Social Ideal of P. Novhorodtsev

Abstract

P. Novhorodtsev’s doctrine about social ideal, its essence and transformations is considered. It is claimed that the ideas of liberalism had a significant influence on the formation of the thinker’s views that has affected his support to the concept of natural law, the recognition of the priority of human rights, justification of the right to personal integrity and decent human existence. The philosophical position of the first period of creativity of P. Novhorodtsev is considered as the philosophy of moral idealism characterized by the assertion of the ideal of absolute good. According to P. Novhorodtsev, absolute good exists in the form of a social ideal which is an integral part of social life. P. Novhorodtsev defended the idea of «the revival of natural law» as the ideal essence of law in order to restore moral ideals of the legal science. The foundation of an ideal, fair society should be created on the basis of legal norms that include moral and ethical content. Based on natural law, a person endowed with reason and free will, is the main subject of history, a kind of absolute value, meaning and purpose of progress. The scientist understood the personality not as random empirical essence, but the universal spiritual essence that differently and individually detected in each person and have an independent value. The state whose main purpose is to contain social contradictions and passions should serve for the personality. The social ideal is a derivative of natural law. The priority of natural law concerning positive law is a way of achievement of a priority of morality in relation to the right of a positive one is the way to achieve the priority of morality in relation to law. P. Novhorodtsev considered the social ideal as the principle of free universalism. However, the absolute ideal is unattainable, because is based on the infinity of the development of a moral idea (philosophy of infinity). In the last years of his life, P. Novhorodtsev urged to get out of the eschatological theories of «earthly paradise». The harmony of freedom and equality that is possible only as an idea becomes an imperative of moral action, and not a plan for the creation of a state. The task of achieving ultimate perfection gives way to endless improvement. The doctrine of P. Novhorodtsev proves that it is impossible to create a social paradise in reality. The changing political forms and ideas should be considered as separate aspects of socio-cultural evolution of mankind. The only truly achievable social ideal is the infinite development of personality. Moral perfection is the way humanity should go to a social ideal. Such movement is infinite.