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Socio-political aspects of global problems of our time. Global problems – environmental, economic, political, social

People rarely analyze their lives from the point of view of the influence of world processes on it. Ordinary citizens are mostly concerned about their personal life and income level, less often about the state of the environment and work social institutions and so on. But the world is becoming more and more “small” every year. Global political problems grow, reaching with their tentacles to every person. And you won’t be able to hide from them. Their scope and intensity are so great that no one will be able to escape or sit out “in a bunker”! There is only one thing left - to join forces. So what are global political problems? How do they affect life? How to deal with them? Let's figure it out.

What in

First you need to understand the concepts. The loud phrase “global political problems” is now commonly used to describe many phenomena, some of which do not apply to it at all.

To separate the wheat from the chaff ourselves, let's break this concept down into its component parts.

The word "global" means "concerning all mankind." This is not some problem of one state (albeit a very important one). This characterizes the phenomenon on a planetary scale.

The second word - “political” - is especially important. It, in fact, discards some of the problems, making them secondary to those that this term describes. The only questions that remain are those that can be resolved politically. That is, this word denotes negative phenomena on a planetary scale, regulated by a long-term nature.

Let's look for global political problems in Everyday life to understand their essence. Think about the people who live nearby. Do they all eat enough, afford to buy what they need, have a good job and are wealthy? Most likely the answer will be no.

Now take a look at your news feeds. All of them are full of messages about discussions of state debts. You can also look out the window. What is the state of your area? Is it as safe as nature intended? Just a few glances around, and we have already stumbled upon the consequences of global policies that did not lead to the flourishing of civilization.

What are the problems in global politics?

Now we can move on to the list of those phenomena that are discussed at almost all meetings of heads of state and specialists called upon to guide the course of development of civilization. The first of them is poverty. More than seven billion people live on Earth.

And most of them languish in poverty. People don't even have enough money to buy a piece of bread. This problem does not concern just one state. The situation is detrimental to the development of all humanity. People simply die from disease or exhaustion. In addition, their potential (labor, creative, and so on) is not realized.

The second problem is debt. We are not talking about the funds that need to be paid to households (in the terminology of economists). The debts of countries are now so great that scientists cannot offer any intelligible way out of the situation.

The third is ecology. Man, as experts say, has been acting rashly for a long time, thereby giving rise to global problems throughout the world. The state of the environment is a clear confirmation of this. We can see for ourselves some of the negative results of this activity. There is smog in cities, soil erosion in fields, forests no longer take up as much space as they used to. And the climate presents unpleasant surprises that cannot be predicted.

Global problems peace concern not only the physical condition of the planet and its inhabitants. The behavioral aspects of population groups also pose a threat to humanity. This refers to terrorism. It is now gaining enormous proportions. Terrorist states have already begun to emerge.

These are the main global problems of our planet. They are united by several features, which we will discuss in more detail below.

Basic Features

Scientists have analyzed and systematized the characteristics of the above negative phenomena. This is the conclusion they came to. differ in the following features:

are planetary in nature;
threaten the existence of humanity;
urgent, that is, they need immediate resolution;
interconnected;
can only be overcome through joint efforts.

It must be said that many issues facing society fall under such criteria. And over time there are more and more of them. If previously humanity was actively involved in ecology and disarmament, now it has become concerned about the decrease in resources, the state of the World Ocean, the radicalization of society and much more.

Causes of global problems

These negative phenomena were born and formed in the depths of society along with its development. It cannot be said that the global problems of the world are caused by only one priority factor. They are influenced by everything: the enormous production capacity that humanity has accumulated, the growth of the population, and its worldview.

Economic opportunities are turning from a positive factor into a negative one. Nature suffers from consumer attitudes towards it. Plants and factories not only process resources at a gigantic pace, they pollute space and destroy the earth. But they cannot be stopped in the current paradigm of human development, as this will lead to terrible wars for consumer goods.

The population is increasingly striving for the thoughtless use of difficult-to-produce and expensive things. That is, perhaps an error has crept into the direction of our development. We tend to consume more and more without thinking about how much it costs the planet. It turns out that only the activities and direction of human development give rise to global political problems. Examples can be found in every country. There are poor and dissatisfied people everywhere. Every state faces terrorism. And there are so many weapons on the planet that the Earth can be completely destroyed. The causes of global problems must be considered comprehensively.

The birth of one leads to the emergence or escalation of another. They are all closely interconnected. And together they become a source of new ones. Perhaps after some time the confrontation of ideas will be included in their list.

Global political problems, examples of which we can study, already demonstrate the characteristics of the emergence of new ones. Loss of the meaning of existence by many members modern society- one of them. As Russian thinkers say, a national idea is needed.

Poverty

It must be said that global political problems have been studied for a long time. Scientists talk about the fact that many people live below the poverty line at various levels. The fact is that this problem is circular. Because of low levels income, people do not have the opportunity to get an education and, therefore, engage in highly productive work. Society lacks potential for development. After all, the economy can be expanded only if there are (in addition to funds) highly qualified specialists. In a poor society there is nowhere to get them; we have to attract foreigners. Besides, in problem countries investments are not received due to multiple risks. Poverty leads to escalation of unrest. Such countries suffer from revolutions and regime changes. New ones, by the way, still fall into the same vicious circle. Poverty gives rise to another global problem - terrorism. And it negatively affects not only developing countries. Armed specialists have the opportunity to move freely throughout the planet.

There are now almost no countries that are not areas of interest for terrorists. The results of their activities in individual states directly depend on the success of the intelligence services.

Debts

Global political problems of humanity are sometimes artificial. These include the debt crisis. Its roots are believed to go back to the seventies of the last century. Then, in developed countries, a sufficient number of loan capital which needed to be invested.

People regulating cash flows, decided to direct them to the development of the Asian region. The investments have done their job. Industry in this region has gained momentum, which, unfortunately, did not save us from the crisis. The fact is that not all countries were able to pay off interest on their debts. They had to declare bankruptcy. After the first such incident, it became clear that monetary system may collapse at once if no efforts are made to stabilize it.

The world is interdependent, including in the financial sector. The inability of one or more players to fulfill obligations leads to problems for the rest. And if you consider that there are not so many countries that have no debts, it’s understandable why world economy began to be compared to a soap bubble.

As a whole, humanity is obliged to pay out much more than it produces. Here, the rules and principles of the economy are already creating socio-political global problems. It turns out that developing in debt is unprofitable for states. They simply do not have time to increase their resources in sufficient quantities to repay loans. Social obligations have to be reduced, which leads to tension.

Environmental issues

When considering the global political problems of our time, along with others they call Negative influence people on the state of the environment. We have one planet.

But, unfortunately, we are destroying it for now. Industry as a whole influences global processes on the planet. Here we should talk about climate shifts, melting glaciers, changing the direction of ocean currents, and so on. Any of these processes can lead to such climate changes that the life of humanity will be at risk.

Some experts believe that society cannot influence negative phenomena; they happen on their own. That is, the melting of glaciers is the same pattern as the change of magnetic poles. Nevertheless, the ecosystem requires close attention and, naturally, extremely careful treatment.

Global problem: terrorism

The contradictions described above, disturbing society from within, led to people taking up arms. If we approach the problem in a global sense, we can see that their actions are based not on the desire to implement some aggressive plans, but on the desire to achieve justice.

Nevertheless, society is under constant threat of complete destruction. After all, terrorists can gain access not only to small arms. There are now opportunities to create or capture more terrible weapon mass destruction, the consequences of the use of which by a separate group of people are scary to think about. In addition, dangerous industrial enterprises(for example, nuclear power plants) can also become targets of attack. It is clear that they will affect the entire planet. There are already examples. This is the Chernobyl disaster or the Fukushima accident. Terrorism as a global problem of our time is of the most current and pressing nature.

A complex approach

To cope with challenges and contradictions, a simple approach is not enough. All problems are interconnected and tightly intertwined. It is believed that they can be solved using conceptual methods. That is, an in-depth program must be developed that affects the basic ideological aspects of human existence. For example, the idea of reducing consumption and reorienting to other values can reduce the level of tension in several areas at once.

Attempts to work in in this direction are being undertaken constantly. Here you can point to the movements of the “greens”. A lot of them. They are trying to prove that resources are not limitless and must be treated with care. Only the work is being done at the public level, which is clearly not enough. Problems accumulate much faster than the trends necessary to resolve them in society develop.

Work of international organizations

Many institutions deal with global issues. Considerable funds are allocated for this. Specialists from various fields constantly monitor the situation and conduct research. Naturally, global managers receive their findings and recommendations. The difficulty here is that the solution may not be simple. It is necessary to take into account the interests of states, which often contradict each other. Reaching consensus takes considerable time.

The world is changing, and decisions have to be adjusted again. This alone is not enough. The international bureaucratic machine cannot cope with challenges and sometimes slows down the implementation of already decisions made. Humanity is facing the need for fundamental changes. The system built in the last century is failing. Conceptual solutions are required that would allow us to radically change approaches to the formation of ways to get rid of global challenges. Otherwise, we simply may not have time to respond to the next disaster.

Science is making increasingly dire predictions about climate change. Unfortunately, they are confirmed by the realities of life. The Gulf Stream, for example, is slowing down, and glaciers are melting faster. But these phenomena affect every person. It turns out that we should look for ways to save the planet together. Since intergovernmental bodies cannot cope, the public needs to get involved. By the way, this may be some kind of incentive to reduce the level of relevance of several global risks at once. Mass awareness and understanding of existing problems alone leads to a change in behavioral and ideological habits.

Introduction

2. Global socio-political problems. Negative manifestations of the arms race and the challenges of disarmament

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

In the modern scientific world there are many interpretations of the concept of civilization. Its study has always attracted politicians, sociologists, historians and philosophers. Various theories of the formation and development of both global and local, individual civilizations have always caused controversy among scientists. An integral part of these disputes is Russia’s place in world civilization, its belonging to one or another line of development. Westerners, Slavophiles, Eurasians – there are many areas of discussion. But the purpose of these discussions is one - to understand how original the Russian civilization is. Some versions are based solely on historical facts, others are based only on ideology. But it must be admitted that a socio-political approach to the study of this problem is impossible without such independent sciences as history and philosophy. We will try to give an objective analysis of the civilizational development of Russia in the context of the development of world civilization.

Introductory, to consider the second question of this work, you can take the definition of political scientist V.A. Maltseva: “The global problems of our time are complex and comprehensive. They are closely intertwined with each other, with regional and national-state problems. They are based on contradictions on a global scale, affecting the foundations of the existence of modern civilization. The aggravation of contradictions in one link leads to destructive processes as a whole and gives rise to new problems. The resolution of global problems is also complicated by the fact that the level of management of global processes by international organizations, their awareness and financing by international organizations is still low. sovereign states. The strategy of human survival based on solving the global problems of our time should lead peoples to new frontiers of civilized development.”

1. The concept of civilization. Two historical lines and Russia’s place in the stream of world civilizations

CIVILIZATION is a stage in the development of society; the level of social and cultural development that is associated with the division of labor.

For a long time, civilization was considered as a stage in the historical development of mankind, following savagery and barbarism. Today this meaning is insufficient and inaccurate. Civilization is understood as the qualitative specificity (originality of material, spiritual, social life) of a particular group of countries or peoples at a certain stage of development.

According to a number of researchers, civilizations were and are fundamentally different from each other, since they are based on incompatible systems of social values. Any civilization is characterized not only by a specific social production technology, but also, to no lesser extent, by its corresponding culture. It is characterized by a certain philosophy, socially significant values, a generalized image of the world, a specific way of life with its own special life principle, the basis of which is the spirit of the people, its morality, and conviction, which determine a certain attitude towards oneself. This main life principle unites people into the people of a given civilization and ensures its unity throughout its entire history.

Civilization as a large-scale sociocultural community has its own hierarchy of ideals and values that represent society as whole system and subject of world history. Each civilization, differing from others in its special forms of life activity, has an active influence on the content of all social processes. The set of specific sociocultural factors in their interaction forms a mechanism for the functioning of civilization, the features of which are manifested in the ethnosocial, religious, psychological, behavioral and other ways of life of a given human community. In this regard, there have existed in history and currently exist Various types and forms of civilizations, the total number of which scientists estimate to be within thirty. The following features contribute to the identification of types of civilizations: - common fundamental features and mentalities; - commonality and interdependence of historical and political fate and economic development; - interweaving of cultures; - the presence of a sphere of common interests and common tasks from the point of view of development prospects.

Based on the formed characteristics, two types of civilizations can be distinguished.

The first type of civilizations is traditional societies. Their distinctive cultures were aimed at maintaining the established way of life. Preference was given to traditional patterns and norms that incorporated the experience of their ancestors. Activities, their means and ends changed slowly. Traditional societies have their origins in ancient Eastern civilization, where extensive technology dominated, aimed mainly at mastering external natural processes. Man coordinated his activities with the rhythms of nature, adapting as much as possible to environment. This type of society has survived to this day. And today, among the spiritual values in them, one of the leading places is occupied by the attitude towards adaptation to natural conditions; the desire for their purposeful transformation is not encouraged. Activity directed inward to self-contemplation is valuable. Traditions and customs passed on from generation to generation are of particular importance. In general, the value-spiritual sphere of human existence is placed above the economic one.

The second type is Western societies or Western European civilization, which in many ways is the opposite of traditional society, although it has quite deep historical roots. It was based on other values. Among them is the importance of science, the constant desire for progress, for changes in existing forms of activity. The understanding of human nature and his role in social life was also different. It was based on the Christian teaching about morality and the attitude towards the human mind as created in the image and likeness of the divine and therefore capable of comprehending the meaning of existence. Western European civilization is called differently: technogenic, industrial, scientific and technical. It absorbed the achievements of ancient culture, the Western European Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Due to the harsher natural environment compared to the countries of the East, the intensive production that developed in the European region required the utmost strain on the physical and intellectual forces of society, the constant improvement of tools and methods of influencing nature. In connection with this, a new value system was formed. Gradually, active, creative, transformative human activity came to the fore. The ideals of civilization were constant renewal and progress. Scientific knowledge has acquired unconditional value, significantly expanding the intellectual powers, inventive abilities of man, and his ability to transform the world. Unlike traditional societies, where collective forms of human coexistence are of paramount importance, Western civilization put forward an independent, autonomous individual as the most important value, which, in turn, served as the basis for developing ideas about inalienable rights people, about civil society and the rule of law.

An attempt to understand the patterns of the world historical process, to highlight its main directions, to determine the uniqueness and role of various cultural and historical types, which we call civilizations, in the formation of a single human civilization confronts us with the need to understand Russia’s place in global civilization.

What type should Russian civilization be classified as? Or maybe she represents a special, third type?

This key problem was posed back in the 30s. XIX century Russian philosopher P.Ya. Chaadaev (1794-1856), who wrote: “They say about Russia that it belongs neither to Europe nor to Asia, that it is a special world. So be it. But we must also prove that humanity, in addition to its two sides, defined by the words - West and East, also has a third side. Over its more than thousand-year history, the Russian state has gone through a difficult path of development, which was influenced by both internal and external factors.

Old Russian civilization differed both from the medieval Western European and from the traditional eastern types of civilizations. Due to a unique combination of socio-economic, political and geographical reasons, it turned out to be an exclusively centrifugal, mobile and therefore extensive civilization, built not so much through the comprehensive cultivation and maximum development of a limited natural and social space, but through the inclusion of more and more new spaces in its orbit. It is unknown how long this civilization would have existed, but the church hierarchy that came from Byzantium not only brought with it sacred books and thereby laid the foundation for ancient Russian literacy and writing, but also through baptism united the ancient Russian world, primarily as a Christian one. It can be assumed that the ancient Russian civilization, despite its significant originality, would gradually be drawn into a single civilizational style Western Europe. However, the rapprochement of Rus' and Europe was then prevented by two circumstances: a special form of Christianity and another order of reign, which, under powerful external influence, led Rus' along a different path.

We can talk about modern Russian civilization starting from the era of Peter the Great’s reforms, from the 18th century, from the imperial, St. Petersburg period of Russian history. Peter's reforms laid the foundations of the Russian civilization within which we continue to live today. This civilization fully developed in the second half of the 18th – early 19th centuries. The 19th and 20th centuries became the era of its intensive development.

As a rule, it is preceded by an increase in social and political tension in socio-political relations. Social tension occurs when most people are dissatisfied with the state of affairs or the course of events. Dissatisfaction is a key concept in social and political tensions. Social tension, under certain conditions, can transform into socio-political and political tension. (We'll look at these issues in more detail below.)

According to L.N. Timofeeva, the conflict is hidden in the very nature of political power, designed to harmonize and coordinate the various interests of people. She identifies the following sources of political conflict:

social relations themselves are relations of inequality;
divergence of people in basic values and political ideals;
identification of citizens (social, religious, political, etc.);
shortcomings, errors, distortions in the technology of political communication;
socio-psychological properties of political subjects fighting for power.

The political conflict is based on various types of political crises, in particular:

an identity crisis that comes with the collapse of the ideals and values that dominate the political culture of a given society;
the crisis of distribution of material and cultural goods, which consists in the inability of government structures to ensure sustainable growth in the material well-being of the population;
crisis of participation - the level of citizen involvement in governance;
crisis of "penetration" - desire ruling class implement your decisions in all spheres of public life;
a crisis of legitimacy—a discrepancy between the regime’s goals and mass perceptions of the norms of its functioning.

R. Garr considers as one of the main reasons for the emergence of socio-political conflict relative deprivation, which “is defined as the perception by a figure (actor) of the discrepancy between his value expectations And value opportunities.Value expectations- these are the benefits and conditions of life to which people are convinced that they can rightfully claim. Value Opportunities - these are goods and conditions which they think they could obtain and retain.”

The origins of the theory of relative deprivation go back to the works of E. Durkheim on anomie and the works of P. A. Sorokin on the suppressed basic instincts of the majority of the population. A certain contribution to the development of this theory was made by K. Boulding, G. Mead, R. Merton. They considered the theory of relative deprivation in conjunction with the theory of reference groups. The essence of the theory is that most people commit violent acts not because they pursue political goals, but because they are in an unsatisfactory (frustrated) state. The key concept of relative deprivation is “frustration-aggression”. According to R. Garr, “the mechanisms of frustration-aggression and the associated mechanisms of threat-aggression lay down the basic motivational connection between relative deprivation and the potential for collective violence.”

Dissatisfaction (according to T. R. Garr) serves as a basic, motivating condition for participants in collective violence. It is formed mainly during the comparison (contrast) of the situation of frustrated groups with more prosperous (reference) groups. In this case, the “causal sequence in political violence” goes through the following stages:

development of dissatisfaction;
politicization of this dissatisfaction;
the realization of dissatisfaction in violent action directed against political objects and figures.

The theory of relative deprivation is, in our opinion, effective in analyzing socio-political conflicts in conditions of significant stratification of society, when the gap in income and standard of living between the poor (frustrated) layers of society and the rich (reference) is very large, for example, as in modern Russian society. A similar situation and reason for frustration and aggression has developed in the international arena between “poor” and “rich” countries.

Relative deprivation as a cause of socio-political conflict is relevant for modern Russian society. A mass protest is brewing among the people against the extremely uneven (unfair) distribution public resources. The country's economy, having enormous potential, mainly works for a small part of society - the political and economic elite and corrupt officials. Therefore, the contradiction between what citizens can claim and what the existing system of relations offers (emits) to them is one of the most pressing for Russia.

The problems of economic and social inequality are superimposed on the problems of limiting the political rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens.

All the variety of reasons for the emergence of intrastate political conflicts, in our opinion, can be reduced to four main ones:

1. infringement of the basic socio-economic and political interests of a significant part of the country's population. As a result, the following types of socio-political conflicts may arise:

conflict of legitimacy of power, which is based on socio-economic reasons, such as distribution social product between different social classes (layers);
conflict of legitimacy of power, which is based on political and legal reasons, for example, violation of the political rights and freedoms of citizens; violation of existing laws; the introduction of new laws that do not meet the interests of certain political subjects and social groups;

2. differences in assessments, value orientations, goals, ideas regarding the political and socio-economic development of society (differences in political cultures);

3. the struggle between various (clans, elites, blocs, etc.) for power and resources in society (conflict of political interests);

4. processes of identification of citizens, their awareness of their belonging to certain social, ethnic, religious and other communities and confrontation with “foreign” groups (identity conflict).

Infringement of basic needs can be caused by both objective and subjective factors.

Objective factors are:

crisis of the natural socio-economic development of society (for example, the crisis of the USSR in the 80s);
difficulties associated with radical reform of the socio-political system of society;
3) the result of unforeseen circumstances ( disaster, global financial crisis, external wars, etc.).

Subjective factors include:

obvious miscalculations in socio-economic policy (incompetence);
the reluctance of the ruling elite to take into account the fundamental interests and needs of the subordinate classes and social strata;
awareness (perception) by subordinate social strata and classes of the existing political system of distribution of resources (including power) as unfair and illegal (crisis of legitimacy).

Whatever the reasons for the infringement of the basic, but if a significant part of the country’s population does not find its place in the existing socio-political structure of society and is not able to satisfy its basic needs within the framework of socio-political institutions, then it will strive to destroy or radically change these institutions. Such a regime political conflict presupposes a confrontation between the ruling elite and society. Today in Russia, according to sociological research, 79% of Russians are not satisfied with their living conditions, 70% of respondents assess Russian society as unfair. But for various reasons, dissatisfaction with the current system is mainly latent.

Differences in assessments, value orientations, goals, ideas about the necessary (ideal) structure of society and the state can cause ideological socio-political conflict or conflict values. Such conflicts are also called conflicts political cultures, however, in our opinion, the latter may include a broader range of issues, such as disagreements over the means to achieve goals.

The struggle between various interest groups (clans, elites, blocs, etc.) for power and resources is the most common basis for political conflict, and in the absence of civil society, the main one. Frontal conflicts occur within the existing political system. Their reasons, goals and objectives are not very clear to most citizens. The victory of one or another political group in such a conflict, as a rule, does not change anything in the living conditions of ordinary citizens. Such “politics” and such “political conflicts” are very characteristic of today’s Russia with its shadow politics and shadow economy.

The global problems of our time are a set of the most acute, vitally important planetary problems, the solution of which requires the joint efforts of the countries of the world community. q q Global socio-political problems cover a range of issues related to ensuring peace and international security. For a long period, the international security system was based on the nuclear deterrence of military powers. However, over time, the understanding came that nuclear war cannot be a means of achieving foreign policy goals in conditions where the global interdependence of states has increased. The end of the confrontation between East and West gave rise to certain hopes for a secure world. However, further developments revealed new sources of instability and tension in the world. The growth of international terrorism, the spread of Islamic fundamentalism, the increase in the number of local conflicts on the planet - all this indicates the emergence of new dangers, threats and risks for the world community.

The problem of disarmament, especially nuclear missile disarmament, remains acute. Today, the weapons stockpiles accumulated in the world make it possible to destroy all of humanity many times over. Global military spending annually amounts to about one trillion dollars. Currently, the world spends 60 times more on each soldier than on the education of one child. In developing countries, the rate of military spending is twice the rate of economic growth, which makes it much more difficult to solve social problems. The uncontrolled proliferation of weapons in the world expands areas of terrorism and crime, promotes people's consciousness, and generates violence in everyday life. Analysis chart for the development of this problem

Ø Solving the problem of disarmament would make it possible to remove the danger of nuclear war from humanity, freeing up colossal human, material and financial resources for the needs of sustainable economic and social development peoples of countries. However, there are still numerous difficulties and obstacles on the path to disarmament, including the enormous inertia of the arms race, the resistance of military-industrial complexes, the large scale of international arms trade, local wars and armed conflicts, the growth of terrorist and criminal organizations, etc. Disarmament is a long process that requires adherence to certain principles. Among the most important of these are equality and equal security; fulfillment of obligations under contracts and agreements; development and implementation of a control system; the comprehensive nature of disarmament activities, their continuity and effectiveness, etc. The development of disarmament processes can be facilitated by the activities of numerous pacifist and environmental organizations.

o In the modern world, the main forms of use of armed violence are changing. Along with wars, there is an increasing escalation of terrorism, which today is increasingly acquiring an international character. Terrorism as a special method of political violence is characterized by purposefulness, particular cruelty, calculation of external effect and psychological impact. The improvement of weapons and the possibility of creating nuclear weapons leads to the globalization of the terrorist threat. After the bombing of the World Trade Center buildings in New York on September 11, 2001, the entire civilized world fully realized the planetary scale of the danger of international terrorism. The world community condemns any form of terrorism and sets the task of uniting efforts to combat this growing threat to all humanity.

n n Awareness of the primacy of socio-political factors in solving global problems has contributed to the fact that global studies in many countries has become not only a special branch of scientific knowledge, but also an important direction of government policy. And in modern conditions we can even talk about global development modeling as an integral part of the policies of all states. Specific leadership in this area is carried out by specially created ministries, state committees or other special bodies dealing with these issues. The globalist policy pursued in society is aimed at overcoming emerging problems of a global nature and is an important integral integral part general political activity of the state. It is formed and developed taking into account specific socio-political characteristics and the severity of global problems in society, in each individual state. That is why it is either an expression of the interests of the ruling class, or represents a certain agreement reached by the warring parties.

Ø Ø However, the main importance for clarifying the essence of the pursued policy of a particular state is not the proclaimed slogans, but its practical implementation, where the main difficulties arise. Even having reached an agreement on its main goals and objectives, various political forces in practice do not always strive to implement them. The connection between politics and global problems can be seen most clearly and clearly in the example of solving the problem of war and peace. It is quite enough to note the essential point that the solution to the problem of war and peace in modern conditions is impossible by any means other than political ones. A particular danger today is the so-called concept, widely used by Western politicians and ideologists. nuclear world". Its supporters, while rejecting nuclear war, nevertheless strive to attribute the arms race to the role of a stabilizing factor in international relations. They are trying to prove that the preservation of peace can be ensured through mutual “deterrence” of nuclear powers only on the basis of a “balance of fear” between them. The political aspects of the development of this concept are quite obvious - by any means to justify the ongoing arms race. However, only a complete renunciation of war as a means of resolving international conflicts can ensure political stability in the world.

q Humanity is faced with problems that affect the deepest foundations of the existence of civilization and the interests of all peoples. Their exacerbation was the result of human activity. But their resolution is also impossible without his conscious and purposeful activity. The global nature of these problems requires joint efforts of all countries and peoples of the world to resolve them. To successfully overcome all global problems, a thoughtful, balanced policy of all states to develop international cooperation and their active work in the practical implementation of all planned activities is necessary.

INTRODUCTION

2. Global socio-political problems. Negative manifestations of the arms race and the challenges of disarmament

INTRODUCTION

In the modern scientific world there are many interpretations of the concept of civilization. Its study has always attracted politicians, sociologists, historians and philosophers. Various theories of formation and development, both global and local, individual civilizations have always caused controversy among scientists. An integral part of these disputes is Russia’s place in world civilization, its belonging to one or another line of development. Westerners, Slavophiles, Eurasians - there are many areas of discussion. But the purpose of these diss There is only one challenge - to understand how unique the Russian civilization is. Some versions are based solely on historical facts, others are based only on ideology. But it must be admitted that a socio-political approach to the study of this problem is impossible without such independent sciences as history and philosophy. We will try to give an objective analysis of the civilizational development of Russia in the context of the development of world civilization.

Introductory, to consider the second question of this work, you can take the definition of political scientist V.A. Maltseva: “The global problems of our time are complex and comprehensive. They are closely intertwined with each other, with regional and national-state problems. They are based on contradictions on a global scale, affecting the foundations of the existence of modern civilization. The aggravation of contradictions in one link leads to destructive processes as a whole and gives rise to new problems. The resolution of global problems is also complicated by the fact that the level of management of global processes by international organizations, their awareness and financing by sovereign states is still low. The strategy of human survival based on solving the global problems of our time should lead peoples to new frontiers of civilized development.”

1. The concept of civilization. Two historical lines and Russia’s place in the stream of world civilizations

CIVILIZATION is a stage in the development of society; level social and cultural development, which is associated with the division of labor.

Civilization as a large-scale sociocultural community has its own hierarchy of ideals and values that represent society as an integral system and subject of world history. Each civilization, differing from others in its special forms of life activity, has an active influence on the content of all social processes. The set of specific sociocultural factors in their interaction forms a mechanism functioning of civilization, the features of which are manifested in ethnosocial, religious, psychological, behavioral and other ways of life of a given human community. In this regard, various types and forms of civilizations have existed in history and exist today, the total number of which scientists estimate to be within thirty. The following features contribute to the identification of types of civilizations: - common fundamental traits and mentality; - commonality and interdependence of historical and political fate and economic development; - interweaving of cultures; - the presence of a sphere of common interests and common tasks from the point of view of development prospects.

Based on the formed characteristics, two types of civilizations can be distinguished.

The first type of civilizations is traditional society. Their distinctive cultures were aimed at maintaining the established way of life. Preference was given to traditional patterns and norms that incorporated the experience of their ancestors. Activities, their means and ends changed slowly. Traditional societies originate in ancient Eastern civilization, where extensive technology dominated, aimed mainly to master external natural processes. Man coordinated his activities with the rhythms of nature, adapting to the environment as much as possible. This type of society has survived to this day. And today, among the spiritual values in them, one of the leading places is occupied by the attitude towards adaptation to natural conditions; the desire for their purposeful transformation is not encouraged. Activity directed inward to self-contemplation is valuable. Traditions and customs passed on from generation to generation are of particular importance. IN in general the value-spiritual sphere of human existence is placed above the economic one.

The second type is Western societies or Western European civilization, in many ways the opposite of traditional society, although it has quite deep historical roots. It was based on other values. Among them is the importance of science, the constant desire for progress, for changes in existing forms of activity. The understanding of human nature and his role in social life was also different. It was based on the Christian teaching about morality and the attitude towards the human mind as created in the image and likeness of the divine and therefore capable of comprehending the meaning of existence . Western European civilization is called differently: technogenic, industrial, scientific and technical. It absorbed the achievements of ancient culture, the Western European Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Due to the more severe, compared to countries East, natural environment prevailing in the European region intensive production required extreme strain on the physical and intellectual forces of society, constant improvement of tools and methods of influencing nature. In connection with this, a new value system was formed. Gradually, active, creative, transformative human activity came to the fore. The ideals of civilization were constant renewal and progress. Scientific knowledge has acquired unconditional value, significantly expanding the intellectual powers, inventive abilities of man, and his ability to transform the world. Unlike traditional societies, where collective forms of human coexistence are of paramount importance, Western civilization has put forward an independent, autonomous individual as the most important value, which, in turn, served as the basis for the development of ideas about inalienable human rights, about civil society and the rule of law.

What type should Russian civilization be classified as? Or maybe be, does she represent a special, third type?

This key problem was posed back in the 30s. XIX century Russian philosopher P.Ya. Chaadaev (1794-1856) , who wrote: “They say about Russia that it belongs neither to Europe nor to Asia, that it is a special world. So be it. But we must also prove that humanity, in addition to its two sides, defined by words “West and East, there is also a third party.” For my more how Throughout its thousand-year history, the Russian state has gone through a difficult path of development, which was influenced by both internal and external factors.

Old Russian civilization differed both from the medieval Western European and from the traditional eastern types of civilizations. Due to a unique combination of socio-economic, political and geographical reasons it turned out to be an exclusively centrifugal, mobile and therefore extensive civilization, built not so much through the comprehensive cultivation and maximum development of a limited natural and social space, but through the inclusion of more and more new spaces in its orbit. It is unknown how long this civilization would have existed, but the church hierarchy that came from Byzantium not only brought with it sacred books and thereby laid the foundation for ancient Russian literacy and writing, but also through baptism united the ancient Russian world, primarily as a Christian one. It can be assumed that the ancient Russian civilization, despite its significant originality, would gradually be drawn into the unified civilizational style of Western Europe. At the same time, two circumstances prevented the rapprochement of Rus' and Europe: a special form of Christianity and another order of reign, which, under powerful external influence, led Rus' along a different path.

We can talk about modern Russian civilization starting from the era of Peter the Great’s reforms, from the 18th century, from the imperial, St. Petersburg period of Russian history. Peter's reforms laid the foundations of the Russian civilization within which we continue to live today. This civilization fully developed in the second half of the 18th century - the beginning of XIX century Century XIX and XX became the era of its intensive development .

How to find common features in Russia that are inherent in a particular civilization? This from the question was posed I for a long time. His has a solution great importance for the methodology of studying the development of Russia. But this is not just historical and scientific, A socio-political and spiritual-moral problem. This or that solution to this problem is associated with the choice of the development path of our country and the determination of the main value guidelines. Therefore, the discussion on this issue has not stopped throughout Russian history. It should be noted that each of the concepts that define Russia’s place in world civilization is based on certain historical facts. At the same time, these concepts clearly show a one-sided ideological orientation. Four points of view can be distinguished :

1. Russia is part of Western civilization. This the position was developed in the 30s and 40s. XIX century Russian historians and writers K.D. Kavelin, N.G. Chernyshevsky, B.I. Chicherin and others, called Westerners.

2. Russia is part of Eastern civilization. At this point vision many modern Western historians stand.

3.Russia is bearer of the original Slavic civilization. Historians and scientists of this directions named « Slavophiles » , such like N. Kireevsky, S. Khomyakov, K. Aksakov, Yu. Samarin, in the 40s. XIX century, when Russia stood on the threshold of reforms, defended identity, « Slavic character » Russian people.

4. Russia is an example of a special Eurasian civilization. Supporters this theory, which had circulation in the 50s. XX century, based to geographical position Russia, its multinational character and many common features of both Eastern and Western civilizations manifested in Russian society.

Let's look at these four points of view in more detail.

Westerners or “Europeanists” proposed to consider Russia as an integral part of Europe and, therefore, as an integral component of Western civilization. They believed that Russia, although with some lag, developed in line with Western civilization , What by its culture, economic ties, Christian religion Russia lies closer to the West than to the East, and should strive for rapprochement with the West. Petrovsky period transformations took a significant step in this direction. Many characteristics of Russian history speak in favor of this point of view. The absolute majority of the Russian population professes Christianity and, therefore, is committed to the values and socio-psychological attitudes that underlie Western civilization. Reform activities many statesmen: Prince Vladimir, Peter I, Catherine II, Alexander II are aimed at including Russia in Western civilization. Undoubtedly, Russian culture has long been included in the culture of the West. This primarily applies to Christianity, enlightenment, social utopianism, avant-gardeism, and elements of rationalism.

Proponents of the theory, that Russia is one of the countries with oriental type civilizations believe that those few attempts to introduce Russia to Western civilization ended unsuccessfully and did not leave a deep mark on the self-awareness of the Russian people and their history. Russia has always been a type of Eastern despotism. One of the most important arguments in favor of this position is cyclicality. development Russia: the period of reforms was inevitably followed by a period of counter-reforms, and the reformation - counter-reformation. Supporters of this position also point to the collectivist nature of the mentality of the Russian people, the absence in Russian history of democratic traditions, respect for freedom, personal dignity, the vertical nature of socio-political relations, their predominantly submissive overtones, etc. Yes, American historian D. Tredgold, defining Russia's belonging to the East civilizations notes following common features: for eastern characteristic of society political monism - concentration power in one center; social monism, meaning that the rights and property of different social groups are determined central government; weak principle property that Always conditional and not guaranteed power; arbitrariness, essence whom that man rules, not the law. It is precisely this model of society, Tredgold believes, that arose and strengthened in the process of formation Moscow states in the XV-XVII centuries. With the reforms of Peter I, Russia began a shift towards the Western model. And only by 1917 e I succeeded come close to the line dividing western and eastern models, but Oktyabrskaya revolution again alienated Russia from the West.

But the largest movement in the historical and social thought of Russia is the ideological and theoretical movement that defends the idea of Russia's uniqueness. Supporters of this idea are Slavophiles, Eurasians and many other representatives of the so-called “patriotic” ideology.

Slavophiles believed features of Russian history Orthodoxy, communal life, collectivist nature of work. As a result great resettlement peoples at the beginning new era Eastern Slavs found themselves on a virgin, untouched earth unlike theirs relatives along the Aryan branch of the Franks and Germans who settled in the former provinces of the Roman Empire and laid Start stories Western Europe. Thus, Russian state develops "out of itself". These primary living conditions Russian Slavs, according to V.O. Klyuchevsky, determined the comparative simplicity of their social composition, as well as significant the originality of both this development and this composition . Slavophiles associated the idea of the uniqueness of Russian history with the exceptionally unique path of development of Russia, and, consequently, with the exceptional originality of Russian culture. The initial thesis of the teaching of the Slavophiles is the statement decisive role Orthodoxy for the formation and development of Russian civilization. According to A. S. Khomyakov, it was Orthodoxy that formed “that primordial Russian quality, that “Russian spirit” that created the Russian land in its infinite volume.” ABOUT The founding idea of Russian Orthodoxy, and, consequently, of the entire structure of Russian life, is the idea of conciliarity. Conciliarity is manifested in all spheres of Russian life: in the church, in the family, in society, in relations between states. According to the Slavophiles, conciliarity is the most important quality that separates Russian society from the entire Western civilization. Western peoples, moving away from the decisions of the first seven Ecumenical Councils, distorted christian symbol faith and thereby consigned the conciliar principle to oblivion. And this gave rise to all the flaws of European culture and, above all, its mercantilism and individualism. Russian civilization is characterized by high spirituality, based on an ascetic worldview, and a collectivist, communal structure of social life. From the point of view of the Slavophiles, it was Orthodoxy that gave birth to a specific social organization - the rural community, the “world”, which has economic and moral significance. In the description of the agricultural community to the Slavophiles And the moment of its idealization and embellishment is clearly visible. Economic activity The community is presented as a harmonious combination of personal and social interests, and all members of the community act in relation to each other as “comrades and shareholders.” At the same time, they still recognized that in modern The structure of the community has negative aspects generated by the presence of serfdom. Slavophiles condemned serfdom and advocated its abolition. At the same time, the Slavophiles saw the main advantage of the rural community in the spiritual and moral principles that it instills in its members: the willingness to stand up for common interests, honesty, patriotism, etc. In their opinion, the emergence of these qualities in community members does not occur consciously, but instinctively, by following ancient religious customs and traditions. Based on fundamental installation that the community is the best form of social organization of life, the Slavophiles demanded that the communal principle be made comprehensive, that is, transferred to the sphere of urban life, to industry. The communal structure should also be the basis of state life and be capable, in their words, of replacing “the abomination of administration in Russia.” Slavophiles believed that as the “communal principle” spreads in Russian society, the “spirit of conciliarity” would become increasingly stronger. The leading principle of social relations will be the self-denial of each for the benefit of all. Thanks to this, the religious and social aspirations of people will merge into a single stream. As a result, the task of our internal history, defined by them as “the enlightenment of the people’s communal principle,” will be completed. Slavophilism is based on the ideology of pan-Slavism. Their idea of the special fate of Russia is based on the idea of exclusivity, the specialness of the Slavs.

Eurasians, unlike the Slavophiles, insisted on the exclusivity of Russia and the Russian ethnic group. This exclusivity, in their opinion, was determined by the synthetic nature of the Russian ethnos. Russia represents a special type of civilization, which differs from both the West and the East. They called this special type of civilization Eurasian. In the Eurasian concept of the civilizational process, a special place was given to geographical factor(natural environment) - “place of development” of the people. This environment, in their opinion, determines the characteristics of various countries and peoples, their identity and destiny. Russia occupies the middle space of Asia and Europe, approximately outlined by three great plains: East European, West Siberian and Turkestan. These huge flat spaces, devoid of natural sharp geographical boundaries, left their mark on the history of Russia and contributed to the creation of a unique cultural world. A significant role in the argumentation of the Eurasians was assigned to the peculiarities of the ethnogenesis of the Russian nation. The Russian ethnic group was formed not only on the basis of the Slavic ethnic group, but under the strong influence of the Turkic and Finno-Ugric tribes. Particular emphasis was placed on the impact on Russian history and the Russian identity of the eastern “Turanian”, predominantly Turkic-Tatar element associated with the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The methodological guidelines of the Eurasians were largely shared by the prominent Russian thinker N.A. Berdyaev . One of the most important characteristics Russian folk individuality, according to Berdyaev, is its deep polarization and inconsistency: “The inconsistency and complexity of the Russian soul may be due to the fact that in Russia two streams of world history collide and come into interaction: East and West. The Russian people are not a purely European and not a purely Asian people. Russia is a whole part of the world, a huge East-West, it connects two worlds. And two principles have always struggled in the Russian soul, eastern and western.” . ON THE. Berdyaev believes that there is a correspondence between the immensity, the boundlessness of the Russian land and the Russian soul. In the soul of the Russian people there is the same immensity, boundlessness, aspiration to infinity, as in the Russian plain. The Russian people, Berdyaev argues, were not a people of culture based on ordered rational principles. He was a people of revelations and inspirations. Two opposing principles formed the basis of the Russian soul: the pagan Dionistic element and ascetic-monastic Orthodoxy. This duality permeates all the main characteristics of the Russian people: despotism, hypertrophy of the state and anarchism, freedom, cruelty, a tendency to violence and kindness, humanity, gentleness, ritual belief and the search for truth, individualism, heightened consciousness of the individual and impersonal collectivism, nationalism, self-praise and universalism, pan-humanity, missionary religiosity and external piety, the search for God and militant atheism, humility and arrogance, slavery and rebellion. These contradictory features of Russian national character and predetermined, according to Berdyaev, all the complexity and cataclysms of Russian development.

Let us summarize, based on the considered points of view on civilizational development Russia.

The most important aspect of the concept of civilization is diversity, multi-level, multifaceted and large-scale. Civilization is a large-scale, complexly organized enterprise, included in the world whole in the most direct way and having a significant impact on this whole. Russia fits entirely within the framework this definition. The self-identification of the majority of Russians is limited precisely by belonging to Russia, and not by recognizing oneself as a “man of the West” or “a man of the East.” It is not at all accidental that in the entire body of literature devoted to Russia, there is hardly any significant publication in which Russia would unambiguously be recognized as belonging to any of the civilizations - Western or Eastern. Even for the most ardent Russian Westerners, Russian “Westernness” acted and continues to act as a project of the most preferable future, and not as an obviousness and a given. In the works of foreign researchers, Russia, as a rule, is assigned an independent place in the world as a whole. Foreign authors, regardless of their attitude towards Russia, positive or negative, assign it the role of a significant and independent factor in world life. Many modern domestic researchers do not question the understanding of Russia as an independent civilization.

The history of Russia was often interrupted, as a result of which we should talk not about one, but about several Russias: Kievan Rus, Muscovite Rus', Russia of Peter I, Soviet Russia, etc. We must remember that the discontinuity of history and the associated presence of a number of sharply different faces of the country are not exceptional feature Russia. It is obvious that this or that country, taken in a certain, rather long historical era, either belongs to one of the existing civilizations, or gravitates towards one of them, or, finally, itself represents a separate civilization. It is the latter that applies to Russia.

Russian civilization is a multinational entity. It means that Representatives of various peoples and cultures. At the same time, there is every reason to believe that the circle of peoples that make up Russian civilization is fundamentally unlimited. It is likely that in the future it will also include those who were previously not typical for Russia and were considered outlandish, for example, the Chinese, Africans or Indians. At the same time, as they integrate into Russian society, they can become bearers of a specific Russian way of life and thought, however, without necessarily losing the inherent features of their socio-psychological culture .

The civilization of Russia can be studied at various time slices of its existence. It is clear that it is especially important and interesting to know and understand its current state. The way of life and thoughts in Russia today is what can be called the current state of Russian civilization.

3. Global socio-political problems, negative manifestations Arms Races and Disarmament Challenges

Global problems of a socio-political nature are:

Prevention of nuclear war;

Cessation of the arms race, resolution of regional and interstate conflicts;

Building a non-violent peace based on establishing trust between peoples and strengthening the system of universal security.

In the second half of the 20th century. humanity is faced with a group of problems on the solution of which further social progress and the fate of civilizations depend. These problems are called global (translated from the Latin “globe” - Earth, globe). These primarily include the following: preventing the threat of a new world war, overcoming the environmental crisis and its consequences, reducing the gap in the level of economic development between developed countries West and developing countries“third world”, stabilization of the demographic situation on the planet. The problems of protecting health and preventing AIDS, drug addiction, the revival of cultural and moral values, and the fight against international terrorism are also becoming increasingly important.

Thinking about the reasons for the emergence of global problems, scientists point first of all to the emerging global community of people, the integrity of the modern world, which is ensured primarily by deep economic ties, increased political and cultural contacts, and the latest means of mass communication. In conditions when the planet becomes the single home of humanity, many contradictions, conflicts, and problems can outgrow local boundaries and acquire a global character.

But it's not only that. The actively transformative human activity itself is now comparable in power and consequences (both creative and destructive) to the most formidable forces of nature. Calling to life the mighty productive forces, humanity cannot always bring them under its reasonable control. The level of social organization, political thinking and environmental awareness, spiritual and moral orientations are still very far from the requirements of the era.

Global problems should be considered those that affect not a specific person, not a certain group of people, even a single country or group of countries, but those that affect the vital interests of the majority of humanity and can affect any individual person. The expansion and deepening of economic, social, political, sociocultural, political-cultural and other connections and institutions are having an ever-growing impact on the daily lives of people in the most remote parts of the globe.

At the same time actions nation states and even local communities can have important global consequences. Any local event can in one way or another acquire global significance and, conversely, any global event can radically change the state of affairs in individual regions, countries, and local communities.

So, the problems generated by fundamental changes living conditions of world society that threaten its existence are called global problems of our time. The first such problem was the real danger of self-destruction of humanity, which appeared for the first time in history, associated with the emergence of nuclear weapons and the build-up of nuclear potentials. This problem was first formulated as a global one in the famous manifesto of A. Einstein, B. Russell and nine other prominent scientists, published in 1955. The problem of nuclear destruction became particularly acute after the creation by domestic scientists under the leadership of Academician N.N. Moiseev's model of the global climate of “nuclear winter” - a mathematical description of the processes that can occur as a result of a nuclear war in living and inanimate nature and in society. Following the threat of nuclear self-destruction of humanity, energy and environmental problems were realized.

The arms race is the key problem on which the solution to all others depends. In the context of the confrontation between the two world superpowers - the USSR and the USA - in principle there could be no global approach to solving other problems. Its beginning was associated with atomic weapons. As you know, in 1945 the United States became the only nuclear power in the world. During the war with Japan, they detonated atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Strategic superiority led to the fact that the American military began to build various plans for a preventive strike on the USSR. But the American monopoly on nuclear weapon lasted only four years. In 1949, the USSR tested its first atomic bomb. This event was a real shock for the Western world. In the course of further accelerated development in the USSR, nuclear and then thermonuclear weapons were soon created. Fighting has become very dangerous for everyone, and is fraught with very bad consequences. Accumulated nuclear potential was huge, but the gigantic reserves of destructive weapons were of no use, and the costs of their production and storage were growing. If earlier they said “we can destroy you, but you cannot destroy us,” now the wording has changed. They began to say “you can destroy us 38 times, and we can destroy you 64 times!” . The debate is fruitless, especially considering that if a war broke out and one of the opponents used nuclear weapons, very soon there would be nothing left not only of him, but of the entire planet.

The arms race was growing at a rapid pace. As soon as one of the sides created some fundamentally new weapon, its opponent threw all its forces and resources into achieving the same thing. Crazy competition affected all areas of the military industry. We competed everywhere: in creating the latest systems small arms, in new designs of tanks, aircraft, ships and submarines, but perhaps the most dramatic was the competition in the creation of rocketry. The entire so-called peaceful space in those days was not even the visible part of the iceberg, but a snow cap on the visible part. The USA has overtaken the USSR in the number of nuclear weapons. The USSR overtook the USA in rocket science. The USSR was the first in the world to launch a satellite, and in 1961 it was the first to send a man into space. The Americans could not bear such obvious superiority. The result is their landing on the moon. At this point, the parties reached strategic parity. However, this did not stop the arms race. On the contrary, it has spread to all sectors that have at least some connection with weapons. This could, for example, include the race to create supercomputers. Here the West took unconditional revenge for lagging behind in the field of rocket science, since for purely ideological reasons the USSR missed a breakthrough in this area, equating cybernetics along with genetics to the “corrupt girls of imperialism.” The arms race has even affected education. After Gagarin's flight, the United States was forced to reconsider the foundations of the education system and introduce fundamentally new teaching methods

The arms race was subsequently voluntarily suspended by both sides. A number of treaties were concluded limiting the accumulation of weapons. Such as, for example, the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under water (08/05/1963), Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Creation of Nuclear-Free Zones (1968), SALT-1 Agreement (Limitation and Reduction of Strategic Arms) (1972), Convention Prohibiting the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological and toxin weapons and their destruction (1972) and many others.

War as a way to resolve international problems, bringing with it mass destruction and the death of many people, giving rise to a desire for violence and a spirit of aggression, was condemned by humanist thinkers of all ages. historical eras. And indeed, of the more than four thousand years of history known to us, only about three hundred were completely peaceful. The rest of the time, wars raged in one place or another on Earth. XX century went down in history as the era that gave rise to two world wars, in which dozens of countries and millions of people participated.

According to the unanimous assessment of many scientists and political figures, the third World War, if it breaks out, it will become a tragic ending to the entire history of human civilization. Calculations carried out by researchers different countries, including ours, show that the most likely and most destructive for all living things The consequence of a nuclear war will be the onset of “nuclear winter.” The consequences of a nuclear war will be catastrophic not only for those who will participate in it - they will affect everyone. That's why preventing nuclear war is a global problem of our time. Is it possible to prevent nuclear war? After all, many military arsenals of all countries in the world that have nuclear weapons are filled with a wide variety of types. Testing of the latest technology continues military equipment. Even 5% of the nuclear reserves already accumulated by the great powers is enough to plunge the planet into an irreversible environmental catastrophe. Local military conflicts do not stop, each of which carries the danger of escalating into a regional and even global one.

For the first time, the world community thought about the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the 60s of the last century, when such nuclear powers as the USSR, USA, Great Britain, France had already appeared; and China was ready to join them. At this time we began to think seriously about nuclear weapons and even countries such as Israel, Sweden, Italy and others began to develop it.

In the same 60s, Ireland initiated the creation of an international legal document, which laid the foundations for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. USSR, USA and England began to develop the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons . They became the first participants in this agreement. It was signed on July 1, 1968, but came into force in March 1970. France and China entered into this treaty several decades later.

Its main goals are to prevent further proliferation of nuclear weapons , stimulate cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of the atom with guarantees from the participating parties, facilitate negotiations to end competition in the field of development nuclear weapons with the ultimate goal of its complete elimination.

Under the terms of this Agreement nuclear states undertake obligations not to assist non-nuclear states in the acquisition of nuclear explosive devices. Nuclear-free states undertake not to produce or acquire such devices. One of the provisions of the Treaty requires the IAEA to carry out safeguards measures, including inspection of nuclear materials used in peaceful projects by nuclear-free states parties to the Treaty. In the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Article 10, paragraph 2) states that 25 years after the entry into force of the Treaty, a conference shall be convened to decide whether it should remain in force or not. Conference reports were held in accordance with the terms of the Treaty every five years, and In 1995, when it came to the end of its 25-year validity period, the participating parties unanimously supported its indefinite extension. They also adopted three binding Declarations of Principles: - reaffirmation of previously accepted commitments regarding nuclear weapons and the cessation of all nuclear tests; - strengthening disarmament control procedures; - creation of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East and strict compliance with the terms of the Treaty by all countries without exception.

There are 178 states party to the treaty, including existing nuclear powers that have advocated for a missile technology control regime. There are also four countries conducting nuclear activities that have not joined the Treaty: Israel, India, Pakistan, Cuba. An important element Western assistance in this area has strengthened the nonproliferation regime. This assistance shows that the West does not want to see in the CIS countries source of threats. At the G8 summit And in Canada in July 2002, important decisions were taken on issues of international terrorism and the proliferation nuclear weapons.

The most important components of non-proliferation regimes for nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction are: - safety of storage, warehousing, transportation of weapons of mass destruction and materials suitable for their production; - a system for preventing illicit trafficking in nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and materials.

The danger of global self-destruction by nuclear (chemical, biological) weapons after the end of the confrontation between East and West did not disappear - it escaped from - under the control of superpowers and is now associated with a threat not only from states, but also from non-state terrorism. Terrorism is very a big problem Nowadays. Modern terrorism appears in the form of terrorist acts on an international scale. Terrorism appears when society is experiencing a deep crisis, primarily a crisis of ideology and the state-legal system. In such a society, various opposition groups appear - political, social, national, religious. For them, the legality becomes questionable existing government . Terrorism as a mass and politically significant phenomenon is the result of widespread “de-ideologization”, when certain groups in society they easily question the legality and rights of the state, and thereby self-justify their transition to terror to achieve their own goals. The tragic events of September 11, 2001 in the United States highlighted the danger of a possible weapons of mass destruction into the hands of terrorists. This attack could have had even more devastating consequences if terrorists had been able to obtain and use chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. One of the most effective ways to prevent this kind of threat is to strengthen the multilateral regimes already developed to prohibit the use nuclear, chemical, biological weapons and preventing their proliferation.

The key objectives of disarmament are maintaining international peace and security, multilateral disarmament and arms limitation . The highest priority is given to the reduction and eventual elimination of weapons of mass destruction . Although the goal of reducing the threat of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons remains unchanged for many years, the scope of discussions and negotiations on disarmament changes, reflecting the evolution of political realities and the international situation

At this time At the moment, not everyone has an idea of the existing danger, the possibility and size of a catastrophe with the use of weapons of mass destruction. Humanity does not pay due attention to this problem due to ignorance and unawareness of the full depth of the problem. In no case should we forget that the threat of using weapons of mass destruction, unfortunately, is present V everyday life through active propaganda of violence. This phenomenon is happening all over the world. Preventing the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is recognized by Russia, the United States and other countries as one of the main tasks of ensuring their national security. Security issues regarding armed conflicts and the solution of global problems are dealt with by scientists, politicians, non-governmental organizations. In the course of work, international and regional conferences, seminars and meetings are held, reports and collections of articles are published.

All global problems are imbued with the idea of the geographical unity of humanity and require broad international cooperation to be resolved. From the point of view of new political thinking, achievements lasting peace on Earth is possible only under the conditions of establishing a new type of relations between all states - relations of comprehensive cooperation. Hence the need for a multifaceted approach that meets the entire range of problems, a new level of partnership both between states and between non-state actors, since the efforts of governments alone are not enough to solve any of the global problems facing the world.

Conclusion

Having considered the issues, The following conclusions can be drawn from this work: - the general meaning of world development can be considered as the parallel formation of two types of civilizations; - choice of development path, inclusion to the western or eastern model public devices for modern Russia It has special meaning , in terms of reformation of the country ; - renewed society is the embodiment of the achievements of world civilization and the historical creativity of the peoples of Russia; - global problems of our time are closely interconnected ; - solutions to global problems must be comprehensive; - without applying appropriate measures, a threat to world security may emerge - under the control of the international community.

So, which path should Russia take, which civilization should it choose? The answer is: based on global trends of social progress , Russia will accept those features of civilizations that will contribute to progressive movement forward and will reject those who will prevent this.

Solving global problems involves creating a world order that would be based on the following basic principles: - recognition of the priority of universal human values, attitude towards human life and peace as the highest values of humanity; - renunciation of war as a means of resolving controversial issues, tireless search for peaceful, political ways to resolve all conflicts and problems; - recognition of the right of peoples to freely and independently choose their destiny; - understanding of the modern world as an integral and interconnected community of people.

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