On the “second wind” of civilizational development (reflections on the report of N.I. Lapin)

Abstract

The text is a response to some of the passages of the report by N.I. Lapin, which was pre­pared for discussion of the methodological grounds of the “Russian Civilizational Devel­opment Project” (Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences). In the continuation of the methodological searches of N.I. Lapin, the concept of the historical development of the civilization of K. Jaspers is considered in more detail in accordance with the all-human idea of A.V. Smirnov, as well as in the context of the justification of civilizational unity through the phenomenon of transversal reason (V. Welsh). Based on these ideas, the justification for the importance of constructing the unity of world civiliza­tion, which should take place not through the priority of individual cultures, countries or their associations, but on the basis of their originality, is provided. The concept of histori­cal development of K. Jaspers allows us to conclude that the distinction of the first axial time is the formation of cultural identity, local cultural self-awareness as a result of the path of civilization to the transcendent.

The second axial time tends to the formation of an all-human civilization, transversely “collecting” local cultural achievements. In modern times, the most important factor in this formation is the progress in science and technology, which determines the main paths of civilizational development. At the same time, the social and humanitarian sciences have a mission to ensure cultural dialogue and participate in the general process of dis­cussing the current problems of our time. Globalization can be thought of as interaction, including the interaction of projects of further world development, taking into account both the unique cultural features and the history of civilizations, and their coexistence in the world as a whole.