TURGENEV’S RUDIN AS A PHILOSOPHIZING CHARACTER

In I. Turgenev’s novel «Rudin» a defining characteristic of the author’s literary work is revealed: appealing to definite philosophical systems presented in his literary works implicitly – on the level of the author’s intent, and which become open only in particular cases. It becomes possible preeminently in an utterance of a character whose reasoning on metaphysical issues is the result of special education, a characteristic of the mind and a mode of expression. It is in this aspect the article focuses on the protagonist of I. Turgenev’s first novel Dmitry Rudin. The main objectives of the paper are defining the role of philosophical knowledge in Rudin’s personality formation and inner connections of the author’s philosophical intent and «direct» philosophical position of the character. To carry out these objectives it was necessary to consider the ideas and methodology of M. Bakhtin’s philosophical esthetics in the context of historical and literary research. The article discusses Hegel’s philosophy influence on Rudin’s worldview and his type of behavior. Turgenev’s appeal to a famous German philosopher’s school of thought is connected with the role of this school of thought in his own life. A course of lectures attended by the writer at Berlin University contributed to serious studies of Hegel’s philosophy and interest to his scientific method. However, by the time of writing the novel Turgenev’s attitude to the philosophical idol of his youth is generally critical. That determined the ambiguity of the author’s position in characterization of the protagonist’s worldview, formed preeminently by the speculative philosophy spectrum of ideas. Key concepts of Rudin’s linguistic persona are «truth» and «ideal», expressing inner, spiritual search of this character. Turgenev sees inner limitation of his character rather in the fact that the atmosphere of pure thought where his is, brings Rudin to excessive rationalism of emotional life and undervaluation of feelings of those people who trust him and love him. Admitting the important meaning of the intellectual component of Rudin’s worldview, even in his first novel Turgenev tries to understand that irrational power of feelings that will break into his characters’ fates more and more with each new novel.