| Popis: |
A comparative analysis of the ideas about the future, being a subject of classical and modern sociology, is given, as well as new theoretical and methodological approaches to explore alternative options of the future which were presented at the 3rd Forum of the International Sociology Association (Austria, Vienna, on July 10—14, 2016) . Significant discrepancies between “old” and new forecasts of the future are explained by the onset of qualitatively new social and natural reality that does not evolve in a linear way. Consequently, it required the qualitative theoretical innovations ensuring transition from linear development ideas about the better future, accompanied by burdensome ideological baggage, to nonlinear theories of a more realistic, but alarmist character. The change of fundamental paradigms of the future, their quick “aging” naturally raise a question, whether something similar may happen to the actual approaches explaining “the fight for the better world”. In this regard, there is a need to re-create the trust to scientific knowledge, develop new criteria of truth which would be adequate to the ongoing changes in the society and in the nature. The role of factors of humanity and kindness for a potentially better world, the outlines of which are being actively developed by the global sociology, is specifically analyzed. The author believes that the future is determined not only objective realities, but to a greater extent by the nature of scientific knowledge that needs a humanistic hue. |
