This article discusses the doctrine of the human being, his abilities, the ways he may reach Perfection, as well as the methods and problems of the understanding of the human being as set forth by the professors of philosophy of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy during the fi rst half of the nineteenth century. These include the theories of I. Fessler, F. Sidonsky, and V. Karpov. Two tendencies are distinguished, based on two different ideals of the Age of the Enlightenment.