Abstract: This paper discusses Laclau and Mouffe’s post-structural theory of discourse and its methodological tools that could be used for an analysis of social and cultural phenomena. Initially, we outline the variety of discursive approaches within the classification suggested by Jacob Torfing (2005) in order to explain the distinctions and similarities between the linguistic and discursive understanding of social reality. Then, we examine the premises of Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory, which is drawn critically upon structuralist and Marxist traditions of thinking. In particular, various trends of French post-structuralism and non-essentialist theories of culture and hegemony by Antonio Gramsci and Stuart Hall are the focus of our attention. By doing so we seek to clarify the basis of the post-structural approach and its key notions such as ‘an empty signifier’ by Jacques Derrida, ‘the nodal point’ by Jacques Lacan, and ‘discursive dispersion’ and ‘discursive positivity’ by Michel Foucault. After that, we seek to unfold the abstract logics of Laclau and Mouffe’s research programme and illustrate them with schemes and examples. Thus, we explain an analytical character of the central concepts – ‘the logics of difference and equivalence’, ‘hegemony’, ‘social antagonism’, and ‘dislocation of meanings’.

Keywords: operational-methodological apparatus, antagonism, nodal point, methods, logic of difference, logic of equivalence, Laclau and Mouffe, analysis of social data, discourse theory, Poststructuralism

Abstract: This article reviews the overall historically established structure of Marxist tradition in combination with its characteristic interpretations. The author highlights the aspect that is common for various types of revisionistic and opportunistic vectors and trends that support the initial socio-humanistic course set by the Marx’ doctrine. It concerns the problem of methodological and somewhat exegetical trait. The latter signifies the problem of the proper selection of the initial theoretical prerequisites for subsequent research. The subject of this article is the fact of prolonged existence of the drastic multiplicity of positions regarding the topic of social and civilizational development, which speaks of their scholastically conceptual closeness. The main conclusion lies in the statement on the existing overall methodological unexhaustiveness in the area of socio-humanitarian research; priority abstractness of the proposes formulations, and therefore, their common non-genuineness; authentic selection of the initial conceptual scheme that could be taken as the original theoretical foundation; arbitrariness of subjective preferences regarding the choice of the basic theoretical concepts; non-admissibility of the phenomenon of theoretical arrogance.

Keywords: dogmatism, interpretation, criticism, science, ideology, society, history, Marxism, Marx, humanism

Abstract: This article examines the philosophical issues of sociocultural of interpretation of the modern capitalistic formation. The author substantiated representation about the dual essential foundation of capitalism – own, actual and ascribed, alleged. The existing word capitalistic community is defined as a globalized oligarchy-financial world order with dominant crises processes. The latter have artificial origin and in general express the degenerate nature of the leading sociopolitical structures. The article reviews the problems of theoretical comprehension of the existing stage of alienation, and formulates the gnoseological tasks regarding its overcoming. The applied method can be determined as reconstructive hermeneutics in the context of dialectical principle of integrity of cognition and existence. The following conclusions were made: the educational policy of capitalism from the perspective of abstract humanism does not achieve its goal; the efficient methodological base of apprehending the modern socio-historical process remains the Marxist intentionality that creatively evolves in Neo-Marxism; the actual essence of capitalism associated with property relations and functionality of capital, is substituted by ideologues with the ascribed essence oriented towards the morally justified “society of knowledge”; in accordance with the latter statement, there is the own language (comprehension) of the phenomenon at hand and alleged language that is not aimed at representation of the objective meanings.

Keywords: end of history, natural ontology, neo-Marxism, classical Marxism, own essence, degenerate form, alienation, capitalism, breakthrough into future, ascribed essence

Abstract: The work is dedicated to the problem of social mechanisms of the socio-political catastrophes and its foretelling signs. The political catastrophe is defined as an irreversible destruction of society and its basic social structures; first and foremost, a destruction of the authoritarian relations, which integrate the society both, socially and territorially. Major distinction between the political catastrophe and political crisis consists in the fact that in the case of political catastrophe takes place the destruction of the social bases of power, caused by exit of the political confrontation outside the boundaries of the elites, as well as the generalization of the intra-elite conflict. The determined regularities are demonstrated on the examples the history of France, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union.  The author defines the principal social markers of the looming political catastrophe, which usually takes place on the pinnacle of territorial, economic, and military power of the country. The latent crisis of growth is referred to as one of the social markers of the looming political catastrophe, which is expressed in the difficulty of vertical mobility, slowdown of economic growth, as well as the crisis in goal setting, justified by the emergence of the alternate ways of further development on the background of the exhaustion of acting growth paradigm and the corresponding national idea.    

Keywords: political catastrophe, power, base power, elite, social markers, vertical mobility, nation, national identity, a social revolution, fragmentation

Abstract: The advantage of the social and cultural approach to social sciences and humanities is proved by the fact that this approach creates the kind of connection between science and education when scientific theories turn into concrete academic disciplines. This is the main requirement of international educational standards and the key element for increasing the status of social studies and humanities up to the international standards. Within the framework of the proposed model, application of social, scientific and anthropological theories acquire a new scientific and practical significance, meaning and importance.  In the contemporary history scientific knowledge becomes  the main factor of socioeconomic and sociopolitical development and performs the socializing role of the society. The author of the article gives an insight into Western social and scientific theories and tries to describe the principles of interdisciplinarity. The author notes that there is no common model of interdisciplinarity in existing theories of social studies and humanities and proves that creation of the social and cultural grounds of interdisciplinary of social studies and humanities would be beneficial. The purpose of the article is to describe the interdisciplinary aspects of social studies and humanities and show their practical importance for sociocultural processes, peculiarities of its implementation under the modern conditions, the need for institutionalization of socially important processes, increasing role of interdisciplinarity in the information society, and etc.   

Keywords: social and cultural methodology, social and cultural model of interdisciplinarity, anthropology, social and cultural grounds of interdisciplinarity, social stratification, information society, scientific policy, communication channels, law, politics and economy, culture and social studies