the canons of modern fashion from a purely female point of view, comprehensive gender equality, etc.), which eventually began to gradually lead to the fact that they stopped reckon with moral, cultural, family and religious traditions. And this, among other features, relates to the parameters of the Russian liberal project. So it is all over the world. So, individuals are trying to pursue a liberal model of politics in Russia.
The development of liberal ideas in Russia began with the advent of Peter I at the beginning of the 18th century. Peter I, having cut a window into Europe and opened up cultural and other Western values for “impoverished and uncivilized Russia,” at the same time opened the way for those who did not know and did not respect their country, its centuries-old traditions and history, who were devotedly and selflessly in love to the West, its values or, rather, their absence.
Parameters of the Russian liberal project
- Orientation to Western ideas, values, lifestyle, economics.
- Evolutionary-progressive ways for society to achieve its present civil status.
- The basis of the foundations is a “free personality”, and everything should be aimed at its formation.
- The guarantor of everything is the rule of law.
- Normal civilized state, for which they are ready to destroy the existing.
- A reference to the material component of life.
- The capitalist model of the economy and society.
What is stopping the liberal project in Russia?
But Russian society has always been and remains (and, it seems, will remain) that society that honors its heroes, one way or another, the religion, family life and culture of its country, therefore liberalism in the broad sense of the word in Russia comes into symbiosis with all the features of the Russian mentality or, more simply put, changing with the help of the broad Russian soul.
The situation in the country, as well as the historical heritage, tells us that in our time the “Russian way” is reviving, unique, unlike anything that can have the best features of other forms of development and self-determination of society. The Russian path of movement is the path of a country with a thousand-year history of Slavic peoples and Russia, the revival of national and folk traditions, the heroism of the individual and the whole nation as a whole, strong and wise power and statehood, faith in yourself, in your neighbor, in God and the Fatherland.
Any form of development of society carries common sense and negative trends. And, of course, liberal ideas and values also exist and are well taking root in Russia. However, Russia is one of the few countries that has a national soul color. And therefore, any innovation, any idea passes through the crucible of Russian spirituality and soulfulness. That is why, most likely, not one of the ideologies in Russian society has taken root for so long. Therefore, the breadth of the Russian soul also applies to the parameters of the Russian liberal project. And this, in turn, is the factor that will never allow the implementation of a liberal project in Russia.