The article substantiates the thesis that human civilization at the present stage of its development is a civilization of law, in which the most important regulator of social interaction is the rule of law as a form of human freedom and the embodiment of the rational principles of human community. However, at present we are witnessing an extremely dangerous weakening of its regulatory power in the space of global relations and a widespread increase in arbitrariness as the “right” of force on such a scale that the question of the survival of humanity is on the agenda. It is becoming increasingly obvious that law, losing its support in spiritual and moral values (and this is a feature of our time), is not capable of coping with the systemic challenges of modernity. It can be a norm of freedom and a guarantee against arbitrariness only if society has reached the appropriate level of moral maturity. However, the current ideology of consumption with its pursuit of material values at the expense of spiritual ones, with the demonstrative consumption of some while underconsuming others, with the devaluation of honest work and creativity creates the preconditions for ever greater spiritual degradation. Technological progress contributes to the increase in global uncertainty and the erosion of spiritual and moral values. We are now witnessing the destructive potential of its achievements in military conflicts. Less noticeable, but no less dangerous is its influence on the strengthening of the transhumanistic (i.e. non-humanistic) vector of development of technogenic civilization. Although tough competition in the technological sphere dictates the need for Russia to increase its efforts in this race, we cannot help but discuss the possible consequences of such escalation, fraught with the loss of control over the development of technology. Obviously, the most important role in the discussion and resolution of such issues belongs to the scientific community. From domestic lawyers this requires, first of all, further efforts in the field of development of philosophical and legal research, focused on understanding the challenges of modernity in the context of the current tasks of improving law-making and law enforcement practice.
V.D. Zorkin (Wed,) studied this question.