Philosophy of the steppe: from nomadic ontology to digital nomadism

Abstract

The article offers a philosophical interpretation of the steppe as a distinct ontological and sociocultural category that forms an alternative type of spatial thinking, different from the classical sedentary models of European civilization. The relevance of the study is обусловлена the crisis of stable identities, increasing mobility, and the transition toward network-based forms of organizing social space. In this context, the philosophy of the steppe is considered a model for understanding contemporary fluid reality, within which movement, openness, and processuality acquire ontological significance.

The study analyzes the steppe as a prototype of “smooth space” within the geophilosophical tradition of G. Deleuze and F. Guattari. It is established that steppe spatiality opposes the “striated” space of sedentary state structures, since it functions as an acentered and dynamic system of interactions. Nomadic ontology is interpreted not merely as a historical form of existence, but as a worldview based on mobility, openness, and constant becoming.

Drawing on the works of D. Chyzhevskyi, M. Kozlovets, and B. Danylenko, the article demonstrates that the Ukrainian cultural tradition was formed under conditions of civilizational bordering between sedentary and nomadic ways of life. The study examines the dual archetype of the “Field” both as a sacred space of life and as the “Wild Field” associated with danger and liminality. It is argued that steppe consciousness historically emerged under conditions of risk, movement, and open horizons; therefore, contemporary instability may be interpreted not only as a crisis but also as a natural mode of existence.

The transformation of nomadic ontology under conditions of digital modernity is also examined. It is established that the logic of steppe existence is reproduced in the phenomenon of digital nomadism, network forms of sociality, and processes of deterritorialization. The study shows that modern individuals increasingly experience existential alienation and the loss of stable identity. In this context, the philosophy of the steppe appears as an alternative model for overcoming the crisis of modern sedentism, since it enables the restoration of cultural and existential continuity through the inclusion of the individual into a broader historical and civilizational context of nomadic cultural memory.