The idea of freedom of conscience in the parliamentary struggle of conservativeliberal groups of the Russian parliament in 1906-1917
https://doi.org/10.21285/2415-8739-2026-1-82-91
EDN: PFAYSP
Abstract
Our article reveals the contribution of Russian conservative liberals to the victory of the principle of freedom of conscience in the empire at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 19th century, they formed the ideological justification for the transition to freedom of human rights. In the first years of the new century, they played a key role in the public debate on freedom of religion and directly influenced the adoption of acts emancipating religious groups. After the adoption of the tsarist manifestos of 1905 on freedom of religion, they moved on to a party struggle for the implementation of this right in both houses of parl iament. If in the State Duma, relying on numerous liberal groups, they often achieved success, then in the State Council, where the majority was for right-wing politicians, they suffered defeat. And this despite the presence in the upper chamber of the “stars” of liberal jurisprudence, who passionately but unsuccessfully spoke out in support of the State Duma projects (A.F. Koni, N.S. Tagantsev, M.M. Kovalevsky). The administrative power of the empire lost interest in religious laws and the tsar's manifestos were not completed in the form of laws. The right to freedom of conscience remained not fully realized. The purpose of the work is to determine the degree of activity of the leaders of conservative liberals in resolving the issue of freedom of conscience. The relevance of the work is that it shows a unified position of moderate liberals on a fundamental issue for them. The problem-chronological method was used in the study. A chronological approach allowed us to trace the sequence of events in the struggle for freedom of conscience unfolding in parliament, while a problematic approach helped us look at the implementation of this principle from the perspectives of various participants in the process: legalists, their opponents, and the state.
About the Author
D. V. Rybin
St. Petersburg Institute of the All-Russian State University of Justice
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Danil V. Rybin, Cand. Sci. (History), Associate Professor, of the department of state and legal disciplines
19 letter A, 10th line, Vasilyevsky Island, St. Petersburg 199178
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