S. I. Baranovsky’s Project of Social-Political Modernization of Russia

Abstract

In the second half of the 1850s in the conditions of general liberalization of the political regime and socio-political upsurge in the Russian public environment, the concept of liberal transformations of the country was formed, which the representatives of Russian society conveyed to the ruling elite. The main provisions of this concept were the abolition of serfdom, the demand for broad publicity and freedom of public opinion, as well as the recognition of basic civil rights and freedoms. These provisions are reflected in the works of outstanding Russian thinkers of this period, which has been studied in detail in domestic historiography. However the socio-political ideas of Russian scientist S. I. Baranovsky during the mid-19th century has not yet been introduced into scientific circulation and has not been the subject of a dedicated study. The purpose of the article is to analyze Baranovsky’s main ideas outlined in his 1857 note addressed to Emperor Alexander II, in the context of the development of Russian social thought in the mid-19th century and changes in the relationship between power and society in the country. Bara-novsky’s note “Zadushevnye dumy” is a moderately liberal project of socio-political transformation in the Russian empire, which in many respects continued the tradition of designing the concept of political modernization of Russian autocracy. Many basic theoretical principles of classical liberalism reflected in the views of the scientist, such as the theory of natural laws, basic individual rights and freedoms stemming from it, the rule of law, the principle of separation of powers. Baranovsky’s approach to socio-political reform was characterized by a critical attitude toward borrowing the Western European experience of state administration, which was reflected in the attempts of adapting his proposals to the Russian social and political conditions of the mid-19th century.