Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Finding a way out of the systemic crisis of civilization, humanity needs a new “Copernican turn” in consciousness. The implementation of such a turn is hampered by the axiological chaos that necessitates denying biotic constants: life, nature, self-preservation, etc. This paper discusses a clash of the techno-economic trend of globalization and the opposite, politico-ideological trend of de-globalization. Recent social, cultural, and technological changes have created completely new conditions for human self-awareness and self-expression. The resulting values have been subjected to an unprecedented assault from the most primitive economic and social Darwinian concepts. It led to a new conservative revolution spreading not only in parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, but also in some European countries. This revolution manifests itself as a conflict between opposing types of social organization: an open society professing democratic liberalism vs. a traditionalist, closed society based on a conservative cultural, political, and economic paradigm. There are two parts to the main drama of the European world. On the one hand, people are no longer satisfied with the past ideals that brought Europe together, despite the fact that European culture is still based on them. On the other hand, Europe lacks a driver of significant spiritual changes, a great idea that would help Europeans keep intellectual pace with an approaching technological leap. The paper offers unifying planetary ethics that are based on the ideas of Vladimir Vernadsky, Nikolay Fedorov, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, and other Russian cosmists. It provides that big idea for the whole of humanity.