際際滷

際際滷Share a Scribd company logo

PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS and SOCIAL MODERNIZATION

Fund for Good Politics
Fund for Good Politics

PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS and SOCIAL MODERNIZATION IN RUSSIAN EMPIRE, SOVIET UNION, and POST-SOVIET REGIMES. Motivation: why study Modernity at all? Purpose: whats the aim of my research project? Definitions: what is Modernity and modernization? Methodology: how to study Modernity? Findings so far

1 of 34
Downloaded 21 times
PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS and SOCIAL MODERNIZATION IN RUSSIAN EMPIRE, SOVIET UNION, and POST-SOVIET REGIMES Mykhailo Minakov, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine WWICS, Kennan Institute, Washington, DC 24 January 2013
Plan of Todays Report Motivation: why study Modernity at all? Purpose: whats the aim of my research project? Definitions: what is Modernity and modernization? Methodology: how to study Modernity? Findings so far
Motivation How thinking changes human environment And how thinking fails to change human environment in a happy way There are always unpredictable impacts of rational interventions on culture and nature
Motivation Change of values : from tradition to progress 0.65 + 0.60 1961-70 1971-80 0.55 afte r 1980 1951-60 1941-50 0.50 Secular-Rational Values 1931-40 afte r 1980 0.45 be fore 1921 0.40 afte r 1980 afte r 1980 1971-80 1961-70 after 1980 0.35 be fore 1921 1951-60 1941-50 0.30 afte r 1980 1931-40 0.25 be fore 1921 1921-30 0.20 be fore 1921 be fore 1921 0.15 Africa _ 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 _ Self-Expression Values +
Motivation Rational Governance : Supremacy of Imperial Order
Motivation Rational Governance : League of Nations Order
Motivation Rational Governance : U.N. Charter Order
Motivation Unified Understanding of Political Freedom
Motivation Rational Economics
Motivation Rational Economics and Industrial Revolution
Motivation Rational Economics and Global Warming
Research Framework Territory: Western Eurasia (Imperial Russia/Soviet Union/Post- Soviet Belarus, Russia and Ukraine) Time: XIX XX centuries Main question: How Modern philosophical concepts influenced social structures and political practices in territories that entered Modernity as part of the Russian Empire? Focus: Mutual impacts of philosophy and politics, as well as government practices
Modernization Dissociation with traditional way of life Rationalization of a life-world Universalization of norms of action Socialization that formats abstract ego-identities Strict separation of the public and private spheres
Definitions Modernization cultural, socioeconomic, technical and political change leading to the situation of Modernity Modernization is a part of Human Development at large, leading to ever broadening human choice Modernity society: rationalization, secularization, and bureaucratization human: individual autonomy, self-expression, and free choice
Definitions Modernity socioeconomic transformation masses with new identities special role of Reason in all spheres of human life
Methodology Phenomenological sociology (Schuetz, Berger and Luckmann) social stock of knowledge personal inquiry, habitualization, institutionalization Modernization and human development theory (Inglehart and Welzel) human development as a change of values and practices social progress in terms of increase of individual choices Dialectics of Modernity (Weber and Habermas) structural transformation of public sphere instrumental reason vs. life-world
Methodology dialectics of Modernity Structural transformation of public sphere from traditional rule to public control over authority constitutional separation of private and public
Methodology dialectics of Modernity structural transformation of public sphere
Methodology dialectics of Modernity Structural transformation of public sphere Free competition for power, universal access to rights Idea of the law-based state: state as a system of norms Legitimated by public opinion distinction between legislative and executive power, reason ordering (norm) and will acting (action)
Methodology dialectics of Modernity Modernity is a result of growing instrumental reason (system) separating from life-world LIFE-WORLD is the realm of life, meaning and social relationships system of instrumental rationality: use of rational argumentation to order large-scale societies `disenchantment' or the increasing instrumental rationality of contemporary society
Methodology dialectics of Modernity Normative Public Private Dichotomy System of Instrumental Reason Public Sphere government judiciary parliament privacy of individual parties family civil society religious organizations business Private Sphere Life-World
Modernization and Philosophy Modernity, in social, terms is being produced by autonomous collective agents legitimately opposed to power request to limit the power request for rational argumentation request for legitimacy through rational conceptualization of authorities (rights, citizenship, political freedom etc) Special role of philosophy as cultural institute responsible for preservation of critical position knowledge production promoting disenchantment of the world impact on science and education: production of Modernities human resources
Methodology dialectics of Modernity Special role of philosophy and sciences: philosophy: production of rational concepts critical position toward tradition and reason social sciences: articulation of theories and institutional models impact on economic vision and political projects ideas for civil society hard sciences: production of technologies impact on economic vision and political projects academic and educational institutes: production of new human
but if philosophy and science fail
Normal and Deviant Modernizations Historical Modernization often viewed as normal: when rationalization takes place in economy, society, political sphere and science deviant: when rationalization takes place in only one of these spheres, sharpening contradictions with the other spheres Sonderweg of Nazi Germany Chinese modernization (I in 1960-s, II in 1990-2000-s) Soviet modernization
Deviant Modernities : pathologies of Modern society Pathologies of Modern society: loss of guiding norms or values in society Colonization of the life-world `Iron cage of bureaucracy Rule of intimacy in quasi-Modern societies (oligarchy, cleptocracy, systemic corruption, fa巽ade democracy)
Methodology dialectics of Modernity Deviant Public Private Dichotomy System of Instrumental Reason Public Sphere government judiciary parliament privacy of individual parties family civil society religious organizations business Private Sphere Life-World
Main Theses Western Eurasia in Deviant Modernity Cage Russian Empire : dependence on Western European modernization models Soviet Union dominance of public over private Post-Soviet regimes : inability to maintain the public private dichotomy Problematic Modernities in contemporary Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are connected with: weak institutionalization of communities and practices responsible for rationalization of culture colonization and intimacy as dominant tendencies in Western Eurasian modernization paths
Transfer of Modernity Dependence on Western European modernization models In the non-Western contexts, transfer of development models / modern institutions was one of the ways of modernization Case of the Imperial Russia: traditional regime: created its own or transferred models from the Eurasian states in XV-XVII centuries beginning of modernization: transfer of imperial institutions from the West in XVIII-XIX centuries USSR hunting for technologies
Dominance of public over private Pro-Modern totalitarianism (Arendt) Marxism as applied theory for social engineering of progress Colonization of life-world destruction of traditional ways of life (peasantry, language, calendar) Big Brother: destruction of family and privacy Intimacy structures formal laws vs. one-party rule nomenclature principle
Post-Soviet Systemic Corruption Inability to maintain the public private dichotomy Political systems based on use of public instruments for private gain Corruption as response to ineffective public institutes Oligarchy as mechanism of preserving public institutes ineffective Use of private instruments for public purposes Populism as a core content of politics De-modernization as a sum of all actors activities invention of traditions (tribalism, ethno-nationalism) irrational legitimation of power and property
Public Reason without Guardian Weak institutionalization of communities and practices responsible for rationalization of life-world Academy of sciences as governmental project University as part of administration Separation of Academy and University Philosophy under permanent control Local production of technical modernization; social modernization depends on Western transferred models
Path-Dependency : Conclusions Problematic Modernities in contemporary Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are connected with the specific path of their Modernization and with the dysfunction of core institutes promoting rationality in societies at large The point of long-term change growth of autonomous groups in the public sphere that promote separation of public and private spheres, rational politics and responsive governance
Thank you!

More Related Content

PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS and SOCIAL MODERNIZATION

  • 1. PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS and SOCIAL MODERNIZATION IN RUSSIAN EMPIRE, SOVIET UNION, and POST-SOVIET REGIMES Mykhailo Minakov, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine WWICS, Kennan Institute, Washington, DC 24 January 2013
  • 2. Plan of Todays Report Motivation: why study Modernity at all? Purpose: whats the aim of my research project? Definitions: what is Modernity and modernization? Methodology: how to study Modernity? Findings so far
  • 3. Motivation How thinking changes human environment And how thinking fails to change human environment in a happy way There are always unpredictable impacts of rational interventions on culture and nature
  • 4. Motivation Change of values : from tradition to progress 0.65 + 0.60 1961-70 1971-80 0.55 afte r 1980 1951-60 1941-50 0.50 Secular-Rational Values 1931-40 afte r 1980 0.45 be fore 1921 0.40 afte r 1980 afte r 1980 1971-80 1961-70 after 1980 0.35 be fore 1921 1951-60 1941-50 0.30 afte r 1980 1931-40 0.25 be fore 1921 1921-30 0.20 be fore 1921 be fore 1921 0.15 Africa _ 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 _ Self-Expression Values +
  • 5. Motivation Rational Governance : Supremacy of Imperial Order
  • 6. Motivation Rational Governance : League of Nations Order
  • 7. Motivation Rational Governance : U.N. Charter Order
  • 10. Motivation Rational Economics and Industrial Revolution
  • 12. Research Framework Territory: Western Eurasia (Imperial Russia/Soviet Union/Post- Soviet Belarus, Russia and Ukraine) Time: XIX XX centuries Main question: How Modern philosophical concepts influenced social structures and political practices in territories that entered Modernity as part of the Russian Empire? Focus: Mutual impacts of philosophy and politics, as well as government practices
  • 13. Modernization Dissociation with traditional way of life Rationalization of a life-world Universalization of norms of action Socialization that formats abstract ego-identities Strict separation of the public and private spheres
  • 14. Definitions Modernization cultural, socioeconomic, technical and political change leading to the situation of Modernity Modernization is a part of Human Development at large, leading to ever broadening human choice Modernity society: rationalization, secularization, and bureaucratization human: individual autonomy, self-expression, and free choice
  • 15. Definitions Modernity socioeconomic transformation masses with new identities special role of Reason in all spheres of human life
  • 16. Methodology Phenomenological sociology (Schuetz, Berger and Luckmann) social stock of knowledge personal inquiry, habitualization, institutionalization Modernization and human development theory (Inglehart and Welzel) human development as a change of values and practices social progress in terms of increase of individual choices Dialectics of Modernity (Weber and Habermas) structural transformation of public sphere instrumental reason vs. life-world
  • 17. Methodology dialectics of Modernity Structural transformation of public sphere from traditional rule to public control over authority constitutional separation of private and public
  • 18. Methodology dialectics of Modernity structural transformation of public sphere
  • 19. Methodology dialectics of Modernity Structural transformation of public sphere Free competition for power, universal access to rights Idea of the law-based state: state as a system of norms Legitimated by public opinion distinction between legislative and executive power, reason ordering (norm) and will acting (action)
  • 20. Methodology dialectics of Modernity Modernity is a result of growing instrumental reason (system) separating from life-world LIFE-WORLD is the realm of life, meaning and social relationships system of instrumental rationality: use of rational argumentation to order large-scale societies `disenchantment' or the increasing instrumental rationality of contemporary society
  • 21. Methodology dialectics of Modernity Normative Public Private Dichotomy System of Instrumental Reason Public Sphere government judiciary parliament privacy of individual parties family civil society religious organizations business Private Sphere Life-World
  • 22. Modernization and Philosophy Modernity, in social, terms is being produced by autonomous collective agents legitimately opposed to power request to limit the power request for rational argumentation request for legitimacy through rational conceptualization of authorities (rights, citizenship, political freedom etc) Special role of philosophy as cultural institute responsible for preservation of critical position knowledge production promoting disenchantment of the world impact on science and education: production of Modernities human resources
  • 23. Methodology dialectics of Modernity Special role of philosophy and sciences: philosophy: production of rational concepts critical position toward tradition and reason social sciences: articulation of theories and institutional models impact on economic vision and political projects ideas for civil society hard sciences: production of technologies impact on economic vision and political projects academic and educational institutes: production of new human
  • 24. but if philosophy and science fail
  • 25. Normal and Deviant Modernizations Historical Modernization often viewed as normal: when rationalization takes place in economy, society, political sphere and science deviant: when rationalization takes place in only one of these spheres, sharpening contradictions with the other spheres Sonderweg of Nazi Germany Chinese modernization (I in 1960-s, II in 1990-2000-s) Soviet modernization
  • 26. Deviant Modernities : pathologies of Modern society Pathologies of Modern society: loss of guiding norms or values in society Colonization of the life-world `Iron cage of bureaucracy Rule of intimacy in quasi-Modern societies (oligarchy, cleptocracy, systemic corruption, fa巽ade democracy)
  • 27. Methodology dialectics of Modernity Deviant Public Private Dichotomy System of Instrumental Reason Public Sphere government judiciary parliament privacy of individual parties family civil society religious organizations business Private Sphere Life-World
  • 28. Main Theses Western Eurasia in Deviant Modernity Cage Russian Empire : dependence on Western European modernization models Soviet Union dominance of public over private Post-Soviet regimes : inability to maintain the public private dichotomy Problematic Modernities in contemporary Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are connected with: weak institutionalization of communities and practices responsible for rationalization of culture colonization and intimacy as dominant tendencies in Western Eurasian modernization paths
  • 29. Transfer of Modernity Dependence on Western European modernization models In the non-Western contexts, transfer of development models / modern institutions was one of the ways of modernization Case of the Imperial Russia: traditional regime: created its own or transferred models from the Eurasian states in XV-XVII centuries beginning of modernization: transfer of imperial institutions from the West in XVIII-XIX centuries USSR hunting for technologies
  • 30. Dominance of public over private Pro-Modern totalitarianism (Arendt) Marxism as applied theory for social engineering of progress Colonization of life-world destruction of traditional ways of life (peasantry, language, calendar) Big Brother: destruction of family and privacy Intimacy structures formal laws vs. one-party rule nomenclature principle
  • 31. Post-Soviet Systemic Corruption Inability to maintain the public private dichotomy Political systems based on use of public instruments for private gain Corruption as response to ineffective public institutes Oligarchy as mechanism of preserving public institutes ineffective Use of private instruments for public purposes Populism as a core content of politics De-modernization as a sum of all actors activities invention of traditions (tribalism, ethno-nationalism) irrational legitimation of power and property
  • 32. Public Reason without Guardian Weak institutionalization of communities and practices responsible for rationalization of life-world Academy of sciences as governmental project University as part of administration Separation of Academy and University Philosophy under permanent control Local production of technical modernization; social modernization depends on Western transferred models
  • 33. Path-Dependency : Conclusions Problematic Modernities in contemporary Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are connected with the specific path of their Modernization and with the dysfunction of core institutes promoting rationality in societies at large The point of long-term change growth of autonomous groups in the public sphere that promote separation of public and private spheres, rational politics and responsive governance