Walter Schubart (1897–1942), a German jurist and cultural philosopher, occupied a singular position in the intellectual history of the mid-twentieth century. Forced to emigrate from Germany to Riga, Latvia, in 1933 to escape the rising tide of National Socialism, he experienced a profound cultural and spiritual transformation, eventually converting to Russian Orthodoxy and marrying a Russian woman. This intimate immersion into the Slavic spirit, combined with his academic post at the Latvian State University, allowed him to write with a depth that transcended mere observation, culminating in his 1938 masterpiece, "Russia and Western Man." Although he perished in a Soviet labor camp in 1942, his philosophy remains a cornerstone for understanding the metaphysical divide between the West and the East. In this work, Schubart presents a cultural-philosophical analysis based on "aeonic prototypes"—spiritual forms that determine the character of different eras—primarily contrasting the Promethean man of the West with the Messianic or Saintly man of the East.
» Our destiny is universality, won not by the sword, but by the strength
The Messianic Soul and the Character of the Russian Man
Schubart characterizes the Russian soul through its inherent drive toward spiritual unity and the archetype of the Messianic man. Unlike the Westerner, the Russian finds their greatest happiness in sacrifice, perpetually striving toward an all-embracing unity that seeks to embody the concept of universal humanity in flesh and blood. This soul seeks not to complete itself or to take from others, but to give and to offer itself lavishly, aiming for the bliss of becoming immersed in the "All" (p. 182). This spiritual orientation is underpinned by a profound humility that the Western mind often confuses with humiliation. For the Russian, humility is an essential step toward freedom because it relates the individual to God, whereas the European, bound by earthly perceptions, sees it as the mark of a slave (p. 153).
Furthermore, the Russian’s relationship to time is dictated by a sense of eternity that precludes the frantic pace of the West. Because the Russian feels themselves to be an eternal being, they are never troubled by the consuming fear of missing out or the pressure of a daily workload; they believe they have unlimited time. This allows Russian life to flow leisurely in a state where the "pure present" belongs to the individual (p. 151). This internal landscape fosters a sense of brotherly love where humans are united by their shared humanity rather than by common political or economic aims. Schubart notes that while Europeans are united by common goals, Russians are united by their souls, serving their fellow men directly out of love rather than a cold sense of duty (p. 176).
» Up to now, Europe has been Russia's misfortune—may the future prove Russia to be Europe's salvation! «
Walter Schubart (p. 275).
The Promethean Spirit and the Will of Western Man
In stark contrast, Schubart defines the Westerner as the Promethean man, an individual driven by a primitive fear that necessitates a will to power and the imposition of order upon a world viewed as chaos. For this heroic type, the world is a landscape into which it is his mission to bring form, and he himself supplies the universe with its only purpose (p. 14). To combat the internal specter of fear, the Promethean man relies on a domineering intellect that demands an icy clarity, treating emotions like well-behaved horses to be held in traces and refusing to tolerate daydreams or emotional suspension (p. 16).
This mindset views religious knowledge as a lower form of understanding and instead praises technology as the ultimate tool to eliminate chance and miracle from the world. Promethean man attempts to reduce the irrational to the comprehensive, seeking to fathom the secrets of nature primarily to rule the world. Consequently, generations have emerged in the West who are ashamed of the idea of God and regard the development of atheism as a sign of progress.
» The Englishman desires to exploit his neighbor, the Frenchman to impress him, the German to command him—only the Russian desires nothing from him. «
Walter Schubart (p. 299).
The Cultural Conflict and the End of the European Period
The conflict between these two types manifests in their fundamental goals for culture and society. While the final goal of Western culture is middle-class comfort and the regulation of the world through rigid legal systems, the Russian culture is driven by an urge to sacrifice itself in a final dramatic scene (p. 143, 191). The Russian perspective lacks a Western legal sense, viewing law as something that should eventually be rendered superfluous by religion—a concept that the modern Westerner, who has made an idol of the state, fails to comprehend (p. 191). Similarly, the concept of property differs; while the Westerner’s heart beats faster at the sight of his possessions, the Russian often suffers twinges of conscience, feeling that property owns the person rather than the person owning the property (p. 194).
Schubart argues that the "European period" in Russia, which began with Peter the Great’s attempts to impose Western rationalism and state supremacy over the Church, has finally reached its conclusion. He posits that the Bolshevik Revolution ironically accelerated this end by liquidating the social upper class that acted as the primary carrier for Western influence. By barricading Russia from Europe, the revolutionary era forced the nation back upon itself, marking the beginning of an "Asiatic era" where Russia is striving to overcome the influence of Promethean culture on its soil (p. 13-14). This shift represents a return to the Russian roots that had been suppressed for two centuries by a "Western crust."
» The Russians, as indeed all Slavs, have the passion for freedom, not alone for freedom from the yoke of foreign domination,
but freedom from the fetters of all transitory things. Here, the breadth of soul with its famous Russian generosity, shows itself
and stands out conspicuously in contrast with the middling pettiness of the West, and particularly of the Germans. «
Walter Schubart (p. 81). Russia as the Spiritual Salvation of the West
Schubart concludes his analysis with a vision of Russia acting as a spiritual salvation for a dying West. He asserts that the Western Promethean culture is in a state of terminal collapse, bearing the sign of death upon its brow as it sinks into a nihilistic abyss (p. 300). He believes that while Europe has been Russia’s misfortune in the past, the future may prove Russia to be Europe’s salvation as the "Man of the Millennium" is born from the synthesis of East and West (p. 300). The Russian mission, unlike the English national mission of world domination and practical aims, is one of redemption based on moral principles and the offering of a soul to a world that has become a spiritual desert (p. 219).
Ultimately, Schubart envisions the birth of a West-East world-culture that reconciles the organizational strength of the West with the spiritual depth of the East. He argues that the approaching collapse of Western culture is unavoidable, but that this destruction is merely the precursor to a resurrection. In his view, the twentieth century is an epoch of contradictions and decay, but also one of Messianic promise, where the Russian soul will provide the necessary spiritual renewal to save humanity from the mechanical void of Prometheanism (p. 299-300).
Reference:
[Europa und die Seele des Ostens.]
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