War, Progress, and the End of History: Three Conversations, Including a Short Story of the Anti-Christ (Esalen-Lindisfarne Library of Russian Philosophy) (Paperback)

by Vladimir Solovyov (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In this prophetic, millennial work, written by Russia's greatest philosopher at the end of the last century, the great task facing humanity as progress races to end history is the resistance to evil. Solovyov addresses what seem to him the three main trends of our time: economic materialism, Tolstoyan abstract moralism, and Nietzschean hubris--the first is already present, the second imminent, while the last is the apocalyptic precursor of the Antichrist.

About the Author
Vladimir Solovyov (1853-1900), one of the greatest philosophers of the nineteenth century, was the founder of a tradition of Russian spirituality that brought together philosophy, mysticism, and theology with a powerful social message. A close friend of Dostoevsky, a Platonist, and a gnostic visionary, Solovyov was a prophet, having been granted three visions of Sophia, Divine Wisdom. He was also a poet and a profoundly Christian metaphysicist. His most important works include Lectures on Divine Humanity, The Justification of the Good, and War, Progress, and the End of History: Three Conversations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Lindisfarne Books (October 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0940262355
• ISBN-13: 978-0940262355
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,315,465 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating "platonic" dialogue treating human progress..., June 23, 1998

By	[e-mail] (South Bend, IN) - See all my reviews

Solovyov's "Three Conversations" is a fascinating inquiry in the form of a platonic dialogue examining the nature of war and human progress. The initial subject for examination is more or less as follows: given the nature of man, is war an inevitable (a necessary, or even good) factor of history, or will humanity progress beyond the need of war?

Like a typical platonic dialogue, Solovyov too ends his work with a "mythos", an account of the Anti-Christ. The most intriguing part of the work, it is a story of the final conflict between Good and Evil. In some ways, it is the counterpoint to Dostoevsky's "The Grand Inquisitor".

A rich, thought-provoking book that is also a delight to read, I highly recommend Solovyov's "War, Progress and the End of History".

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating "platonic" dialogue treating human progress..., March 31, 2002

By	Donald J. Uitvlugt (Dorr, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Solovyov's "Three Conversations" is a fascinating inquiry in the form of a platonic dialogue examining the nature of war and human progress. The initial subject for examination is more or less as follows: given the nature of man, is war an inevitable (a necessary, or even good) factor of history, or will humanity progress beyond the need of war?

Like a typical platonic dialogue, Solovyov too ends his work with a "mythos", an account of the Anti-Christ. The most intriguing part of the work, it is a story of the final conflict between Good and Evil. In some ways, it is the counterpoint to Dostoevsky's "The Grand Inquisitor".

A rich, thought-provoking book that is also a delight to read, I highly recommend Solovyov's "War, Progress and the End of History".

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating "platonic" dialogue treating human progress..., December 17, 2001

By	Donald J. Uitvlugt (Dorr, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Solovyov's "Three Conversations" is a fascinating inquiry in the form of a platonic dialogue examining the nature of war and human progress. The initial subject for examination is more or less as follows: given the nature of man, is war an inevitable (a necessary, or even good) factor of history, or will humanity progress beyond the need of war?

Like a typical platonic dialogue, Solovyov too ends his work with a "mythos", an account of the Anti-Christ. The most intriguing part of the work, it is a story of the final conflict between Good and Evil. In some ways, it is the counterpoint to Dostoevsky's "The Grand Inquisitor".

A rich, thought-provoking book that is also a delight to read, I highly recommend Solovyov's "War, Progress and the End of History".