Anthropological evolution, the threat of the End of the World, scenarios of the future

The author addresses the problem of eschatological and alarmist sentiments characteristic of contemporary philosophical and scientific thought. The purpose of the work is not to completely overcome the pessimistic mindset regarding the possible extinction of humanity, but to soften it through an analysis of the anthropological evolution of the Earth and modeling probable scenarios for the future. The methodological foundation of the research is epistemological optics, which views development as a change of wholes ("worlds"), where each new form self-organizes according to its own principles, while the laws of the preceding level transition into a state of "alterity" and prerequisites. In the historical excursion, the author traces the transformation of the logic of development from natural scientific determinism to artificial-natural, arising with the emergence of humanity and culture. Special attention is given to the semiotic nature of behavior, the role of schemes and signs (for example, archaic concepts of the soul) in the formation of social practices and worldviews. Examining antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, the author notes the tension between determinism (divine or natural) and the freedom of the individual, which led to the formation of two opposing attitudes: submission to the laws of nature and the desire to transform it. The culmination of the article is the development of four scenarios for the future: the "sad" scenario (the inability of humanity to change, leading to extinction), the "desirable" scenario (a conscious rejection of the illusions of power in favor of a healthy life in harmony with oneself, as well as the protection of humanity and culture), the "cosmic" scenario (humanity's venture into space, options for Russian cosmism and transhumanism), and the "author's" scenario (partially the second, desirable scenario, partially a modern version of stoicism). In the last scenario, the author, acknowledging the hypothetical nature of any predictions and the inevitability of changing representations of the world, calls for focusing on solving urgent earthly problems and self-improvement, drawing a parallel with archaic practices of symbolic overcoming of fear. The article concludes with a suggestion not to rush, highlighting the need for a reflexive attitude towards recipes for salvation.