Russia and Europe. Danilevsky N. Ya.

Danilevsky’s sociological views are most fully set out in the book “Russia and Europe” (1869), in which he put forward the theory of separate, local “cultural-historical types” (civilizations), developing like living organisms. They are in a continuous struggle with each other and with the external environment, as well as biological species, the stages of mature, decrepitude and inevitable death pass. The course of history is expressed in the change of supplanting each other ten cultural and historical types. Danilevsky considers the “Slavic type” that is most promising from the point of view of history, the most fully expressed in the Russian people. And this type is completely excellent and separate from Europe.