Harmony, Beauty, Responsibility — the Impe­ratives of the New Enlightenment

Abstract

At present, there is a transition under way from the industrial to the post-industrial phase of civi­lization, from the world of machines to the world of people. This transition is happening very quickly, in the form of a humanitarian and technological revolution. This makes even more urgent the problem of building a bridge between humanitarian and natural science culture, which is closely related to the deve­lopment of interdisciplinary approaches.In its anniversary report, the Club of Rome “Come On!” put forward the idea of a New Enlightenment, intended to change the meanings, values, image of the future, the imperatives of development of the entire world civilization. The article presents potential directions of the new educational project. There is shown that they are associated with acquisition of the integrity of people, with their harmonious deve­lopment in rational, emotional and intuitive spa­ces. This is illustrated by the development of modern mathematics, in which the ideas of harmony, beauty, as well as, in many parts, its approximation to art, are beginning to play an increasingly important role.The new era allows for a reinterpretation at a new le­vel of the concept of “Homo Ludens” by J. Huizinga, an outstanding cultural researcher. The play is acting as a basis for self-organization, for culture formation, science and technology development. The great challenges faced by humanity require a change of world outlook. The article shows that, at a new le­vel, there is occurring a return to the ideas of Russian cosmists and, in particular, to the concept of all-unity by V.S. Solovyov.At the present turn, a choice is being made between the New Enlightenment and the New Middle Ages. At the point of bifurcation, which is being passed by humanity now, a key role can be played by the culture and education that correspond to the new realities. The article suggests approaches that will allow Russia to avoid the future shock and to be a subject ra­ther than an object of the changes associated with the New Enlightenment.