The Origins and Meaning of Intellectual History: Philosophy of N. A. Berdyaev in the Historical Constructions of M. M. Karpovich

This article evaluates the role of N. A. Berdyaevs historiosophical constructions in the creation of a model of intellectual history by the influential American-Russian scholar of the mid-20th century, M. M. Karpovich. Despite some significant differences in views, in particular on the nature of Bolshevism and the Soviet system, as well as Karpovichs critical statements about the Russian philosopher, it was possible to identify a number of crucial points of intersection at the theoretical, structural and substantive levels, which were reflected in his course of “Lectures on the Intellectual History of Russia”. The author comes to the conclusion about Karpovichs deliberate orientation towards Berdyaevs works, especially “The Origin of Russian Communism”, which at the same time became for the scholar both a fulcrum in building the foundation of his own historical concept and an odious statement, to which Karpovich could not help but react.