Modern civilizational research of Russia: observations and insights

Abstract

In connection with the preparation by the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences of a collective monograph on the results of the implementation of the megath­eme “Russian project of civilizational development: philosophical foundations”, the book review analyzes the experience of preparing monographs of recent years devoted to the civ­ilizational interpretation of Russia.

As follows from the review of monographs, there are stable interdisciplinary research teams that continue to comprehend the civilizational identity of Russia in the subjects of various disciplines (philosophy, sociology, political science, cultural studies). The problems of the architectonics of civilizational development, the correlation of So­viet civilization and the Eurasian project, the prehistory of Russia as a geo-civilization, its position in the modern world order, the identification of Russia as a northern civilization are discussed. The concept of local civilizations is mainly used as the most convenient methodological tool. Sociologists are testing the methodology of civilizational analysis (J. Arnason, S. Eisenstadt). The civilizational identity of Russia is recorded ambiguously.

The frontal comprehension of the civilizational nature of Russia has not led to significant results. Peer-reviewed scientific monographs are recommended to the widest range of readers and are mainly made in an informational and educational style. The degree of scientific elaboration of the problems under consideration and the analysis of available solutions to them are rarely recorded. Ideas are formulated intuitively, without sufficient conceptual justification. Therefore, the authors’ proposals on the civilizational develop­ment of Russia look naively utopian The discussions of civilizationists (in particular, bul­garists and tatarists in the Republic of Tatarstan) remain insignificant for the population. These are manifestations of the postsoviet regression of scientific and methodological culture in social and humanitarian studies.

According to the author the review shows that the fruitful directions of civilizational re­search are the assimilation of French civilizationism of the XIX century, the clarification of the disciplinary status of the concept of civilization and the civilizational approach, the identification of fundamental values specific to local civilizations.