Civilization vs latent barbarism and the civilization project

Abstract

The issue of contradictions between civilization and latent barbarism, the boundaries of the explanatory possibilities of this concept is discussed in the paper. The author considers the unevenness of the socio-historical development of society, which gives rise to value-normative diversity in a society with a certain level of civilization, and, consequently, objective contradictions between different social strata and groups. The activity of opposition strata and groups cannot be reduced only to the open manifestation of latent barbarism. To understand its real explanatory capabilities, the author uses the concept of a historical impasse, the way out of which presupposes the destruction of obstacles created at a dead-end period in the historical development of a separate society. It is necessary to single out two interconnected modes of action – destructive and constructive in the acting opposition forces, which with the help of radical measures bring society out of a historical impasse and not be limited to a general assessment of actions as a manifestation of barbarism. Attention is drawn to the reasons for the broad interpretation of latent barbarism.