A.V.Novikov
St.-Petersburg State
University
Riches and Poverty Problems Through the Prism of
the Russian Mentality
Russia
unites set of national-territorial organisms with own spiritual and economic
features of development and, in turn, represents the uniform historical
organism which has created an original Russian civilization. This local
civilization is remarkable for special ways and methods of political, social
and economic, cultural and spiritual development which are defined by features
of the institutional environment characterized and formed by traditions,
customs, ways of world outlooks and world interpretation, in a word, national
mentality.
The
XXI century beginning was marked
by a considerable quantity of the works devoted to features of the term
"mentality" and to research of possibilities by means of the analysis
of this concept to solve a number of theoretical and practical problems which
have risen before the Russian society. Among the reasons which have caused special attention to finding-out of "a
mentality problem» - features and problems of the Russian present: «National
lines and habits of Russians express themselves so impressively in peripetias
of last time, in economic sphere, on arena of political activity that it can't
pass by attention of the social scientist. … The enormous logic of old values,
thought and behavior stereotypes, impossibility to understand, remaining at
former understanding of a society, the maintenance and sense of an event in
Russia» [1]. It is due to the enormous damage has been
caused to the mentality sphere, that is ideological, psychological and
to a morale of the Russian population in reorganization and postreorganization
times. And the biggest loss has been put not to system of the power and not to
economic sphere, but the third basic sphere of the country - mentality [2].
What
is the mentality? The shortest and, probably, most capacious definition of
mentality is a set of a genotype and culture. A genotype – the sum of all
hereditary factors of an organism (any, including the nation), that is that it
has by nature, and culture - what the organism joins, since a birth. The
mentality defines economic, political, social relations; all last history of
the country with all its contradictions, decisions of problems, the ways of
national life is contained in the mentality.
The mentality defines welfare and social and economic thinking and, as
consequence, motivated behavior of the separate person and the nation as a
whole, that is an economic system. In
particular the mentality of the people is realized through representations
about riches and the developed relation to rich that in the big degree defines
economic behavior and is an indicator of a level of development of market
relations, degrees of property and social stratification, and also readiness of
the people for market reforms.
The concept of riches in Russia was ambiguous. The riches in sense of
prosperity, content, satiety have been closely connected with a personal labor
and security of a family the foodstuffs and had a positive shade. Work was
esteemed by peasants as a fundamental principle of material well-being and
moral behavior: «Without effort there is no good"; "Work feeds and
dresses». [3] Thus concepts "riches" and
"content" could be opposed: «It is difficult to be rich, and it is
not sophisticated to be full and happy». The riches as the positive phenomenon
was connected with presence of mind and with ability independently to think:
«The riches give rise to mind», «Looking at people won't be full ». Ideal representation
of the peasant about riches associated not with quantity of material benefits,
and with completeness of life. There was no opposition of material riches to
spiritual riches and economic well-being to moral perfection, and moral and sincere health should be the
companion of a material prosperity.
On the other hand, the riches
understood as possession of property and money, allowing have over necessary, used as a source of
extraction of new profit, came nearer to concept of "capital" and had
obviously condemning shade. Presence of psychological orientation to use of the
property as the capital was for peasants the most exact indicator, helping to
define "kulak”, translated as “fist". The “fist” is a characteristic
not so much a property condition of the peasant, the social characteristic, but
his soul condition.
Such riches, its origin and growth communicated not with labor activity,
and with injust affairs not corresponding to Christian morals and with a direct
deceit: «In a hell not to be, riches not to acquire», «From works just not to
acquire chambers stone».
Many in the people considered that any riches are connected with a sin:
«Riches before God - the big sin»; «At whom money I see, - soul I do
not see»; «Start up soul in a hell - will be rich». Conclusions from here
followed: «It is better to live the poor man, than to grow rich with a sin».
That is the image of the poor man was more coordinated with a national
ideal. From here there is the special relation at the Russian person to
foolishes, as especially noted God. «Poverty - sacred state», «Poverty is
no crime, and misfortune».
Even in the environment of large Russian bourgeoisie, among rich
industrialists and merchants there were the moods showing that they as though
are ashamed of the riches and, certainly, would find blasphemy the property
right to name "sacred". It is significant the relation to another's
property. To encroach on it is a terrible sin. «It is better to ask for aims,
than another's to take». «Don't protect your own, but protect
another's». For the western burgher these phrases sounded nonsense.
Thus,
to riches and rich men, the Russian person was ill
disposed to moneymaking and looked at them with the big suspicion.
Money-grubbing, money accumulation above the requirement, moneymaking of any
blessings above a measure wasn't entered in its scale of vital values.
Thus it is possible to formulate the true occurring among country wise
men and skilled people which ideologically-moral maintenance consists in the
following: «the riches of the person consist not in money and comfort, not in
expensive both convenient things and subjects, and in depth and variety of comprehension
of essence of life, understanding
of beauty and harmonies of the world, creation of a high moral order».
Though, certainly without encouraging excesses, suspiciously concerning
luxury, the peasant aspired to a prosperity expressed in sufficiency of the
vital blessings and for a separate court yard, and for village as a
whole.
As a result of the
compelled sharp change of stereotypes of economic behavior destruction of
mental bases of the Russian people, especially certain part of economic elite has
begun. Time of changes became «a
litmus piece of paper», revealed presence at a society of that element which,
having used a situation, has hastened to turn history in favor of itself.
Unfortunately,
formation of new economic consciousness is rather long process.
Nevertheless, about
loss of spiritually-moral bases of the Russian economic mentality to speak
still early as for an overwhelming part of the people a civilization basis
there are traditions and symbols, sacred for Russians.
[1] I.K.Pantin. National mentality and history of Russia. / materials of a
round table. In: B.A.Dushkov. Psychology of mentality and noos mentality. Ekaterinburg. 2002.
p.349.
[2] A.A.Zinovev. Destruction of Russian communism. M. 2001. p.345-346.
[3] V.I.Dal. Proverbs of Russian people. M. 1957. v. 1-IV.