War, Progress, and the End of History

War, Progress, and the End of History: Three Conversations, Including a Short Tale of the Antichrist

“Is evil only a natural defect, an imperfection disappearing by itself with the growth of good, or is it a real power, ruling our world by means of temptations, so that, to fight it successfully, assistance must be found in another sphere of being? This vital question can be fully examined and solved only in a complete system of metaphysics.” — Vladimir Solovyov (preface)

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.

“In War, Progress, and the End of History: Three Conversations, Solovyov remained faithful to his belief in the final triumph of true Christianity, but he made a detour through the vast deserts of time under the control of the Prince of This World. Made cautious by historical tragedy, which has caught in its grip innumerable inhabitants of our planet, we should read Solovyov’s testament today as a letter addressed to us, one still of actuality.” — Czeslaw Milosz (introduction)

C O N T E N T S:

Introduction by Czeslaw Milosz
Author’s Preface

First Conversation
Second Conversation
Third Conversation
A Short Story of the Anti-Christ

Afterword by Stephan A. Hoeller

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.