Russian pre-revolutionary thought

Russian pre-revolutionary thought encompassed a diverse range of ideas as intellectuals debated the country's future. Some, like the Slavophiles, valued Russia’s unique traditions and Orthodox Christianity, emphasizing spiritual and communal values. Others, such as Westernizers, advocated adopting Western European institutions, science, and modernization. Socialists and revolutionaries argued for radical change to address widespread poverty and oppression, aiming for a society based on equality. These debates reflected Russia’s struggle between tradition and modernity, monarchical authority and reform, shaping the ideological groundwork that influenced the 1917 Revolution.