The Theme of Love in Russian Philosophical Utopias of the 1920s and 1930s (Andrei Platonov and Stepan Kalachov)

The article discusses the role of feelings in shaping the society of the future using two concepts created in the 1920s and 1930s in Russia. These are the projects of Andrei Platonov and Stepan Kalachov, which can be attributed to the philosophy of love. The concepts reflect the features of the post-revolutionary era and are linked to the transformation of the period. Despite some similarities between the projects, each has its own characteristics. Platonov's conception is characterized by a transformation we witness at the end of the 1930s, which was connected with the change of the philosopher's attitude to the development of society and the relationship between the sexes, and was due to the construction of communism in the country and the methods used for this purpose. There is no such change in the utopia of Kalachov's eroica, and the basic precepts laid down in the 1920s continue to evolve further into the concept of life wisdom. The first period in Platonov's work is connected with the ideas of technocracy and asceticism in the relationship between the sexes. In this regard, the sensual aspect is suppressed and destroyed as an impediment to the grand transformation of society; hence the new techniques of destroying sexual instinct, preaching chastity. In the society to be created, the mind suppresses feelings, which determines the attitude to the woman and the feminine that become of secondary importance. Gradually, the philosopher becomes disillusioned with the ongoing transformations of the Bolsheviks, and his attitude towards women and feelings changes. Kalachov's eroica conception refers to erotic utopia and represents the synthesis of eroticism and heroics of the era. Kalachov reveals the sensual and bodily aspect of the society of the future. He has the ideas of technocracy, which relates him to Platonov's conception. However, Kalachov does not abandon feelings in the new society, and the theme of love is central to him. Some features of the conception echo the views of some members of the Marxist ideology (Alexandra Kollontai), but generally do not reflect the views of the official authorities. Both projects reflect the characteristics of the era that created them, offer a solution to the problem of gender relations, and reveal the importance of love in society. Love in these projects is a transformative beginning that can change the human being and society, and lead the world to universal harmony. However, in the context of the communist project, in which the spirit of freedom of the first post-revolutionary years was destroyed, they could not be realized and remained utopias.

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