carnation had taken place first in
the Eastern Monarchies, then in Greece, next in Rome, and lastly in the
Germanic race; and it was generally assumed, if not openly asserted,
that this mystical Metempsychosis of the Absolute was now at an end. The
cycle of existence was complete. In the Germanic peoples the Weltgeist
had found its highest and final expression.

Russians in general knew nothing about German philosophy, and were
consequently not in any way affected by these ideas, but there was in
Moscow a small group of young men who ardently studied German literature
and metaphysics, and they were much shocked by Hegel's views. Ever since
the brilliant reign of Catherine II., who had defeated the Turks and had
dreamed of resuscitating the Byzantine Empire, and especially since the
memorable events of 1812-15, when Alexander I. appeared as the liberator
of enthralled Europe and the arbiter of her destinies, Russians
were firmly convinced that their country was destined to play a most
important part in human history. Already the great Russian historian
Karamzin had declared that henceforth Clio must be silent or accord
to Russia a prominent place in the history of the nations. Now, by the
Hegelian theory, the whole of the Slav race was left out in the cold,
with no high mission, with no new truths to divulge, with nothing better
to do, in fact, than to imitate the Germans.

The patriotic philosophers of Moscow could not, of course, adopt this
view. Whilst accepting the fundamental principles, they declared the
theory to be incomplete. The incompleteness lay in the assumption that
humanity had already entered on the final stages of its development. The
Teutonic nations were perhaps for the moment the leaders in the march of
civilisation, but there was no reason to suppose that they would always
retain that privileged position. On the contrary, there were already
symptoms that their ascendency was drawing to a close. "Western Europe,"
it was said, "presents a strange, saddening spectacle. Opinion struggles
against opinion, power against power, throne against throne. Science,
Art, and Religion, the three chief motors of social life, have lost
their force. We venture to make an assertion which to many at present
may seem strange, but which will be in a few years only too evident:
Western Europe is on the highroad to ruin! We Russians, on the contrary,
are young and fresh, and have taken no part in the crimes of Europe.
We h