Piotr Bitsilli and Ernst Cassirer

Abstract: The article presents reflections on the problem of comparing the ideas and legacy of two famous thinkers of the twentieth century — German philosopher Ernst Cassirer (1874–1945) and Russian historian Piotr M. Bitsilli (1879–1953). Three aspects of comparison are considered: 1) Cassirer’s influence on Bitsilli; 2) the concept of cultural and historical periods (the Middle Ages and the Renaissance) by the thinkers; 3) the attitude to the problem of freedom and the European cultural heritage on the examples of the works by J.W. Goethe and O. Spengler. A comparative study of the texts by E. Cassirer and P. Bitsilli opens up a broad perspective for studying the history of ideas in the humanities.

Keywords: Piotr M. Bitsilli, Ernst Cassirer, Renaissance, philosophy of history, the problem of freedom.

Information about author: Roman Mnich, Doctor Hab., Professor, Department of Russian Studies, University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście St. 26/28, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland.

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3384-2821

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For citation: Mnich, Roman. “Piotr Bitsilli and Ernst Cassirer.” Emigrantica. Issue 2: Piotr M. Bitsilli and the Humanities of the Russia Abroad, comp. M.A. Vasilieva, sci. ed. M.A. Vasilieva and A.V. Bakuntsev, ed. M.S. Shchavlinskii, D.V. Zaitsev. Moscow, IWL RAS Publ., 2024, pp. 203–214. (In Russian) https://doi.org/10.22455/Emigr.3034-3518-2024-2-203-214

REFERENCES

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Received: 11 August 2021
Approved after reviewing: March 23, 2022
Date of publication: December 26, 2024

Piotr Bitsilli and Ernst Cassirer

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