Contemporary (Non-)Humanistic Era: Contradictions of Humanistic Values in Modern Culture

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine the evolution of humanistic values and to analyze their status in contemporary culture. The methods employed in the study are based on a comparative approach to different definitions of humanism, embodied both in the humanistic movements of the Renaissance and in the present world. An analytical method was also applied, which made it possible to identify contradictions between various interpretations of humanism and between different systems of values functioning in contemporary culture. In addressing this issue, we found that a number of values – for example, anthropocentrism – are understood differently in Renaissance humanism, posthumanism, and twentieth‑century transhumanism. Contradictions exist between what humanism proposes as fundamental principles, such as free will, and the ways in which these principles can be realized in practice. The problem of freedom and responsibility is likewise controversial. As a result, we arrive at the conclusion that the precise character of the contemporary worldview cannot be clearly defined. On the one hand, it contains many humanistic values that continue to function; on the other hand, we also find numerous conflicting values and elements of other worldviews whose role is no less significant. In conclusion, it should be emphasized that philosophical and scientific studies of culture must focus on the growing contradictions within its axiological foundations. Values underlie actions, and therefore inconsistency in reasoning leads to inconsistency in behavior. Thus, the indeterminacy of the value foundations of humanism in contemporary culture comes into conflict with another fundamental value and essential characteristic of the human being – rationality. Moreover, contemporary culture faces a significant threat in the form of artificial systems of thought, which embody rationality in a much more consistent manner. There is a risk that in the near future humanity will encounter a threat to its existence, since its worldview position may prove weaker and less substantiated than that of artificial algorithms.