The Philosophy of Love by V. Solovyov: From Platonic Eros to Universal Syzygy

Aim. To prove that in the article “Plato’s Life Drama” and in a public lecture in 1898, Solovyov summarized his reflections on Plato’s philosophy of love and formulated the foundations of his own doctrine of love.

Methodology. The article uses a number of philosophical approaches: ontological, anthropological, epistemological; principles of source analysis, philosophical comparative studies and historical and genetic methods. Historical and philosophical, comparative, contextual, and analytical methods were also used.

Results. V. S. Solovyov, in philosophical and ontological terms, showed that Plato’s Eros is an intermediate force for connecting two worlds, combining those layers of being that cannot connect by themselves. The Russian philosopher compared the mythical image of Plato’s Eros and the mystical image of Sophia, revealing common and different features in them. As a result of theoretical research, as well as on the basis of personal experience of interaction with the heavenly Virgin Sophia, Solovyov states the ontological-aesthetic and ontological-ethical meaning of love as the realization of the original world goal. According to the Russian thinker, it fully reflects the true purpose of a person, who, in his creative interaction with the natural environment, is able to embody the idea of world syzygy.

Research implications. The theoretical and/or practical significance of the research lies in the conceptualization of a little-explored trend in Solovyov’s doctrine of love, which seems extremely relevant in the light of modern cosmo-philosophical and mystical-philosophical studies of the teachings of the great Russian philosopher. The findings of the article may provide an opportunity to expand the boundaries of modern philosophical, aesthetic, ethical and cosmo-mystical discourse about the possibilities and spiritual prospects of genuine human love.

1. Buzhor E. S. [Meaning of Love in the Philosophy of All-Unity of Vladimir Solovyov]. In: Obshchestvo: filosofiya, istoriya, kul’tura [Society: Philosophy, History, Culture], 2017, no. 9, pp. 43–47.

2. Kravchenko V. V. Vestniki russkogo misticizma [Heralds of Russian Mysticism]. Moscow, Izdatcentr Publ., 1997. 300 p.

3. Kravchenko V. V. Vladimir Solov’yov i Sofiya [Vladimir Solovyov and Sofia]. Moscow, Agraf Publ., 2006. 384 p.

4. Kravchenko V. V. [To the Question of the Cancelled Travel of Vladimir Solovyov to India]. In: Vestnik Tverskogo gosuniversiteta. Seriya: Filosofiya [Bulletin of Tver State University. Series: Philosophy], 2018, no. 3, pp. 96–107.

5. Kravchenko V. V. Simfoniya chelovecheskoj kul’tury [Symphony of Human Culture]. Moscow, Agraf Publ., 2017. 384 p.

6. Maksimov M. V. [Vladimir Solovyov and Maxim the Confessor: Metaphysics and Theology of Love]. In: Solov’evskie issledovaniya [Solovyov Studies], 2020, iss. 1 (65), pp. 31–46.

7. Podvoisky L. Ya. [The Philosophy of Love and Perfection of V. S. Soloviev]. In: Voprosy elitologii [Questions of Elitology], 2020, no. 1, pp. 46–76.

8. Pugacheva N. S. Lyubov’ i svoboda v nravstvennom uchenii Vl. S. Solov’yova [Love and Freedom in the Moral Teachings of Vl. S. Solovyov]. Penza, Penza State Agrarian University Publ., 2019. 216 p.

9. Solov’yov V. S. [The Life Drama of Plato]. In: Solov’yov V. S. Sochineniya. T. 2 [Works. Vol. 2]. Moscow, Mysl’ Publ., 1988, pp. 582–634.

10. Torchinov E. A. Religii mira. Opyt zapredel’nogo: psihotekhnika i transpersonal’nye sostoyaniya [Religions of the World. Experience of the Beyond: Psychotechnics and Transpersonal States]. St. Peterburg, Peterburgskoe vostokovedenie Publ., 1997. 384 p.

11. Sheinman-Topshtein S. Ya. Platon i vedijskaya filosofiya [Plato and Vedic Philosophy]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1978. 199 p.

12. Faivre A. Sensuous Relations with Sophia in Christian Theosophy. In: Hanegraaff J., Kripal J. J., eds. Hidden Intercourse: Eros and Sexuality in the History of Western Esotericism. Leiden, Boston, Brill, 2008, pp. 281–308.