Kupriyanov, V. (2024) «The Sciences and Arts are the True Treasure of the Human Kind»: Concerning the Question of the Motives of G.W. Leibniz’s Interest to Russia and Peter the Great – МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЙ ЖУРНАЛ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ

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Victor A. KUPRIYANOV
Saint Petersburg branch of S.I. Vavilov Institute for History of Science and Technology of the RAS
5B, Universitetskaya embankment, Saint Petersburg, 199034 Russian Federation
Senior Research Fellow
PhD (in Philosophy)
e-mail: nonignarus-artis@mail.ru
ORCID: 0000-0003-0757-3752

Kupriyanov, V. (2024) «The Sciences and Arts are the True Treasure of the Human Kind»: Concerning the Question of the Motives of G.W. Leibniz’s Interest to Russia and Peter the Great

Abstract: The article deals with the problem of relations German philosopher G. W. Leibniz to Russia. The author of the article points out to the fact that there were a vast historiography concerning the question under consideration which includes the works by W.I. Guerrier, L. Richter, I. Böger, E. Knobloch, P.P. Pekarsky and Yu. Kh. Kopelevich. The article aims at clarification of the Leibniz’s motivation when he maintained the contacts with Russian correspondents. This problem is considered to be one of the hallmarks for the correct understanding of Leibniz’s interest to Russia and for the evaluation of his influence on formation of the science in Russian in the first half of the XVIIIth century. The article shows that Leibniz’s views on Russia undergone a significant transformation. While during the early period of his creative work Leibniz had had negative attitude to Russia, by the beginning of the intensive contacts with Russian correspondents he considered Russia exclusively in a positive way, maintaining that due to the reforms, Russia could become an example for Europe. The author of the article singles out three groups of Leibniz’s motives. First, it is shown that Russia played a key role in Leibniz’s political projects. Second, the author makes it clear that the expansion of sciences and education is key means for the Leibniz’s interest to the geographical and linguistical research of Russia. The author comes to conclusion that these three groups of motives were at the core of Leibniz’s interest to Russia and Peter the Great and compelled him to maintain the contacts in Russia and to propose the programs and projects of the reforms. The author of the article also notes that designation of Russia as a tabula rasa in the texts of Leibniz has a positive meaning.

Key words: Leibniz, Russia, Peter I, science, Academy of Sciences, academic movement, history of linguistics, foundation of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, science in Russia, Russia and China.

References:

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For Citation:

Kupriyanov, V. (2024) «The Sciences and Arts are the True Treasure of the Human Kind»: Concerning the Question of the Motives of G.W. Leibniz’s Interest to Russia and Peter the Great. International Journal of Cultural Research, 3 (56). 31–46. DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2024_3_31

DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2024_3_31