«The Evolution of the Anomie Phenomenon: From Durkheim’s Classical Concept to Contemporary Social Disorganization»

Abstract

The article presents a socio-philosophical analysis of anomie as a complex manifestation of moral, spiritual, and institutional crisis in contemporary society. The research is based on an interdisciplinary interpretation of both classical and modern approaches to the concept of anomie — from Émile Durkheim’s moral-normative theory to the structural, institutional, and network models of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The study synthesizes the findings of twenty-four verified scholarly sources that reflect the historical and theoretical evolution of the concept from its sociological origins to its contemporary philosophical and anthropological dimensions. The methodological framework combines the principles of historicism, structural-functional analysis, social constructivism, and philosophical hermeneutics, which together enable a reconstruction of the dynamics of “anomie” across diverse sociocultural contexts. The research demonstrates that anomie should not be regarded as a temporary disruption of social order but as a persistent condition of civilizational tension encompassing both institutional systems and individual moral experience. Modern anomie emerges as a chronic state of social equilibrium devoid of a moral core. Its stability rests not on shared values but on the functional self-sufficiency of systems in which technical efficiency replaces ethical coherence. In such a society, order is maintained not through moral solidarity but through mechanisms of control that render spiritual unity unnecessary. This represents a new form of civilizational stability — stable yet devoid of meaning. The study identifies three interrelated levels of anomie: the structural — a disjunction between cultural goals and legitimate means; the institutional — a loss of moral balance between societal subsystems; and the existential — an inner void produced by an excess of communication and a deficit of mutuality. Anomie, thus, becomes a defining condition of modern civilization — a society that remains functional yet morally unanchored. The scientific novelty lies in the philosophical reconceptualization of anomie as a universal framework for interpreting the disintegration of social meaning in modernity and global communication. The article proposes that anomie should be viewed not merely as a symptom of crisis but as a critical category for rethinking moral reintegration, reciprocity, and responsibility in the digital age. The results provide a theoretical foundation for future inquiries into the ethical reconstitution of social cohesion in technologically mediated societies