The Era of Global Bifurcation: Planetary Problems and Historical Alternatives

The Era of Global Bifurcation:
Planetary Problems and Historical Alternatives


Elchaninov M.S

Dr. Sci. (Philos.), Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Assoc. Prof., Togliatti, Russia 79608493056@yandex.ru

ID of the Article: 9084

Rubric: Discussion. Polemics

For citation:

Elchaninov M.S The Era of Global Bifurcation: Planetary Problems and Historical Alternatives. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2022. No 4. P. 124-135


 Full Text.


Abstract

The author develops the concept of global bifurcation shaped by a number of dangerous planetary factors, primarily by ecological crisis of mankind. The analysis showed that global bifurcation is objectively inevitable and the option of a general planetary catastrophe is most likely. Nevertheless, in general, historical alternatives still remain uncertain, contradictory, unclear, thus allowing us to hope that humanity still has a fragile chance for future development in the post-bifurcation period. From the standpoint of the structural-synergetic theory of sociodynamics and taking into account new empirical data, the general planetary problems and historical alternatives of the era of global bifurcation are clarified and analyzed. According to the author, four bifurcation scenarios are possible: 1) Global ecological catastrophe, the death of mankind; 2) Global ecological crisis, long-term degradation of mankind and social regression; 3) Global nuclear-missile catastrophe, the death of mankind; 4) Restructuring of world society and its entry onto the trajectory of sustainable historical development.


Keywords
global crisis; the era of global bifurcation; planetary problems of the bifurcation era; global ecological crisis; historical alternatives to global bifurcation

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Content No 4, 2022