printRussian Society in its Historical Development:
Sketching a Non-Classical Perspective
Andreyev A.L.
Dr. Sci (Philos.), Chief Researcher, Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia; Professor, NRU MPEI, Moscow, Russia sympathy_06@mail.ru
Andreyev A.L. Russian Society in its Historical Development: Sketching a Non-Classical Perspective. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2026. No 2. P. 111-120
The article develops a sociological model of historical process. The author counters the ideas of classical science that the historical process can be described in one adequate way, and suggests considering the problem of understanding the course of history in the light of the well-known complementarity principle, justified by N. Bohr in relation to quantum objects. From this point of view, the possibility of any “correct” description of the course of history is questioned. Based on the methodological assumptions substantiated in the article, the author suggests, in addition to the existing ones, another approach to describing the path of Russian society development in which Russian society is presented as a dynamic socio-cultural environment. With this approach, some well-established historical and sociological ideas about Russian history are challenged. In particular, the phenomenon of the cultural revolution is being considered in a new way. Based on statistical data and memoir literature, the author proves that its beginning should be attributed not to the Soviet period of history, but to the mid‑1880s. The standard sociological characteristics of Soviet society, so the author, are supplemented by a concept based on specific sociological data, which interprets it as a special form of sociality – the educational society. In this regard, the differences between the concepts of the education society and the so-called knowledge society are scrutinized. In conclusion, the article discusses the problem of using Russian historical experience and traditions to create the future.
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