Images of the Civilizational Future in Russian thought of the 19th Century: the Competition of Concepts by N. Y. Danilevsky and L. I. Mechnikov

The purpose of the article is a comparative analysis of images of the civilizational future in the concepts of N. Y. Danilevsky and L. I. Mechnikov. The text analyzes the evolution of the civilizational approach throughout the 19th century and notes the importance of the transition from a linear understanding of civilization to the idea of the multiplicity of local civilizations. The rejection of the concept of a single world civilization, which was identified with the European one, leads to the emergence of different interpretations of the civilizational future. For Danilevsky, the identification of society and the body turns out to be important, which leads him to the conclusion about the imminent death of each original civilization. Mechnikov is trying to combine different options for understanding civilization. The principle of cooperation underlying human behavior leads to the fact that sooner or later the multiplicity of civilizations will be replaced by a single civilization built on free and conscious solidarity behavior. At the end of the article, it is concluded that modern ideas about the civilizational approach make it possible to shift the angle of analysis of images of the future from ontology to epistemology. The image of the future, along with images of the past, can be seen as an important component of civilizational identity. The identification and understanding of images of the future is of great theoretical and practical importance, since it allows a deeper understanding of the degree of cohesion of civilization and its ability to cope with external and internal challenges.