The End of Russian Philosophy describes and evaluates the troubled state of Russian philosophical thought in the post-Soviet decades. The book suggests that in order to revive philosophy as a universal, professional discipline in Russia, it may be necessary for Russian philosophy to first do away with the messianic traditions of the 19th century.

This is an in-depth investigation into the life and work of one of the most prominent philosophers of Russian and Russian-Soviet history, Merab Mamardashvili, all of whose ideas are collected here in one book. However, each of his ideas leads much further - deep into philosophy itself, its cultural origins, and to the basis and roots of all human thought.

For the first time since the break up of the USSR, and with the help of 21 leading historians of Russian philosophy from Moscow State University including M. N. Gromov, Z. A. Kamensky, M. A. Maslin, B. G. Safronov, and V. V. Serbinenko, Valery A. Kuvakin presents a comprehensive two-volume work capturing the rich philosophical heritage of this diverse culture. These scholars discuss its interpretation of the universe, the essence of history and human existence, the ideals of knowledge and a decent life, the destiny of Russia, and the life of the world community from the 10th century through the early 20th century. These discussions are augmented with selected excerpts from original works, which served as examples of the main schools of thought.

First published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.