Theoretical and methodological problem field of Russian project civilizational development

Abstract

The authors in a discussion manner raise a series of questions of a theoretical and methodological nature that constitute the problem field of the research megaproject “The Russian project of civilizational development: philosophical foundations”. In particular, they highlight several issues that need to be discussed in order to the implementation of the project. First, they argue that it is important to discuss the dependence of the used theoretical and methodological tools on the research identity of the philosopher. Then, according to the authors, representatives of all philosophical disciplines need to be included into the discussion and implementation of the project. The authors emphasize the significance of the scientific content of the concept of "project" that also needs to be under discussion. Among the questions related to the implementation of the project the authors also highlight the following ones: the nature of self-determination of Russia in the system of cultural-civilizational types; ambiguities in the interpretation of the content, forms and types of civilization development, including in relation to Russia; the variety of meanings of understanding the Russian project of civilizational development and the possibilities of their integration; the presence and collision of various civilization projects and subprojects of civilizational development with the prospect of developing an appropriate standard project.
The authors conclude that currently there are no actual civilization development projects, but the need for them is beginning to be realized. The emergence of this need among various actors of the world community is explained by the completion of a certain cycle of world-historical development. Such a need is marked by the concepts of “limits of growth” and “clash of civilizations” at the global level and expresses the situation of resource limitations that characterizes spontaneously developed models of civilizational development. In this situation, the concept of sustainable development put forward by the UN as claiming universal status does not solve the problem, since it, like its alternatives, relies on local civilization experience, not eliminating the clash of civilizations, but translating it into the plane of their dialogue.
The authors raise the question of the appropriateness of developing the “Russian Philosophical Development Project: Civilizational Foundations”. They substantiate its relevance, firstly, by the presence of philosophical identity in specific civilizations, secondly, by the formation in a clash of civilizations, the prospects for rivalry of different philosophical traditions as the basis for projects of local and global civilization development, and thirdly, by an increase in geopolitical significance in the modern world of interaction of philosophical traditions.