The cultural synthesis idea in the context of international integration: G.P. Fedotov's view in the American creation period (1942-1951)

The aim of this paper is to highlight the historical and theoretical views of the Russian religious thinker, historian G.P. Fedotov (18861951) regarding the prospects of cultural synthesis in the context of the global integration deepening, finally prevailing in the American period of his creative work. During this period the subject of his scientific interest becomes processes qualified as “globalization” in the terminology of modern scientific knowledge. Insufficient knowledge of the scientist's ideological and theoretical heritage is noted. Fedotov's works of the 1940-1950s are a source base of the article. His research strategy being cross-disciplinary in character is defined. His contribution to the study of the whole factors complex, first of all, the welfare having caused the complexity and contradictory nature of the world integration processes considerably being accelerated under the influence of major social conflicts of the 20th century, i.e. two world wars, is shown. It is emphasized that the orientation of Fedotov's thoughts about the prospects of the international integration and viability of the cultural synthesis idea in new historical conditions substantially formed by the international situation after World War II with distinctive growth of contradictions between the USSR and the USA. For G.P. Fedotov, as a religious Westerner, an opponent of modern totalitarian regimes, the crucial reason of the international integration was a wide spread of liberal and democratic values in the world as universal. The complexity of scientist's ideas about the nature of technogenic civilization, which beyond achievements the current levels of cross-cultural people interaction would be hardly possible, is emphasized. It is observed that the recognition of some positive aspects of modern technogenic civilization did not prevent Fedotov to see its obvious and concealed threats to culture as such. Inherent ideas of the anthropological crisis deepening in conditions of technogenic civilization, of further repression to the public consciousness periphery of religious and moral values as bases of original culture are analyzed. The scientist's ideas about the factors complicating cultural synthesis the main of which he considered the nationalism in the extreme forms promoting aggression escalation in the world and its disintegration are covered. The proposed ways of preserving the cultural diversity in the context of the international integration deepening are considered, in particular, his polemic proposition about the necessity of national sovereignty refusal as a condition of cultural identity preservation is discussed. Finally, the conclusion about relevance and scientific value of Fedotov's historical and theoretical ideas on the range of problems which studying promotes profound understanding of the processes happening in the modern world is drawn.

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