The phenomenon of soviet technocratism: to the formulation of the problem (political-ideological and socio-cultural dimensions)

In the article, the problem of Soviet technocracy is again actualized from a new perspective. The question of the applicability of the concept of technocracy to the Soviet system of governance is being considered. Summarizing a certain result of research in this area, there is a variety of existing research positions in relation to this phenomenon. The cultural-historical origins and features of the Soviet way of managing socio-economic and scientific-technical development are analyzed, which makes it possible to speak about it as part of an unrealized socio-utopian megaproject. On the basis of the socio-historical approach, the roots and prerequisites for the formation of elements of technocracy in the Soviet system are revealed. As part of this, it is proposed to consider the Soviet political and economic system as a corporation, and the layer of scientists-administrators and “red directors” integrated into power - as its technostructure. Outlines the social boundaries and scope of the Soviet technostructure, thereby removing the false opposition of the scientific-technical intelligentsia and techno-bureaucracy as its constituent parts. Special attention is paid to analyzing the problems of the practice of Soviet socio-economic planning and attempts to solve them by the Soviet technostructure. In this regard, the historical fate of the national technocracy is illustrated by the most striking examples of the personal and scientific destinies of its major representatives. This allowed us to conclude that the key feature of the Soviet technocracy was its secondary nature - its subordinate supercentralization of the systems of social management and resource allocation. Directly indicated features appeared in inherited from the XIX century objectivist attitudes regarding scientific and technological progress, which had a decisive influence on managerial decision-making in the fields of scientific planning and scientific planning. Based on the indicated range of questions, a theoretically significant conclusion is drawn about the hybrid nature of the Soviet system of governance, which contained certain elements of technocracy, the reconstruction of the social meanings of from this, the prospective problems of researching the mechanisms of interrelations of power, science and technology in the Soviet evolution and whose actions have a positive cognitive potential only in the deep historical context of the national culture. Proceeding state formulated position in relation to the Soviet megaproject. This also results in the main features of the Soviet technostructure: statism, a rigid linkage of social progress with scientific and technological progress, loyalty to the ideas of socialism.

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