S0132-16250000392-7-1

Article

Published

Volume 388 Issue 8

13-20

The article states that configuration features of the future continue to depend on and are largely determined by the degree of negotiability of key figures representing the world ruling class. Mankind, in fact, falls into the “hostage” on the level of culture, nature of relationships and personal qualities of global actors. At the same time, there are reasons to talk about “inner hostage.” Since positive scenarios of the future are not implemented because of the conservation of such personality traits as envy, greedy pragmatism, inhumane prudence that appear to be more viable than correctness, respect, tolerance, selflessness. Another updating of the problem of social inequality is one more proof of the complexity of transition of society to a qualitatively new model of world social order. All significant amount of forecast scenarios can be summed up in three variations both on external level: a) consolidated humanity; b) segmentation of global space with different share of conflicts over the boundaries of “macrocivilizations”; c) disaster on a planetary scale, and in content on: a) humanity living a creative life; b) humanity vegetating in a primitive state; c) annihilation of human civilization. The author specifies unacceptable, inhumane and speculative character of expectations to improve social relations in the near and distant future, as a result of the decay of various government entities and associations of states. There are doubts as for the ability of the sociological community to currently offer a large-scale applied project of consolidated creation of less-conflict future. Attention is focused on weak social base of support for such initiatives.

01.08.2016

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