H. Cohens Ethik und ihre Rezeption in der russischen Philosophie des Rechts

Abstract

The article draws attention to one remarkable feature in the perception of the Hermann Cohen doctrine in Russia, namely special attention on the part of Russian philosophers of the twentieth century to the turn of the ethical theories of the founder of the Marburg school of neo-Kantianism. In Russia, the most representative approach to the analysis of Cohen’s ethical theories is one conducted from the perspective of the philosophy of law. Ethical theories of the Marburg philosopher were in the center of scientific debate of the most famous Russian theorists of law – P.I. Novgorodtsev, B.A. Kistyakovsky, E.V. Spektorsky. The appeal rights of Russian theorists to analyze ethical problems Cohen highlighted the relation of law and morality. The central theme of the arguments in this respect was the theme of ethics orientation of the Marburg philosopher on jurisprudence. Of particular importance in view of the historicist and positivist tendencies that prevailed at the end of the 19th century in legal science in Russia, was rehabilitation of Cohen’s and his followers’ the concept of “natural law”. The main drawback of the criticism coming from Russian theorists of law in relation to Cohen is that their approach to the ideas of this great German thinker is not systematic enough, attempting to consider their ethical views independently from other parts of their philosophical constructions.