“Civilization State” Concept in the Works of Non-Western Scholars

The article discusses the main ideas and theories of non-Western countries researchers that reveal the concept of “civilization state”. As a methodological basis for the study of ideas developed within the framework of a non-Western tradition, the author uses the provisions of decolonial theory, allowing to overcome the clear and implicit dominance of attitudes and epistemological foundations inherent in European-American social science. The article draws attention to the critical perception of decolonial optics, which insists on the need to revise the epistemological foundations of Western thinking and the world order as a whole. The author analyzes the features of distribution and development of “civilization state” concept in a number of non-Western countries in the first quarter of the 21st century; the article presents a brief overview of emergence and evolution of the “civilization” concept, the diversity of semantic and conceptual variations of this concept is shown, the features of this process in the conditions of decolonization of knowledge were identified, an analysis of modern ideas and justification of the “civilization state” concept in China, India, Turkey, Egypt and in a number of African countries was carried out. The author draws conclusions that the concept of “civilization state”, being the Western origin concept, nevertheless, is perceived and develops within the framework of overcoming the West-centric theories of social development. In the conclusion the main advantages, threats and risks are presented that are associated with the adoption of the “civilization state” concept. Among the advantages are such as cultural and value consolidation of society; political mobilization; the basis for sovereignty and an independent policy; preservation and development of civilizational identity; the uniqueness of the civilization country as a source of further development. Challenges and risks include the following: the ambiguity of the new world order; contradictions between the concept of civilization and the concept of the national state; civilizational populism; ideas of isolationism; the risks of becoming the failed civilizational state. The article also recognizes the need for consolidated research work for the further theoretical development of the “civilization state” concept.