Abstract: The modern society cannot exist without an all-round social expertise. The social organism in itself has a very complex structure. However, never before there has been such an intensive social dynamics as the modern world is having today. The humankind is going through a radical transformation. Globalization processes have reshaped the political world map. The previous ideology is being destroyed and new spiritual movements are being created. Considering today’s competition between countries, only those states can win where leaders understand the need for changes and respond to challenges of the age. The present article is devoted to the analysis of social issues that have been discussed by the journalist of Vestnik Analitiki over one decade and a half. In his research Gurevich has used the method of historicism which allows to compare expert evaluations of famous social philosophers regarding social dynamics of the modern world. The article also contains the results of opinion surveys, brain storms and private researches of particular issues. The novelty of the article is caused by the necessity to summarize the results of the expert activity of the journal ‘Vestnik Analitiki’ for a significant period of time. Unfortunately, the journal does not exist anymore. We have to say farewell to the expertise even though it still remains an essential need of the modern society, but the author of the present article tries at least save the results of diligent researches. Pavel Gurevich deliberately uses the original text of expertise and at the same time analyzes them and provides an overview of the entire period of social expert evaluations in general.

Keywords: society, reform, social stratification, ideology, civilization, spirituality, humanism, power, management, history.

Abstract: In his article Ursul develops a single evolutionary information concept of the noosphere formation not only as a planetary phenomenon but also as a necessary stage of the universal process of self-organization of the matter. Ursul views the sphere of mind as a would-be but not actual future of the society and interaction between the society and nature where the global human intelligence will be the priority leading the socio-natural evolution in a safe and progressive direction. Ursul describes the process of the humankind moving towards a sustainable development, information content of the phenomenon of noosphere and formation of the core of the phenomenon, the collective noospheric intelligence. Ursul underlines that Vladimir Vernadsky developed his teaching about the noosphere based on the concept which unites globalism and the ideas of the noosphere formation into one integrated world view. Ursul views noospherogenesis as the main method and form of the human survival and the main goal of the contemporary and future civilization development including the transfer to the global sustainability, creation of the information-based civilization, globalization and other positive processes of the global development. The researcher also analyzes the new mega-trends of noospherogenesis in science, education, culture and governance considering the achievements of contemporary researches and predicated prospects of the future evolution of the world civilization. In his research Ursul has used the evolutionary (mostly universal evolutionary) approach and methods of global researches as well as the information-based approach and development criterion. The researcher also shows that within the framework of the research of the future, noospheric-futurological approach may dramatically change traditional approaches and research methods. Ursul also offers an opinion that the humankind also starts to turn into a single integrated civilization of the noosphere and this process is accompanied with the development of a totally new safe socio-natural and co-evolutionary mean of interaction. Ursul also talks about the social and socio-natural evolution creating opportunities for the development of the sphere of mind not only in the biosphere. As a future global process, noospherogenesis is a necessary step of the global evolution which, according to Ursul, will be realized in socio-natural and socio-cultural forms, first on Earth and then in the Universe.

Keywords: global, global evolution, information, information criterion, culture, noosphere, noospherogenesis, noospheric intelligence, cephalization, evolutionary approach.

Abstract: The subject of research is the new concepts of truth that view truth not only as a characteristic of knowledge but also as a form of human existence, object of existence, meaning and a supreme value. Koptseva examines the ontological aspect of the philosophical definition of truth and associated axiological and teleological aspects. In terms of these aspects, truth is defined as a modeling of the integrity of human existence at both individual and social levels. In her article Koptseva analyzes particular points related to the philosophical modeling of truth at the level of individual existence or self-existence. The philosophical modeling of the integrity at the level of individual existence is compared to the religious modeling. The main method used by Koptseva in her research is a method of the philosophical definition of a concept. The researcher has also used the methods of the comparative historical definition of ‘truth’. The research is based on the meta-philosophical conceptual approach when philosophical intellectual techniques come under review themselves. The scientific novelty of research is caused by the fact that traditionally truth is defined in terms of the theory of knowledge while Russian and sometimes foreign traditional researches view truth in terms of ontology and gnoseology. In Russian national picture of the world truth has always been not only a characteristic of knowledge but also the purpose and meaning of human existence.

Keywords: philosophy, truth, modeling, religious experience, cognitive process, consciousness, individual, self-concept, integrity, world.

Abstract: In his article Prokofiev points out that not all aspects of activity of presidency as an integrated institution of state authority can be regulated by legal and political means. In itself, scientific research of this institution is closely connected with the attempt of the humanity to solve the philosophical problem about creation an ideal legal model of state authority organization. In this regard, the purpose of the present article is to prove that it is possible to apply the method of epistemological analysis to studying the phenomenon of presidency. Using the methods of historical and comparative analysis Prokofiev demonstrates the fact that today the human mind is still rather blind in understanding the institution of presidency. Such understanding ‘degrades’ the nature of politics and law as the part of presidency and distorts it which, in its turn, hinders the evolutionary development. The novelty of the article is in viewing the institution of presidency as a phenomenon that was initially based on the philosophical-epistemological grounds and reflection. Therefore, the author of the article states that detachment of the institute of presidency from these elements contradicts to the nature of the phenomenon itself. In his research Prokofiev compares the epistemological paradigm with the rational paradigm as well as capacities of the legal political instruments when analyzing this phenomenon. According to the author, multi-paradigmality and inter-disciplinary basis of the reflective process associated with the phenomena prove that it can be a good topic for other researches. Applying the systems approach to analyzing philosophical categories, Prokofiev makes an assumption that each ‘paradigm’ locus and each element of the institution of presidency have their own epistemology and ontology. The epistemological approach offered by the author of the article is new and may turn out to be rather efficient because it has a complex methodology and allows to catalyze the evolution of the institution of presidency by better understanding elements of presidency and combining institutional and non-institutional factors of its development. At the same time, Prokofiev admits that this approach has certain drawbacks as a methodological instrument of analysis, too.

Keywords: episteme, institution of presidency, President of the Russian Federation, presidency, epistemology of power, epistemological competence, legal political reflection, reflection of governance, evolution of the institution of presidency, philosophical analysis.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the basic Russian social and philosophical concepts that demonstrate peculiarities and factors of conflictogenity of the Russian society. The authors of the article demonstrate that historical paradigms of the Russian social thought including conservatism, radicalism and liberalism offered different explanations of the phenomenon of conflictogenity of the Russian society based on studying its historical and cultural grounds and peculiarities of the Russian mentality. Special emphasis is made on determination of both general approaches of Russian philosophers to the analysis of political, socio-cultural and mental grounds of conflictogenity and social conflicts of the Russian society and description of original concepts and models of conflictogenity in liberalism, conservatism and radicalism. Historical-philosophical and dialectical approaches have proved to be especially important methods to be used in the analysis. The historical-philosophical method has allowed to define approaches that exist in the history of Russian social philosophy and the dialectical approach has given an opportunity to view conflictogenity not as an absolute givenness but a heterogeneous and constantly developing element of social reality. In their article Aleynikov and Osipov have also described differences between axiological grounds for Russian philosophical concepts of ‘non-conflict nature’ or conflictogenity of Russians and moral principles of preventing political conflicts. The authors of the article demonstrate that Russian philosophers introduced concepts regarding not only a specific form and content of national conflictogenity of Russians but also peculiarities of the Russian perception of conflict situations.

Keywords: conflictogenity, conflict, Russia, Russian society, Russian nation, Russian philosophy, liberalism, conservatism, radicalism, socialism.

Abstract: Objectives of historical-philosophical research directly relate to the study of the adoption of world philosophy achievements by the Russian philosophical thought. This makes Russian neo-Kantianism to be an important topic to be under research because to understand Russian history, it is necessary to reconstruct each historical-philosophical movement. The object of research is the creative heritage of S. Hessen, F. Stepun, B. Yakovenko and their thoughts on the historical fate of Russia constitute the subject of research. The methodology of research involves the integrated historical and philosophical analysis of existing sources. In addition, the author has also used the inductive (from particular cases to the overall picture), biographic (to study life and ideology of the philosophers expressed in their private papers), comparative (to compare philosophers’ views within this philosophical school as well as with other philosophical schools) and logic research methods as well as general principles of historical philosophy to trace back the genesis of the ideas. Historical action will always remain an important issue for a discussion and therefore thoughts of S. Hessen, F. Stepun and B. Yakovenko on the historical fate of Russia are topical, too. In this research Storcheus demonstrates that the term ‘historiosophy’ gains an additional connotation and is understood as a holistic approach to the history on the fate and destiny of Russia. Such an approach may go beyond the scope of both history and philosophy.

Keywords: Baden school, neo-Kantianism, Russian philosophy, philosophy of history, historiosophy, F. Stepun, V. Yakovenko, S. Hessen, Wilhelm Windelband, Heinrich Rickert.

Abstract: Discussions about the idea of the commonness of human history have been going on for the past century. In this article Voronin raises this question again and offers a mental experiment when he tries to imagine what the fate of civilization would be like if we unconditionally adopt the ‘common history aim’ doctrine. The subject of research is the sources of this idea in different cultures and minds of individuals living in different times and different ‘countries’. Voronin tries to prove that the idea of the unity is ambivalent. The research method is the mental experiment performed in the genre of ‘fantasy’ using techniques of defamiliarization and broken collage composition. The article contains both the proof and disproof of the idea of the common history, moreover, the latter is closely connected with the former and even result from them. According to the author, both approaches to history have had many variants and their contradictory relation creates the grounds for both the development and degradation of civilizations. The main conclusion made by the researcher is that there is certainly a problem but no solution has been found so far, therefore new discussions are necessary.

Keywords: legacy, world, existence, civilization, technology, faith, duty, myth, knowledge, revolution.

Abstract: As a rule, measure is not viewed in terms of cultural studies. At the same time, the author of the present article believes that the concept of measure may explain many cultural phenomena. For example, it is quite obvious that culture is some kind of a measure of human existence. Nicholas of Cusa did not isolate measure as an individual object of cognition. However, he often used the concept of measure in his philosophy to define other concepts such as ‘academic ignorance’, ‘absolute maximum’ and ‘non-other’. Although, his concept of the absolute or ‘most accurate measure of all substances’ has a certain delicate feature which the philosopher implied but did not consider it necessary to focus on it. In his research Polischuk has used the rules of deductive and inductive logic, applicable analytical procedures, hermeneutic and phenomenological methods. ‘Academic ignorance’ is necessary to understand ‘nothing’ as the absolute unity and measure of existence. What existence? The author replies – human existence, i.e. existence of culture. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the entire teaching of Nicholas of Cusa refers to philosophy of culture and ontology of culture, in particular.

Keywords: existence, being, measure, culture, philosophy, intelligence, prototype, conjecture, non-other, coincidentia oppositorum.

Abstract: Neopaganism is a relatively new phenomenon. This type of new religious movements appeared only in the 19th – 20th century. Today this phenomenon attracts attention in both social life and mass media. Neopaganism is a religion that reconstitutes these or those fragments of pre-Christian religious faiths and is based on the old texts, however, it involves new elements of ecology, esoteric teachings and psycho-practices, humanitarian ethics and etc. Despite the growing scope of the phenomenon in the modern age, scientific review of neo-Paganism is still rather scarce and difficult to understand for a nonspecialist. In his review article Kutarev examines the grounds, main trends and peculiarities of neo-Paganism movements in Europe. He analyzes such traditions as German, Celtic, Finish, Beltian, etc. Special attention is paid to Slavic neo-Paganism and its variants. Besides describing religious faiths themselves, Kutarev focuses on their history, sources, function, etc. The novelty of research is caused by the fact that the author have summarized general features and defined tendencies that were common for neo-paganism as well as analyzed the ways those religious faiths functioned and why they were in such demand. Moreover, the review has allowed to define peculiarities of each neo-Paganism movement in particular. Special emphasis should be made on the differentiation between the terms ‘neo-Paganism’ and ‘Paganism’ for which the author provides evident grounds.

Keywords: European neopaganism, modern paganism, Slavic neopaganism (Rodnovery), asatru, druidism, traditional religions, Slavic religions, new religious movements, polytheism, paganism in Russia.

Abstract: The present article illustrates universalism of neo-acmeism as a philosophical and cultural paradigm and phenomenon of the Russian ‘Renaissance’ in comparison to the traditional (classical) acmeism and culture of the European Renaissance. In her article Fetisova describes the foundation of neo-acmeism, its ‘semantic poetics’ and distinctive mythology of neo-acmeism that creates the poetic model of the world. The researcher also analyzes the variety of searches that have established grounds for new discoveries in philosophy and Russian and world literature. Fetisova examines the space-time continuum and its coordinates. Art space and time are viewed as a particular esthetic and verbal phenomenon that contributed to the consolidation of the Russian society in post-Soviet times. Fetisova also performs the comparative analysis of Dante’s ‘The Divine Comedy’ and neo-acmemism poetry. In order to interpret neo-acmeism as a cultural paradigm, the researcher has focused on peculiar functioning of neo-acmeism compared to traditional acmeism. According to the author, philosophical methodology serves as the key to understanding internal structures of neo-acmeism paradigm. The phenomenon under review has stable and harmonized features which, in their turn, constitute the mental code of the Russian culture. That mental code has become the axiological constantan of the Russian culture and made the Russian culture unique. The research strategy used by the author has allowed to reconstruct that mental code in a new historical environment. The comparative analysis was focused on expressive means and style of Dante, from literary techniques, general phrases, quotations to the similarities between the concept of acmeism presented in Dante’s ‘The Divine Comedy’ and neo-acmeism poetry.

Keywords: philosophy, persona, neo-acmeism, The Divine Comedy, literary context, mental code, identity, reconstruction, function, culture.

Abstract: According to the author of the article, there are the two basic approaches to defining the sacral. Based on the first approach, the sacral is understood as an anthropological structure, the second approach views the sacral as a nonstructured anthropological phenomenon. In her article Rostova analyzes the classification of anthropological space which is the most common in Europe. In this classification the sacral plays the role of the primary shapeless givenness confined by the structure. Based on Rostova, that approach was practiced by Sigmund Freud, Georges Bataille, Roger Caillois, William Turner, Mary Douglas and Rene Girard. Rostova carries out a critical analysis of their theories. Analysis of theories of the sacral has allowed Rostova to find the invariant and define the main conceptual problems associated with it. The common ideas typical for this approach include the concept of taboo as something to be broken; the concepts of holiday as a sacral time for committing a crime, of a victim as a waste not allowed at the usual time and of a rhythm allowing the sacral to happen in the course of time. Among the most serious theoretical issues of this approach, the author names the following: inability to differentiate human from an animal and, therefore, to prove the need for the non-structured within a structure; and combination of the chaos of anti-structure and the concepts of consciousness and sociality.

Keywords: sacral, anthropological chaos, non-structured, consciousness, philosophical anthropology, taboo, crime, holiday, violence, waste.

Abstract: The subject under review is the concept and definition of a visual art image. Art image is viewed as the image having particular conceptual characteristics that change depending on many conditions and cultural and historical factors. Bukreeva demonstrates the same art image can be perceived very differently by the representatives of different cultures and different nations. The researcher analyzes the traditional symbols and signs that were the most typical for ancient civilizations (hand and palm) and demonstrates how the perception of personality and addressee of a sign has been changing throughout history. One of the aspects of research is the relation between a symbol and a sign, image and meaning, and epistemological conditions of the above mentioned relation (Richardson’s Triangle). The research is based on the hermeneutic approach to the analysis of the meaning of an art image and at the same time involves both traditional cultural-historical analysis and epistemological views on particular cultural images that have been formed historically in different nations. In addition, the researcher also evaluates particular symbols from the point of view of a certain religious teaching and traces back between mythological and religious understanding of these or those images. For example, the researcher analyzes the old Russian icon, its parameters and what art school of icon-painting it belonged to (Novgorod school). Bukreeva also analyzes creativity in art and concludes that cultural facilities, especially those that have plural meanings, should be viewed from the point of view of the epistemological analysis of creative work. The researcher proves that there is a certain relation between a symbol and an image, between contents of a visual image and the meaning this image conveys. Analysis of art images also involves a hermeneutic approach that allows to find the true, hidden meaning beyond the visual image or a text. Bukreeva concludes that understanding of the meaning of particular images, signs and symbols relates to their interpretation which creates the integrated visual image of an art work. In this way or another, art work is connected with the creation of art images and therefore an art image has a particular meaning (historical, traditional-cultural, semantic, mystical, symbolic, etc.)

Keywords: image, symbol, sign, meaning, the ‘managing term’, visual art image, context, understanding, interpretation, creative work, perception, epistemology, philosophical hermeneutics, art.

Abstract: In his article Paleev examines the drivers of social development. Discussing this question with the other researchers in the Literaturnaya Gazeta, he insists on economic interests being include in the list of drivers of the modern progress. Based on contemporary researches of respected economists, Paleev demonstrates that the idea of the value of interests have a very long history. Many European philosophers criticized human passions. Greed and money-making were considered to be sins. However, gradually the critics turned into some kind of an apology of vested interests. Such a swing-round in opinions eventually led to the creation of capitalism. Different interpretations of capitalism competition often raise conservative moods and make us idealize the times of ‘human passions’ when the world had that ‘magic’ about it. However, the modern world would not survive without the idea of entrepreneurship, competition and selfish interests. Therefore Paleev concludes that there are the three factors that are important for the reinforcement of social dynamics: social interests, law and morals, i.e. moral values. The method of the analysis used by the author is closely related to the principle of historicism. Paleev tries to describe the development of these questions in the history of European philosophy. At the same time, the researcher bases his study on axiological principles. By doing so, he analyzes modern systems of values. Finally, the researcher also uses the methods of phenomenology that allow to define the nature of the basic grounds of law studies. The novelty of the article is caused by the fact that Paleev criticizes the philosophers who, first of all, ignored the key role of economic interests in the dynamics of the modern world. Paleev also argues against the concept of controversial values and law. According to the researcher, it would be wrong to focus on only one factor as prevailing and most efficient. Paleev establishes that not the opposition but the union of values and law is important for the social development. The researcher shows that this statement can be proved if we appeal to the history of political and legal ideas. Therefore, stable social development depends not on the reinforcement of one of the above mentioned factors but on their balance and collective use.

Keywords: philosophy of law, studies of law, law, politics, values, standards, capitalism, globalization, social dynamics, morals.