Book Review: P.A. Vodop’yanov, V.S. Krysachenko. (2018). Strategiya bytiya chelovechestva: ot apokaliptiki k noosfernomu veku [The strategy of humanity’s existence: from the apocalyptic to the noospheric age]. Minsk: Belaruskaya nauka. p. 306. [in Russian].
I am pleased to hold in my hands the elegant edition of the new book by philosophers and political scientists who are known not only in their countries — Belarus and Ukraine. It was created with the efforts of academic publishing in the anniversary series dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, a corresponding member of which is one of the authors. Each creator of this book is known for his fundamental work in the fields of philosophy of science, social ecology, study of global issues and geopolitics and known for his own scientific school. Both Pavel Vodop’yanov and Valentyn Krysachenko, by the way, are full members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Earlier, the previous work of these two authors, « Velikiy den gneva: Ekologiya i eskhatologiya [The Great Day of Wrath: Ecology and Eschatology]» (1983) (Minsk: Universitet. p. 282.), was awarded by a joint prize of three presidents: the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. Therefore, from the new monograph the reader expects no less interesting content, a clear logic presentation, significant generalizations. And these expectations are fully justified.
The book consists of introductory considerations, five chapters and summaries. In its content, it is completely ontological. The fundamental generalizations of human thought are considered by the authors through the prism of whether our reality exists, who is responsible for its destiny, what person`s place and value are in the course of the development of the universe, and what are the further perspectives of the earthly existence of man. And all this is analyzed and traced with the involvement of concepts and empirical material from a wide variety of fields of knowledge, beginning from the Holy Scripture to the latest futuristic reflections. The ontology of the crisis state causes concern as for the validity of moral and ethical regulators of interpersonal relations, internal degradation and disharmonization of the modern civilization. Eternal human values- goodness, justice, honesty, mutual assistance, etc. — are increasingly conceding to violence, malice, hatred and other bifurcation agents. So, does humanity have a real chance of the settled future. Isn’t this just an illusory dream?
Monograph by P.O. Vodop’yanov and V.S. Krysachenko is a notable phenomenon in the scientific world, it is a fundamental study that delineates the in-depth foundations of human existence and, at the same time, it is imbued with anxiety and feelings for our common future. One attracts the style and manner of the material presentation, the encyclopedic awareness and, at the same time, the constructive ability to justify its position. It will interest not only humanities and naturalists, but also politicians and public figures and just people who concern or worry about the world’s current human collisions.
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