Sobolev Vladimir Andreevich

The article is dedicated to the “Political journal”, published in Russia from 1790 to 1830. The Journal was fi rst published as a Russian-language version of the German journal “Politisches Journal nebst Anzeige von gelehrten und andern Sachen” and was originally known in Russian as “Political journal with the testimony of scientists and other things, published in Hamburg by the Society of Learned Men, Translated from German”. A distinctive feature of the “Political journal” was its pragmatic perspective on the political situation in the world, which allowed the reader not only to draw a conclusion about a particular event, but also to see the whole picture of what was happening in the world, understanding the causal relationship. Soon after the fi rst publication, the “Political journal” captured the interest of the Russian public, and by the beginning of the 19th century reading the Journal became one of the distinctive elements of the “enlightened” intelligentsia. The “Political journal” can be considered the fi rst publication focusing specifi cally on political science in Russia and one of the most enduring publications of that time. Despite the fact it has changed name over time, it was published for 40 years. Overall, the article reaches the conclusion that the “Political journal” should not be considered as an example of Russian journalism, but rather as an important part of the Russian school of political science.

In modern political and theoretical discourse, the concept of a ‘ just society’ is usually perceived as a normative idea that expresses the notion of what society “should be”. Nowadays, social justice as a political slogan is becoming an increasingly universal requirement made by social movements, political parties and groups regarding the ways of social organization and its functions. Regardless of the different interpretations, it is inseparable from other related concepts, such as ‘equality’, ‘ freedom’ and many others. It also represents the projection of various concepts of justice on social relations in individual countries, regions, and, finally, throughout the world (‘global justice’ on the scale of all mankind). Comparative analysis of the A.M. Kovalev’s concept of a just society and the main trends in the interpretation of this idea in modern Western socio-political theory indicate that the methodology developed by an outstanding Russian scientist can rightfully be considered one of the most promising. Its distinguishing feature is the creative interpretation of a set of ideas about a just society, dating back to the early works of Marx. It is combined with the analysis of the ideas of the Western European Enlightenment, the philosophy of Kant, Hegel and Fichte, the evolution of the social philosophy of the Frankfurt School and other equally influential areas of modern political theory (R. Aron and others). An analysis of modern political theories shows that the dyad “ justice / state” constitutes the ontological core of the political and philosophical discourse, in the structure of which the ideas of Marxism play an important role. In the A.M. Kovalev’s theory of a just society, the various assessments of the heuristic potential of Marxism acquire additional incentives, opening the way to new creative discussions. The article is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of A.M. Kovalev.