Ursul, A.D. On the way to the noospheric civilization: relation between civilizational and noospheric researches

Abstract: In his article Ursul discusses the beginning and development of a new stage in noospheric researches. At this stage noospherogenesis is related to sustainable development, continued globalization, formation of a global information society and other global processes. The modern, or non-classical, stage of noospheric researches is being formed under the influence of noospheric researches of the aforesaid processes. It is underlined that even though the author of the article describes the most important factors for the development of noosphere concept, there are many other factors like that, especially intellectual and cognitive factors. Ursul offers a hypothesis that the global civilization develops as a result of globalization processes caused by sustainable development as well as the process of formation of the noospheric socio-natural interaction and creation of a universal information society which will eventually lead to creation of the first sphere of intelligence, infonoosphere, provided that the transfer to the sustainable development will happen which prolongs the period of this stage. According to the author, transition to the global sustainable development involves the observance of the principle of biosphere preservation and formation of the sphere of intelligence mostly by means of transformations of the sociosphere combined with minimum anthropological influences on the biosphere. In this regard, biosphere preservation involves implementation of the principle of co-evoluation of nature and society, i. e. their mutual preservation and development when the humankind can exist for a very long time and the biosphere can remain sustainable and evolve due to the significant reducation of anthropological influence thereon. In his research Ursul has used not only evolutionaryhistorical and futurological-prognostic but also interdisciplinary and comparative approaches. Special attention is paid at the intensive development of integrative general scientific processes and methods of knowledge generation and formation of new “cognitive clusters’ and conceptual-methodological frameworks. Ursul also focuses on different approaches to studies of the future. These approaches have been rather autonomous but now they start to have more crossing points. Human civilization has been usually studied from the point of view of the civilizational approach but lately there has appeared a new approach to studies of the future — noospheric-futurological approach. Based on the author, only the combination of all efficient approaches and research methods may create an integrated image of human future. However, in the present article Ursul focuses only on civilizational and noospheric approaches and associated researches. The author shows that the imperative transition to sustainable development is crucial for the future noospherogenesis but it also demands to extend civilizational processes to the global level because such a transition would be impossible within the limits of a local civilization or even a group of local civilizations. It becomes especially essential considering the ongoing globalization process that is aimed at creating the universal civilization. These two global processes shall become one and create the universal integrity of the civilization which will be influenced by other noospherization processes as well. From the very beginning the noospheric civilization can be only global and this is what the author of the article tries to prove to the reader using futurological and logical arguments. Noospherogenesis is viewed as the future global process of the formation of the socio-natural sphere of civilization existence where intellectual and information activities will become the most important driver of evolution. According to the author, this will be the result of the most successful implementation of rational-humanistic values, principles and ideals through transition to sustainable development and formation of a noospheric collective intelligence. As the future global process, noospherogenesis would be an essential stage in the global evolution that will take place in socio-natural and socio-cultural environment on Earth at first and out of Earth afterwards.

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