The Concept of Culture Worked Out by N. I. Kareev in the Sociology of History

The article is devoted to the analysis of the concept of culture in the sociology of history worked out by the outstanding Russian scientist and public figure, honorary academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences N. I. Kareev. The article explores some aspects of the formation of sociology of history associated with the use of the concept of culture. Kareev in his works highlighted and paid great attention to the methodology of history, social and humanitarian knowledge in the context of cultural and evolutionary epistemology. He owes in many respects the merit of developing the philosophical foundations of historical sociology and the sociology of culture. The purpose and task of the article is to reveal and study the place and significance of the category of culture in his sociology of the history; to substantiate the uniqueness of N. I. Kareev's cultural and evolutionary epistemology. A historical and conceptual analysis of Kareev's views on sociology is also used. In this regard, we consider his attitude to the philosophy of positivism, since the scientist used a number of positivism concepts in his works: the doctrine of social dynamics and social statics, the classification of sciences, evolutionary epistemology, and the concept of the historical process. The attention is also drawn to the critical review given by N. I. Kareev to the O. Kont's teaching on positivism for some metaphysical assumptions. The article also analyzes the attitude of the Russian sociologist towards Marxism and highlights the fact that N. I. Kareev points to the positive aspects of the methodology of Marxism associated with the economic prerequisites for the development of society study and its criticism for underestimating the socio-cultural factors in the development of society. The category of culture in the sociology of N. I. Kareev is revealed and examined. The research shows that this category plays an important role in the sociology of history aimed at substantiating theoretical conclusions. Culture performs communicative functions in society and is characterized in connection with the concept of the supraorganic environment, as a combination of spiritual and material forms and social life. The category of culture is used by Kareev to explain the historical process as a result of interaction between a creative person and culture. N. I. Kareev criticizes the concept of cultural-historical types discussed by N. Y. Danilevsky and the philosophy of culture proclaimed by the Westerners B. N. Chicherin and K. D. Cavelin in the debates between the Slavophiles and the Westerners. Kareev's point of view is defined as cultural-national universalism, in which the national, the folk, as well as the universal and common to all mankind features are synthesized. Our findings show the meaning of Kareev's conception of culture for the development of cultural-evolutionary epistemology, the ideas of this conception are also determined. The development of evolutionary epistemology worked out by N. I. Kareev is important to the evolution of sociology. It is relevant to the contemporary sociology due to the fact that it raises the issues important for the humanities: the specifics of historical and social knowledge, the place of sociology, cultural studies and psychology in the architectonics of the humanities.