The usage of citation and self-citation in Sololvyov’s philosophical texts

Vladimir Solovyov is a distinguished philosopher-poet whose poetry and philosophical treatises are of equal importance for Russian culture. Of particular interest is the fact that Solovyov cites his own poems in his philosophical works and includes anonymous quotes, that is, without indicating the author’s name and source, thus creating the obstacles for editors and commentators. In some cases, speaking, for example, about the poems included by Solovyov in his thesis, the question arises whether this poem was written independently, and then used in philosophical work or written specifically for the philosophical work, and then published as an independent poem. Solovyov-philosopher deals with philosophical problems in his poetry as well as in his philosophical works and employs such literary device as conceptual rhyme. He also emphasizes the unity of philosophical and poetic texts by using pronoun anaphora. While citing foreign poetry, the philosophical text performs two functions: it translates the original work into another language and introduces it to another discourse. Solovyov not only relies on the original text but also considers philosophical concepts in a multilingual way and, in some cases, he cites other people’ translations which prove to be nothing but a version of his own ones. Citing poetry in philosophical discourse is often characterized by using the strategy of appropriation. For a philosopher, the common way of reproducing poetry is quoting from memory, and in most cases, especially when quoted partly, the poems reveal significant discrepancies with the original versions. Solovyov’s inaccurate quoting demonstrates his interference as a poet and as a philosopher. When citing poetry, a philosopher has to speak on behalf of the poet and turn poetic concepts into philosophical ones. Many of Solovyov’s remarks indicate that he interprets a poem as a specific philosophical formula which can become a trigger for transforming a though into a philosophical work.

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