Comes from an old noble family. Father V. D. Philosophers (1820-1894) was the closest assistant of the Minister of war D. A. Miliutin in reforming the Russian army, 1861-1881 — the chief military Prosecutor and head of the Military judiciary, from 1881 a member of the State Council. Mother, Anna Pavlovna Filosofova, nee Diaghilev — the writer, a prominent activist of the women's movement in Russia, one of the founding women's higher education institutions, the organizer of charities. S. P. Dyagilev has Filosofova cousin.
Dmitry Philosophers graduated from a private gymnasium of K. May (1890). Back in high school an interest in art and desire for self-education brought him close to A. N. Benoit, K. Somov, V. F. Nouvel. He graduated from the law faculty of St. Petersburg University (1895). In 1896 he trained at the University of Heidelberg. He served in the Codification Department under the State Council, 1898 at the St. Petersburg Imperial Public library (today Russian national library). From 1897 began to work as a journalist, published in the magazine "Northern messenger", "Education", "Employment assistance", "Journal of the Ministry of justice".
Editor of the literary Department, head of the Department of art criticism of the magazine "World of art" (1898-1904), and later the editor of the magazine "New way". Friends with D. S. merezhkovskii and Z. N. Gippius, was for many years a friend and colleague. One of the organizers of the Religious-philosophical meetings in St. Petersburg in 1901—[1903] (with D. S. Merezhkovsky, V. Rozanov and V. A. by Ternavtsev). Along with Merezhkovsky was the initiator of the journal "New way" (1903-1904), a regular contributor to and, in the last year of publication, its editor. From 1906 to 1908 he lived with the couple Merezhkovsky in Paris. On returning to Russia, worked in Newspapers and magazines "the Word", "Speech", "Russian thought", etc.
In 1918-1919 worked in a Public library. Participated in the activities of the Political red cross. In December 1919 Merezhkovsky, Gippius and V. A. Zlobin under the guise of business trips to lecture in Krasnoarmeyskiy parts out of Petrograd. The fugitives crossed the Polish-Bolshevik front in area of Zhlobin and in the middle of January 1920 made it to Minsk. After a series of lectures and literary evenings in late February, arrived in Vilna, where in early March it moved to Warsaw. Merezhkovsky and Gippius, frustrated in Poland, the Bolsheviks signed a peace Treaty, he went to Paris. Philosophers, samishisa with B. V. Savinkov, remained in Poland to continue the fight against Bolshevism.
The Deputy Chairman of the Russian political Committee, the National Union for the defense of Motherland and freedom, Advisor of the Jozef Pilsudski at the Russian-Ukrainian question (1921). Editor published in Warsaw Newspapers "Svoboda" (1920-1921), "For freedom!" (1921-1932), "Rumor" (1932-1934); was co-editor of the Warsaw-Paris journal "Sword" converted from-for disagreements with Merezhkovsky and Gippius in a newspaper of Warsaw (1934-1939). Was one of the leaders of the Warsaw "Literary community", its Chairman Emeritus; founder and Director of the private Russian-Polish literary club "little House in Kolomna" (1934-1936).
In the 1930-ies was pushed out to the margins of public and political life of the young generation of leaders. It was compounded by the failures (in particular, the consistent failure of almost all publications, which was headed by Philosophers), losses: treason of B. V. Savinkov, in which Philosophers could not believe that the death of a colleague and the closest associate of M. P. Artsybashev, etc. After 1936 due to these reasons, as well as old age and disease Philosophers actually withdrew from literary, social, political life.
