Peter Chaadaev emerges from the pages of history as one of Russia's most
provocative and influential thinkers. The purpose of this book is to
present the reader with the fIrst English translation of most of his
philosophical writings. During the first half of the nineteenth century
Chaadaev incited a violent polemic concerning the historical
significance of Russian culture. His ideas concerning Russia's real
mission in the world still provoke controversy in the Soviet Union. In
fact, no edition of most of his works has ever been published in the
Soviet Union until the Gorbachev era. Our English translation with
commentaries was done in the conviction that these writings should be
made available to the English-reading public. The background material in
this book is expository; we have not attempted to write a complete
biographical study of Chaadaev, nor have we tried to offer an analysis
of Chaadaev's philosophy. The point of view is simply that of two
scholars who admire Chaadaev's insights into philosophy in general, and
the philosophy of history, in particular; so the background material has
-been limited to a biographical sketch of Chaadaev and a brief
explanation of his major ideas.
