On the Problem of the "End of History"

Abstract

Based on the assumption that a human being is first and foremost a free agent, that he is capable of either committing or abstaining from conscious acts, thus reaching real being or fall out of it, the author proposes that human existence represents not progress as an ascendant development, but sequenced and interspersed periods of history — some of them as if «illuminated» by consciousness and others remaining «hollow» and devoid of being. Hence, the idea of multiple scenarios for the future, in which there is no way of judging what constitutes «the end of history».

One possible scenario is the realization of given assumptions of existence, as envisioned in the philosophy of consciousness. Such scenario can eventually lead to humanistic social reality for humanity.

However, according to Gregory S. Kiselev, modern civilization, Western in particular, moves further away from historical existence, and thus does not create conditions for such outcome. It is witnessed by spiritual ill-being of the civilization: moral imperfection of mass society as well as reluctance and inability of most individuals to comprehend and outlive this imperfection — which is the most important; problematic consequences of globalization, failure of civilizations’ dialog, pending ecological crisis.

An alternative scenario is a vicious circle of constant return to the un-lived, unconquered, senseless movement. Bad infinity of this kind will be an anthropological catastrophe: a mass society individual, unable to a conscious life, eventually will be incapable to overcome entropy. This, in turn, puts a question of the role and destiny of humanity in the process of evolution.