Imperial state governance as a factor of social dynamics
Abstract
The article disclose the essence of the imperial form of government, which can represent an alternative to unipolar globalisation in the process of the historical development of society. An empire is understood as a sovereign state-civilisation, united by language, culture, ideology, specific goal-setting, certain modernisation programmes that are put forward and implemented by the power of the empire-forming people. The empire is interpreted as a form of peoples coexistence and is presented as a stable form of statehood and progress driver. The civilisational role of empires is emphasised and in its modern version, according to the authors, new empires as regional centres of power can be a prototype of the state structure of a multipolar world. The concept of a unipolar world is rejected, which is based on a linear-progressive, stage-by-stage understanding of world history. The authors’ concept of a multipolar world is based on a civilisational approach. It is proved that the civilisational role of empires is unthinkable without a unifying imperial form of statehood, fundamental differences between Western colonial and traditional continental empires, in particular the Russian Empire, are considered. In the Western empires with their colonial possessions, there was not only single geographical, but, first of all, a single socio-historical space, united by common values and culture. A promising form of the political structure of a multipolar world can be traditional historical empires of a centralised type or regional new empires, held together by a single territory, having a common cultural and ideological matrix, as well as a supranational unity, retaining their constant properties and features along with the ability to modernise and renew. It is shown that partial globalisation based on regional new empires takes on a new meaning and significance, becomes the key to a deeper understanding of the current situation in the world. In the author’s concept of a multipolar world, the new empire, based on a civilisational approach, can become the most effective form of government in the emerging regional centres of power. The concept of regionalisation proposed by the authors seems to be a very promising and fruitful line of scientific investigations.
References
2. Burbank J, Cooper F. Empires in world history: power and the polities of difference. Princeton: Princeton University Press; 2010. 528 p.
3. Liven D. [Different fates of post-imperial metropolises]. In: Klyamkin IM, editor. Posle imperii [After the empire]. Moscow: Fond «Liberal’naya missiya»; 2007. p. 76–79. Russian.
4. Aver’yanov VV, Eliseev AV, Kalashnikov MA. Vsplyvayushchaya imperiya [Surfacing empire]. Moscow: Nashe zavtra; 2022. 274 p. Russian.
5. Mann M. Power in the 21st century. Conversations with John A. Hall. Cambridge: Polity Press; 2011. 180 p. Russian edition: Mann M. Vlast’ v XXI stoletii: besedy s Dzhonom A. Khollom. Moscow: Higher School of Economics Publishing House; 2014. 208 p.
6. Münkler H. Imperien. Die Logik der Weltherrschaft – vom Alten Rom bis zu den Vereinigten Staaten. Berlin: Rowohlt; 2005. 332 S. Russian edition: Münkler H. Imperii. Logika gospodstva nad mirom. Ot Drevnego Rima do SShA. Lannik IV, translator. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; 2015. 398 p.
7. Sergeev S, Remizov M, Solovei V, Tsymburskii V, Kurennoi V, Mezhuev B, et. al. [Russia: nation state or empire? Round table of the magazine «Moscow»]. Moskva. 2008;5:155–180. Russian.
8. Granin YuD. The endless imperiality of Russia. The civilizational dimension. Voprosy filosofii. 2022;9:76–86. Russian. DOI: 10.21146/0042-8744-2022-9-76-86.
9. Harari YuN. Sapiens. Kratkaya istoriya chelovechestva. Moscow: Sindbad; 2018. 496 p. Russian.
10. Achkasov VA. Rossiiskaya dilemma: imperiya ili natsiya-gosudarstvo [Russian dilemma: empire or nation-state]. Moscow: Yurait; 2019. 373 p. Russian.
11. Salin PB. [Imperial 2.0?] Russia in Global Affairs [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2023 July 15];17(2). Available from: https://globalaffairs.ru/articles/imperskost-2-0/. Russian.
12. Karaganov SA. A predictable future? How self-deception replaced profound analysis. Russia in Global Affairs [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2023 July 15];17(2). Available from: https://globalaffairs.ru/articles/predskazuemoe-budushhee/. Russian. DOI: 10.31278/1810-6374-2019-17-2-60-74.
13. Stepanyants MT. [Multiculturalism: global and Russian aspects]. In: Stepin VS, Guseinov AA, editors. Dialog kul’tur v global’nom mire: mirovozzrencheskie aspekty [Dialogue of cultures in the global world: ideological aspects]. Moscow: Nauka; 2010. p. 241–294. Russian.
14. Verkhofstadt G. [Three exits for Europe]. Russia in Global Affairs [Internet]. 2009 [cited 2023 July 15];7(1). Available from: https:// globalaffairs.ru/articles/tri-vyhoda-dlya-evropy/. Russian.
15. Shishkov YuV. Regionalization and globalization of the world economy: alternative or interaction? World Economy and International Relations. 2008;8:3–20. Russian. DOI: 10.20542/0131-2227-2008-8-3-20.
16. Bell D. [The era of disunity]. Svobodnaya mysl’ – XXI. 2006;6:5–16. Russian.
17. Lal D. In praise of empires. Globalization and order. New York: Palgrave; 270 p. Russian edition: Lal D. Pokhvala imperii: globalizatsiya i poryadok. Moscow: Novoe izdatel’stvo; 2010. 361 p.
18. Tilli Ch. [How empires end]. Political Science. 2013;3:216–229. Russian.
19. Burbank J, Cooper F. Empires in world history. Power and the politics of difference. Princeton: Princeton University Press; 2011. 528 p. Russian edition: Burbank J, Cooper F. Vzlet i padenie velikikh imperii. Lazutkina O, editor; Matveeva EV, Butorov AV, translators. Moscow: AST; 2015. 528 p.
20. Lapkin VV. Socio-political dynamics in the age of the global crisis: civilizational background. Polis. Political Studies. 2022;32(6):135–150. Russian. DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2022.06.10.
21. Martianov VS. In search of another mainstream. Polis. Political Studies. 2021;30(4):112–131. Russian. DOI:10.17976/jpps/2021.04.09.
22. Safranchuk IA, Lukyanov FA. The contemporary world order: the adaptation of actors to structural realities. Polis. Political Studies. 2021;30(4):14–25. Russian. DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2021.04.03.
23. Aver’yanov VV. [Empire and will]. Moskva. 2012;1:180–193. Russian.
24. Malofeev KV. [Global liberalism is dead]. Zavtra [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2023 July 15];18(1530). Available from: https://zavtra.ru/blogs/global_nij_liberalizm_umer. Russian.
25. Sorokin N. [Original Russia. On the new concept of foreign policy of our country]. Zavtra [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2023 July 15];13(1525). Available from: https://zavtra.ru/blogs/samobitnaya_rossiya. Russian.
Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of the Belarusian State University. Sociology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The authors who are published in this journal agree to the following:
- The authors retain copyright on the work and provide the journal with the right of first publication of the work on condition of license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial. 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
- The authors retain the right to enter into certain contractual agreements relating to the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work (e.g. post it on the institutional repository, publication in the book), with the reference to its original publication in this journal.
- The authors have the right to post their work on the Internet (e.g. on the institutional store or personal website) prior to and during the review process, conducted by the journal, as this may lead to a productive discussion and a large number of references to this work. (See The Effect of Open Access.)
