New articles about the passionarity of Nikolai Gumilyov. Gumilyov's theory of ethnogenesis

Famous scientist L.H. Gumilyov developed the passionary theory of ethnogenesis. It received mixed reviews from representatives of various sciences. It was received very favorably by geographers, geologists, zoologists, botanists and philosophers, but did not arouse interest among historians, philologists and orientalists. Some ethnologists do not share Gumilev’s theory.

Gumilyov proceeds from the fact that no ethnic group is eternal. The ancient Sumerians, Hittites, Philistines, Dardanians, Etruscans and Venetians gave way to the Parthians, Hellenes, Latins and Romans, who emerged from the Latins and other Italics. But these too were replaced by Italians, Spaniards, French, Greeks, Turks, Tajiks, Uzbeks and Kazakhs.

The history of mankind shows that of the peoples that flourished 5 thousand years ago, not a single one remains. Of those who did great things 2 thousand years BC, only pitiful fragments of a few survived. Those who existed in the 10th century are, for the most part, still living, although very changed. Apparently, ethnic groups will continue to appear and disappear in the future. How and why this happens is the central problem of ethnogenesis.

In his theory of ethnogenesis L.N. Gumilyov combined geobiochemistry and systemology with historical geography, based on the fact that an ethnos as a biosocial community is a generation and part of the biosphere and at the same time a product of social evolution. Ethnic groups (biosocial communities) are born, live and die not so much according to social as according to natural laws of nature. Each ethnic system has a history that fits into the pattern: push-rise-overheating-decline-decay (with individual zigzags at one stage or another).

L.N. Gumilev, on the basis of historical material, showed that all processes of ethnogenesis unfold uniformly, i.e. the change of phases of ethnogenesis in different eras was subject to a clear internal pattern, and the duration of each of these processes was 1200 - 1500 years. To explain this phenomenon, L.N. Gumilyov proposed the concept of passionarity, linking the change in phases of ethnogenesis with a change in the level of passionarity tension in the system. Passionarity is an effect of the energy of the living matter of the biosphere, manifested in the increased activity of ethnic groups. Consequently, it is legitimate to speak of ethnogenesis as a process whose driving forces are natural biosphere factors. These same factors indirectly determine the social forms of life that are created by people of ethnic groups, since these forms are associated with the phases of ethnogenesis and the imperatives of behavior that dominate them.

In general, three main historical types of ethnogenesis can be distinguished. Paleoethnogenesis- the formation of ethnic groups of different meta-ethnic communities, i.e. groups of ethnic groups that emerged as a result of their long-term cultural interaction or political connections. There are ethnolinguistic (Germans, Slavs, Turks, Arabs), ethnoracial (in Latin America), ethnocultural (peoples of the Caucasus, Volga region, Siberia) and ethnopolitical (British, Swiss) forms of paleoethnogenesis. Mesoethnogenesis- the emergence of ethnic groups such as nationalities, i.e. ethnic groups located at the stage between tribes and nations. Mesoethnogenesis coincides with the formation of early class states, and subsequently it was on the basis of ethnic groups such as nationalities that the majority of modern nations of developed states were formed.

Neogenesis- ethnogenesis of the New and Contemporary times, taking place in Africa, America, Oceania, Asia, in which both representatives of previously established ethnic groups (mainly European settlers) and local ethnic groups at different stages of ethnogenesis take part.

For many centuries, people have been trying to find answers to the questions: why are people so similar in many areas of life, but at the same time so different; what does the formation of a specific personality depend on; what is inherent in a person at the genetic level, and what appears under the influence of the environment and communication.

Many scientists in the course of their work put forward hypotheses about the formation of man with his unique inner world. On the question of what is inherited and what is acquired in the process of life, Benedict Augustin Morel, Sigmund Freud, Abraham Maslow, Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev and many other specialists put forward their ideas. Naturally, each of them proved their hypotheses, relying on professional practice, observations, and experiments.

He is known for putting forward a hypothesis about the structure and mechanisms of development of ethnogenesis and passionarity as its important component. What is the difference between this hypothesis and contemporary scientific theories?

The background to the emergence of a new opinion about the nature of ethnogenesis

Being the child of two poets, who was raised by his grandmother and rejected by society as the son of a “traitor to the Motherland,” Lev Gumilyov could not ignore the question of why everything happens this way and not otherwise in his environment and whether other options for the development of the life scenario are possible. The thinker built his hypothesis on the analysis of historical and geographical factors in the emergence and development of ethnic groups.

According to Gumilyov's theory, the formation and subsequent integrity of an ethnos is ensured by the geochemical energies of the biosphere. Each nation develops its own rules of interaction with the outside world. The main factor in the emergence of different nationalities is considered to be adaptation to the relief and nature of the area. With Gumilyov’s light hand, passionarity is responsible for the fate of a particular person and an entire ethnic group. What meaning does this term carry?

What is passionarity

The origin of the word is Latin (passio - enduring, but also passion, affect). In the area of European languages, cognate words have some nuances. In Spain, pasion is interpreted in the same way as in Latin. In Italy passione is passionate love. In France and Romania passione is a description of sensual passions. In England, passion is a designation for an outburst of anger. In Poland the term means rage. In Holland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, passion is a hobby.

The Russian equivalent of the Latin word is the ancient word passion. Many years ago it had a different meaning than it does today (according to V.I. Dahl) - it is toil, torment, spiritual impulse for something, moral thirst, unconscious attraction and unreasonable desire. According to old Russian concepts, the passionarity of the nation was represented in the person of passionate people or passion-bearers.

However, many ancient words in the Russian language have either fallen out of use or have lost their former meaning, and today “passion is strong love, strong sensual attraction (according to I. S. Ozhegov). There is a simplification of the meaning of the word. Therefore, Gumilyov speaks not about passion, but about passionarity.

What is passionarity? The definition describes the general statement of V.I. Vernadsky about the heterogeneity of the distribution of biochemical energy over a long historical period. The results of the uneven distribution of energies result in passionarity (according to Gumilyov). And the moments of the highest release of biochemical energy into space are designated as passionary impulses.

It is argued that passionarity is caused by micromutation at the gene level, but this fact is practically unprovable. And the point is not even that the appropriate research has not been carried out, but that a deviation of the gene set (in the form of a mutation) even by tenths of a percent from the norm causes severe pathology, and by 1-2% - a change in species (you can become a dolphin or crocodile).

Gumilyov's statements about passionarity as a hereditary trait are true insofar as types of temperament and properties of the nervous system are inherited. But such research is carried out by psychogenetics, which has enough terms to describe such phenomena. Using research methods, scientists have proven that the notorious desire to “learn and experience the new and unknown” is encoded in a certain group of genes and is inherited. This fact has been confirmed by laboratory studies, long-term observations and experiments.

Multiple definitions of a term

According to Gumilyov, passionarity is “a characterological dominant, an irresistible internal desire (conscious or more often unconscious) for activity aimed at achieving some goal (often illusory)” (book “Geography of an Ethnic Group in the Historical Period”). There are other definitions. Some psychologists claim that the author created a new psychodynamic theory of personality, however, in the “classical” typology of characters, all the features attributed to Gumilev’s passionaries are described, only in a different classification.

The peculiarity of scientific knowledge, in contrast to hypothetical assumptions, is that it is provable, observable, repeatable under similar conditions, and with its help it is possible to create an accurate scenario for future events. The theory of passionarity and ethnogenesis is an attempt to look at the history of peoples from a different point of observation (bypassing economic and political patterns). Since it is known that a person has only 50% of heritable characteristics, and the rest are due to the influence of society and the environment, Lev Gumilyov described the possible impact of the latter (the influence of landscapes and their energy saturation).

Gumilyov’s theory of passionarity was published in the book “Ethnogenesis and the Earth’s Biosphere.” This is a non-standard approach to the study of the history and geography of ethnic groups and the patterns of their development. However, it is not difficult to notice the so-called neo-Eurasianism in it. Eurasianism was a national postulate in the 1920s and 30s. Gumilyov's theory of passionarity is based on the ideas of such famous Eurasianists as Trubetskoy, Krasavin, Savitsky, Vernadsky. Lev Nikolaevich is the successor of many ideas of this cultural concept. This can also be seen in the description of small ethnic groups (closed and original), their religious and typological features, as well as the role of individuals with a special psyche in historically tense moments in the development of an ethnic group.

Gumilyov's views on the interaction of civilization and ethnicity

Lev Nikolaevich was one of those who were disgusted by the theory of progress. It was in civilization that he saw signs of the destruction of ethnic systems, which, according to Gumilyov, leads to land degradation and deterioration of the ecological condition of the habitat. The main destructive factor in in this case is “unnatural migration” and the emergence of cities (“artificial landscapes”). It can be argued that this idea was borrowed and continued by some of Lev Nikolaevich’s followers from the concept of Werner Sombart.

The role of passionaries in the development of ethnic groups

Since the emergence of passionarity among the Earth’s population is influenced by “a certain cosmic force,” the specific share of obtaining this trait will be different. To describe this feature, Gumilev developed levels of passionarity. There are a total of 9 levels in the classification, located on the coordinate scale within values from -2 to 6. Conventionally, all levels are divided into three groups (classical division model):

Passionaries are above the norm.
Passionarity is normal.
Passionaries are below the norm.

How are the levels of passionarity arranged according to Gumilyov (briefly) in the listed groups:

In the “below the norm” group are representatives of humanity who, according to Gumilyov, belong to the ratings -2 and -1 (subpassionaries). These are people who do not show any activity aimed at change, and those who are able to adapt to the landscape (respectively).
It is interesting that the “norm of passionarity” is located at 0 (everyman). Representatives of this group are considered the most numerous and are described as “quiet” people, fully adapted to the surrounding landscape. It is noteworthy that Lev Nikolaevich does not bother himself in this case with giving examples of such personalities from history.
The “above normal” group is more diverse:

Level 1 is characterized by the desire to achieve goals without risking life.
Level 2 (called “seeking luck at the risk of life”) is distinguished by a fair amount of adventurism and is characterized as a “gentleman of fortune.”
Level 3 (called the “breakdown phase”) is described by the desire for “eternal” ideals: beauty and knowledge. Gumilev includes people of creative professions and scientists in this group.
Level 4 (designated as “overheating level, acmatic phase, transitional”) outlines the ability to strive for an “ideal” goal and achieve prevalence in society.
Level 5 is distinguished by the ability to achieve a goal at any cost other than one’s own life.
Level 6 (called the “sacrificial” or “highest level”) is marked by a person’s ability to make self-sacrifice.

Gumilyov’s statement about the independence of his concept from the doctrine of temperament is quite contradictory. This fact is clearly visible when studying the above classification.

Coexistence of ethnic groups

In the issue of interaction between ethnic groups, according to the theory of passionarity, the size of the interacting ethnic groups and complementarity (the emotional attitude of ethnic groups towards each other) are of key importance. Such relationships are expressed in different ways of interaction:

Symbiosis- implies the relationship of ethnic groups occupying their own landscape, but interacting for different reasons. This form is considered optimal for the well-being of each ethnic group.
Ksenia- (a very rare form of interaction) implies the presence on the landscape territory of a large ethnic group of small representatives of another ethnic group, existing in isolation and not disturbing the system in which they are present.
Chimera- occurs in the case of mixing of representatives of two super-ethnic groups on the territory of the same landscape. Negative complementarity in this case leads to conflicts and the collapse of ethnic groups.

Stereotypes of behavior in Gumilev's theory

An important component of an ethnos as a single organism is determined by the stereotype of behavior of group representatives. According to L.N. Gumilyov, this characteristic appears to be structurally ordered behavioral skills characteristic of a particular ethnic group. It is suggested that this factor belongs to the category of heritable (at the biological level). Structurally, there are four types of relationships:

relationships between group and individual;
interpersonal relationships;
relations of intra-ethnic groups;
relations between ethnic groups and intra-ethnic groups.

In behavioral stereotypes, Gumilyov also includes the rules of relations of an ethnic group towards foreigners.

Classification of stages of development of ethnic groups

According to Lev Nikolaevich’s theory, behavioral stereotypes undergo changes throughout the life of an ethnic group until it “aging” (a state of homeostasis). There are nine stages (or phases of development) of ethnogenesis:

Push or drift is the stage of the emergence of passionarity in an ethnic group, the emergence of representatives with a bright characteristic.
The incubation period is the stage of accumulation of passionarity energy with its manifestations captured in history.
Rising is a stage of vigorous growth of passionarity with all the ensuing consequences (for example, the seizure of new territories).
The Akmatic phase is the stage of the highest flowering of passionarity in all spheres of life of an ethnic group.
The breakdown is the stage of “satiety” and a sharp decrease in passionarity.
The inertial phase is the stage of prosperity of an ethnos without the manifestation of passionarity.
Obscuration is a stage in the development of an ethnic group, characterized by degradation.
Homeostasis is the stage of existence of an ethnic group in harmony with the surrounding landscape.
Agony is the stage of the collapse of an ethnic group.

Classification of the ethnosphere

At the base of this pyramid there are convictions and consortia. Further, in ascending order, there are subethnic groups, ethnic groups and superethnic groups.

The origin and development of an ethnos, according to Gumilyov, begins with consortia and convictions. The first is a group of people with a common historical past, and the second is a group with similar everyday and family ways. The interaction of these groups maintains the unity of the ethnic group.

Criticism of the theory of L. N. Gumilyov

The most compelling argument in favor of the pseudoscientific nature of Gumilyov’s theory is the description and explanation of phenomena from the position of “patriotism” ( scientific knowledge free from “emotional” theories that are not based on a solid factual basis). This circumstance, as noted by critics, prevents the historian from seeing the essence of historical phenomena that took place. According to Gumilyov himself, “emotions in science give rise to errors,” however, all the author’s works are filled with contradictions (this happens due to the rejection of some research methods in favor of “patriotism”).

The postulate about the “absence of the category of guilt and responsibility” in the development of ethnogenesis is also rightly contested. Critics see it as a justification for any type of aggression under the guise of the “millstones of history” (urgent necessity). An illustration is the use of Gumilev's concept by radical Russian nationalists to justify their actions.

The Eurasian concept pursued the goal of justifying the Russian revolution (and all its associated consequences) without being distracted by ethical assessments. The central idea was the integrity of Russia. And the methods and techniques of interaction with ethnic groups in neo-Eurasianism (Gumilev’s theories) were attributed to the prevailing passionarity of the Russian people.

The concept has supporters and opponents, but one thing has remained unchanged - the work never became scientific work(This is why Gumilyov’s dissertation was not approved by the Higher Attestation Commission, since the commission’s criteria for assessing scientific and pseudoscientific nature are the same for everyone). Unfortunately, the contradictions that fill Gumilyov’s books have not been eliminated by anyone, and there was no one willing to engage in the “cutting” of this “diamond.”

However, this fact does not detract from the significance of the work done, formalized by Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov.

Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov (09/18/1912 - 06/15/1992) was engaged in various activities: he was a historian-ethnologist, an archaeologist, a writer, a translator, etc. But Lev Nikolaevich was remembered in the Soviet Union as the author of the passionary theory of ethnogenesis . With her help, Gumilyov was able to answer many questions asked by ethnologists and philosophers.

Biography

L. N. Gumilyov was born into a family of famous poets, which influenced the choice of his type of activity in his youth: in the 30-40s he wrote prose and composed poetry. But in his youth, the future author of the famous theory felt a craving for historical science. Lev Nikolaevich began to take part in various geological expeditions and archaeological excavations.

In 1934, the famous ethnologist graduated from Leningrad state institute with a diploma in history. In 1948 he received his Ph.D.

The historian-ethnologist was arrested 4 times by the Soviet authorities for speeches directed against the state policy that existed at that time.

In 1961, L. N. Gumilyov managed to defend his dissertation, and he received the degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences, and in 1974 he presented a work on geography, but the Higher Attestation Commission did not accept it.

In the 60s, he began to work hard on the passionary theory of ethnogenesis. With the help of this hypothesis, the philosopher tried to explain the structure of the historical process. But Gumilyov’s views were unusual for the scientific ideas of that time. Therefore, they were condemned by many historians and scientists.

Passionary theory of ethnogenesis by Gumilyov

This theory is a detailed description of historical processes that reveals the structure of ongoing events. She explains the dependence of eras on the interaction of different ethnic groups with each other and with the landscape surrounding them.

This theory has been presented in various articles published in scientific journals. Based on this work, Lev Nikolaevich tried to obtain a doctorate in geography, but, unfortunately, the Higher Attestation Commission never approved it. The historian in his dissertation managed to characterize a large number of concepts, as well as give detailed definitions of phenomena in the field of historical processes.

Gumilyov’s passionary theory of ethnogenesis never met with support from Soviet and foreign scientists, who believed that this hypothesis went beyond established scientific ideas. Currently, this work is included in the main course of teaching in higher schools Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union.

In order to comprehend the ideas described by L.N. Gumilyov, one should become familiar with the basic concepts of the passionary theory of ethnogenesis.

Ethnic systems

Lev Nikolaevich defined this term using a number of characteristics. So, ethnic systems are:

biological communities of humans similar to related groups of animals;
the way humanity adapts to the world around it;
unified groups of people who are bound by the awareness of their unity and who distinguish themselves from other ethnic systems;
a set of individuals whose distinguishing features are common behavioral stereotypes;
people who have a common origin and, accordingly, the same history;
systems subject to constant evolution;
structure, folded according to a hierarchy system.

According to L.N. Gumilev, there are three types of ethnic systems:

A superethnos is the largest species, which consists of a set of ethnic groups. The activities of its members are driven by their worldview, which is a stereotype of their behavior and determines the attitude of these people to life in its main issues.
An ethnos is a system that is at a lower level in the hierarchy than a superethnos. IN Everyday life it has the name "people". Its members have stereotypical behavior, which is based on connections with the place of development of this group; this concept includes: religion, language, economic and political structure.
Consortium is one of the types of ethnic group that has a strong connection with its place of residence; people from this group are in close relationships due to a common life or fate.

As a rule, the higher an ethnic system is in the hierarchy, the longer the period of its existence. Thus, a consortium very often disintegrates during the lifetime of its founders.

Passionarity

Passionarity is an excess of energy of living matter, which is of a biochemical nature. It is the impetus that generates sacrifice, which is most often directed towards achieving high goals. This term also denotes the internal desire to perform some kind of activity aimed at changing one’s destiny or improving the world around us. Representatives of passionarity perceive this goal as more important than their own happiness and life, and this activity is of greater value to them than the interests of their compatriots and contemporaries. The concept of indifference is alien to the individual of this group, but it should be understood that the dominant does not necessarily act with good goals. Thus, under the influence of biochemical energy, not only feats can be accomplished, but also crimes, and aspirations can be directed both for good and for destruction. Thanks to passionarity, a person does not become a hero and leader of the crowd, but only becomes part of it. In this way, the excitement of the collective in any era of the ethnic group is determined.

According to Lev Nikolayevich, passionarity is also the inherited characteristics of a person, which are responsible for his ability to exert extra effort or exertion. The author of the theory believed that this phenomenon has a psychological explanation and that the degree of passionarity is influenced by cosmic radiation.

L. N. Gumilyov’s reasoning on this topic in the work “The End and the Beginning Again”:

What is the nature of this radiation? Here we can only build hypotheses. There are two of them. The first is about the possible connection of passionary shocks with long-term variations in solar activity discovered by D. Eddy. The second hypothesis is about a possible connection with supernova explosions.
In his works, L.N. Gumilyov says that a socio-historical phenomenon can be characterized by the appearance in a limited sphere of a large number of passionaries (people with increased activity). There is also a measure of this biochemical energy, which is calculated thanks to the attitude of passionaries to society.

Complementarity

Lev Nikolaevich defines the term “complementarity” as an impression of another person beyond the individual’s control, which is the basis for further unconscious sympathy or antipathy. According to the author of the theory, this phenomenon is the main reason for the establishment of friendly or hostile contact between representatives of any racial affiliation, which may have different levels of development and cultural ties.

Levels of passionarity

In the passionary theory of ethnogenesis, there is a basic and detailed classification of the excess energy of living matter.
Detailed classification of passionarity
Transition

Level Name Explanation Description
6 Sacrificial Highest level The wearer is capable, without hesitation, of sacrificing his own life in order to achieve his goal, which coincides with the interests of the ideals
5 The bearer experiences a greater desire for the ideal of victory, which is expressed in his ability to take great risks in order to achieve his goal (in this case, superiority over other passionaries), but such a person is not capable of sacrificing his own life
4 Transition The characteristics of the carrier coincide with the fifth level, but they are not on such a large scale (the desire is not for victory, but for the ideal of success)
3 Nadlomny The wearer strives for the ideal of knowledge, beauty, etc.
2 The internal desire of the wearer is based on a constant search for happiness or good luck
1 Carriers who strive for improvement without risking their lives
0 Common man Zero level The passionary is a quiet person by temperament who is completely adapted to the landscape
-1 Subpassionaries Such carriers are capable of the most insignificant actions; they are adapted to the landscape
-2 Subpassionaries Passionaries who are not capable of any action or change; they are gradually destroyed or replaced by ordinary people

L.N. Gumilyov repeatedly drew attention to the fact that passionarity does not correlate in any way with the abilities of the individual, and called passionaries “people of long will.” There can be an intelligent layman and a rather stupid “scientist”, a strong-willed sub-passionary and a weak-willed “altar”, as well as vice versa; this does not exclude or presuppose each other.
Forms of ethnic contacts

These are the ways in which ethnic groups interact. They determine the level of passionarity and complementarity. There are three types of them; they will be discussed in more detail below.

Symbiosis

This is a system in which each ethnic group occupies its own specific territory and landscape. Symbiosis assumes that the passionaries of each group are isolated from each other, thanks to this they retain their national characteristics. With this form of ethnic contacts, nations interact with each other, enriching themselves in the process.

Ksenia

This is the so-called "guest". One who does not live in his own ethnic system. The main condition for a bearer to obtain such status is isolation from the “masters”.

Chimera

This is a “guest” who has no isolation from the “host”. Most often, the participants in the chimera are two super-ethnic groups that have negative complementarity in relation to each other. This leads to bloodshed and destruction, which will lead to the death of one of the ethnic groups or the destruction of two systems at once.

Ethnic antisystems

If we describe the passionary theory of ethnogenesis in simple language, then it should be said that there is an ethnic anti-system, which is determined by a group of people connected by their negative worldview. They have a special attitude towards the world around them, trying to simplify systems and their connections.

Passionary tremors

Lev Nikolaevich believed that mass mutations periodically occur in the world, caused by cosmic forces, which entail an increase in the level of passionarity. He introduces the term “passionary impulses” for this phenomenon.
The ethnological historian suggests that their duration is several years. Mass mutations occur, in his opinion, along geodetic lines that extend a couple of thousand kilometers.
L. N. Gumilyov writes that he calls this process simultaneous emergence of new passionate populations in different parts of the Earth. The epicenters of passionary shocks are located in places that can be determined using a stretched thread on the globe, if it is in a plane passing through the center of our planet. Lev Nikolaevich considered it possible that mass mutations were connected with periodic strong radiation from formations located along the edge of the solar disk.

Criticism of the passionary theory of ethnogenesis

After Lev Nikolaevich’s theory was published in the series scientific journals, she was criticized by the scientific community. His colleagues, famous scientists and historians, considered that it deserves strong censure, since, in their opinion, it is not based on a sufficient number of arguments. They came to the decision that drawing private conclusions based on unfounded ideas is a sign of the author’s incompetence and unprofessionalism. Thus, A.L. Yanov openly stated:

The absence of an objective criterion for the novelty of an ethnos not only makes Gumilyov’s hypothesis incompatible with the requirements of natural science, but also generally takes it beyond the boundaries of science, turning it into easy prey for “patriotic” voluntarism.

Critics point out the main weaknesses of Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov in the passionary theory of ethnogenesis in the journal "Skeptic". They say that he does not support his ideas with facts, relying only on “observations of ethnologists,” while refusing to give an example of specific empirical conclusions made by them.
Some public figures accuse Lev Nikolayevich of veiled anti-Semitic views, reinforcing their suspicions with Gumilyov’s words about Jews:

Penetrating into an ethnic environment alien to them, (they) begin to deform it. Unable to lead a full life in a landscape that is unfamiliar to them, the aliens begin to treat it as a consumer. Simply put, live at his expense. By establishing their system of relationships, they forcefully impose it on the natives and practically turn them into the oppressed majority.

L.N. Gumilyov is now called one of the predecessors of folk history. This term defines literary journalistic works and ideological theoretical concepts written on a historical topic, which claim to be called “scientific”, but in fact are not; They are usually written by non-professionals.

This article briefly examines the passionary theory of ethnogenesis. How to treat this work, whether to believe it or question it, is up to everyone to decide for themselves.

Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov is well known in wide circles of readers, even very well known, even famous, for a scientist-historian, thanks to his study of the principles of development of ethnic groups and the hypothesis of passionarity put forward on this basis.

The simplest definition that L. N. Gumilyov gives to passionarity is that “this is a sign... forming within a population a certain number of people who have an increased desire for action.” That is, we can say that passionarity is an increased desire for action, and also, again according to Gumilyov, “an increased ability to exert stress.” The second clarification determines what Gumilyov has behind the levels of “passionary tension of a super-ethnic system.” In the present case, it will be sufficient to point out that they form six phases of ethnogenesis: rise, acmatic (from “acme” - blossoming), breakdown, inertial, obscuration and memorial.

The concept of passionarity L. N. Gumilyov most fully and comprehensively outlined in his work “Ethnogenesis and the biosphere of the earth.” Here, the author’s various arguments in favor of his concept are presented in abundance: those claiming to be philosophical, natural science, and based on cultural and historical realities.

The theory of passionate ethnogenetic leaps evokes the most violent and harsh criticism both regarding its essence and the address of its author personally, which often happens with the creations of extraordinary people.

The main term of the theory created by Gumilyov is “Passionarity”, a not entirely clear, new word. “This word, with its internal and promising content, penetrated the brain in March 1939... like a lightning strike,” wrote L. N. Gumilyov. “Where it came from is unknown, but what it is for, how to use it and what it can provide for historical work was quite clear.” The term invented by the scientist indicates a person’s desire and ability to change the world. Passionarity can strengthen and weaken, which underlies the universal development of any ethnic group

Passionarity literally translated into Russian means “passion” or “obsession with passions.” Obviously, this is not what is meant by passions in everyday life. According to the concept introduced by the author, the passionaries themselves, the carriers of passionary energy, are individual individuals capable of accumulating a colossal amount of psychic energy and through a special (albeit hypothetical field) transmitting it to their neighbors, inspiring them either to a sacrificial feat (such as Alexander Nevsky, Zhanna d "Ark), either for a great common cause (Hannibal, Godfrey of Bouillon and the first crusaders), or for the satisfaction of immense ambition (Cornelius Sulla, Napoleon), or, finally, for predatory conquest and robbery (Vikings, Spanish conquistadors).

It is only necessary that there be enough people in the ethnic group who are ready to be inspired by an idea, susceptible to some kind of “passionary illness”, if, having adopted Gumilyov’s terminology, we slightly expand the conceptual apparatus he created.

“Ethnogenesis,” according to the definition given by scientists, “is an inertial process where the primary charge of energy... is spent due to environmental resistance, which leads to homeostasis... It is thanks to the high intensity of passionarity that interaction occurs between the social and natural forms of the mother.”

So, ethnogenesis is caused by a “passionary impulse,” that is, the accumulation of passionate individuals in the population occupying a certain landscape. At the same time, the author of the theory speaks in detail about which landscapes are more and which are less favorable for the emergence of strong ethnic groups. Moreover, “ethnos,” as L.N. Gumilyov writes, is not a nation, not a confession, not a class, and not a state. This is the community that, at the level of self-perception, defines the opposition “ours - not ours”; on the other hand, an ethnos is an integral part of the landscape that gave birth, and what is called “mentality” is formed by the habitat of the ethnos; Thus, there are lowland ethnic groups, there are urban ones, there are island ethnic groups (although one gets the feeling that this thesis, a little more than it should, places emphasis on the geographical factor of the location of ethnic groups, because one can conclude that all “plain” or , for example, the “island” ethnic groups of the Earth have a similar mentality, located in opposite parts of the planet, in zones of different climates and geographic latitudes, surrounded by people of different cultures, which cannot form a similar worldview of the ethnic group, as well as everything that is included in the concept “ mentality." So, if nothing interferes, the ethnos goes through various stages, depending precisely on the level of passionarity.

They, according to the author, are the same for all peoples and the entire cycle takes approximately the same time: 1200-1500 years. During this period, the history of any ethnic group is characterized by a change in its energy states: push (outburst of passionary energy) – rise – overheating – decline – attenuation (energy dissipation), adequately corresponding to the phases of ethnogenesis in the ethnic group’s own historical time: birth – rise (acmatic phase) – decline (sharp break) - inertial or memorial phase (a surge of science and culture occurs) - obscuration - death (does not mean that all carriers of an ethnic group die - some can become part of a neighboring ethnic group that is gaining passionarity (here Gumilyov makes an attempt to clarify the natural relationships between different ethnic groups; taking ethnic units as closed systems, one can assume various forms of relationships - from conflicts to coexistence based on the division of labor), while others live in harmony with environment- this will be homeostasis. L. N. Gumilev considered the interaction of man and nature, or, in his terminology, ethnic group and landscape, to be an important moral criterion for assessing the activities of ethnic groups. The conquest of an energy niche in the biosphere by an ethnic group sometimes occurs with great losses for nature, sometimes organically. Having established as an axiom the proposition “Peoples have homelands!”, L.N. Gumilev makes the logical conclusion that even in the case of large migration, ethnic groups choose conditions close to those they left.

“Phases of life” of a people, similar to those identified by Gumilyov, were called by Toynbee before him, Danilevsky and Spengler wrote about the mortality of ethnic groups, but no one named the driving force of ethnogenesis. According to L.N. Gumilyov, the movement of ethnic groups is determined by a passionary impulse. A natural question arises: where does this passionary impulse come from? In his work “Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of the Earth,” the scientist claims that from time to time the “Near Space” sends cleansing passionary impulses to the Earth’s biosphere. Although it should be noted that in his latest works Gumilyov does not pay special attention to this very “Near Space”.

The important thing is that the chain of cause-and-effect phenomena is broken by Gumilyov precisely in the place where it goes beyond the boundaries of the globe. A passionary impulse is a gap in natural causation that is closed to scientific knowledge. The reason for the emergence of ethnic groups was taken into space by Gumilyov. This is equivalent to admitting that the theory does not pretend to be knowledgeable, since the conditions that create the cause of passionary impulses in the Cosmos are irreproducible. It is no coincidence that “space” is not a scientific concept.

For the scientist of our time to create scientific theory, but not amenable to scientifically substantiated proof, based almost solely on the author’s erudition and intuition, was unheard of audacity. Although Columbus, who discovered a new continent, did not understand at all what he had discovered, Gumilyov, having brilliantly guessed that the ethnogenic factor was energetic, did not understand what the energy of his passionary impulses meant.

It can be assumed that Gumilev’s passionarity is closest to the physical action introduced in the 18th century by P. Maupertuis as a characteristic of the transition of kinetic energy into potential energy and vice versa. The strict definition is this: action is the time integral of the difference between kinetic and potential energies.

Gumilyov found a method for studying ethnogenesis in the biochemical energy discovered by V. Vernadsky, brought into organisms from Space. I discovered the method of action of this force - the passionary push. The birth of an ethnos is accompanied by an increase in energy, biologically transformed through micromutations in individual individuals - passionaries.

Before Gumilyov’s discovery, it was assumed that an ethnos, or more precisely a people, a nationality, a nation, is a community whose members are united by one thing: language, state power, the inertia of history, life in one society. But this is nothing more than a superficial judgment and, like observation of facts, is an illusion inherent in observers. Ethnicity, according to Gumilyov, is a real category that allows us to identify, based on a number of characteristics, a group of people that appears in history as a large closed system with a certain dynamic stereotype of behavior, namely behavior, and an original internal structure that changes depending on the time of life of the ethnic group - from the phases ethnogenesis. An ethnos, moving in time, constantly strives, by developing its behavior and establishing it in its descendants, to expand its area of presence in the historical arena, and all the targeted energy of the ethnos, if summed up, depends, firstly, on the limitation of a certain environment where the ethnos extracts his means of livelihood, and, secondly, the direction of his actions to create more and more social space for himself.

As the ethnic group moves through time, it experiences resistance from the environment, which begins to have a negative impact on its vitality, and with the waste of the passional charge of the initial impulse, this ultimately brings any ethnic group into a state of equilibrium between itself, its neighbors and the natural environment, to the exhaustion of the resource resistance of the ethnic group. He loses resistance, resistance. The life of an ethnos, determined by Gumilyov through experimental and historical means based on the material World history, a fixed chronology of events, lasts from 1200 to 1500 years, and during this life cycle there is a gradual waste of vital, energetic forces, and the biospheric charge of the ethnos. The question is where, from what sources does this “thriftiness” of the ethnos come from, but this is what the theory of passionarity speaks about.

Each ethnic group at its birth and birth has the inertia of an initial impulse. You don’t have to ask how this happens, you just have to consider how it happened in history. So, from a push - mutation, all the peoples on Earth arose.

Lev Gumilev about passionarity

As if from “nothing”, from the unknown, from the shell of some events, often under someone else’s name, groups of people appear, which are the initial core of a future ethnic organization or organism, working in a certain landscape and improving in the future - in the transformation of the ethnos by movements, in leaps, intermittent phases, not evolutionarily, but through wars, crises, self-destruction and bouts of reorganization of ethnogenesis. A newborn ethnos does not live by a smooth waste of its biosphere reserves, but spasmodically, by certain starts - phases that have certain rhythms.

The main unit of measurement of history is ethnicity. It can be small and large, like the Chinese, Russians, Bengalis, Arabs. An element of the structure of an ethnos is a subethnos, on which the formation of an ethnos can initially rest, and then the larger system nevertheless breaks up again, disintegrating into a number of subethnic units. Thus, in the Russian ethnos, the subethnic groups are the Pomors of the North, the Cossacks of the southern regions, the Siberians - the descendants of the pioneers (Chaldons) in Siberia, various mestizo formations, the intelligentsia of the 19th century, the Old Believers, the Russian-Mountain communities in the Caucasus, the Molokans, Russian Jews, Turkestan-Russians, those born in Central Asia, Muscovites in the mid-20th century and others.

An even smaller unit of an ethnos is consortia - groups of people united by one historical destiny, not by worldview, but by behavior. These are unstable associations connected by the same interests or affairs, and they can be of different kinds and “genres”: sects and secret cults, parties, gangs and illegal formations, circles, militant or renounced communities: skalds in Scandinavia or Sufis in Persia, Vikings, non-covetous people on the Volga, trappers in the USA, fugitives in Novorossiya in the 18th century or fighters for the faith, ghazis in the Middle Ages in the Middle East. From them new ethnic groups can be born and then new states can arise, but basically consortia are the primary cell of “shape formation” of ethnogenesis; out of a hundred formations, only one or two under favorable circumstances can create an ethnic group. As a rule, an ethnos strives to realize itself in something significant - in a military power, an empire, a kingdom, a supersystem - a superethnos, in some huge historical task: in the desire of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon for world domination or Nicholas I in Russia - to the creation of a neo-Byzantine empire.

Having fulfilled its role, the super-ethnos “gets heavier”, becomes overloaded, divided into component parts according to heterogeneous common interests and with different internal reserves of life strength. It may be impossible to gather it for the next historical task, just as, for example, it is impossible at this stage of passionarity to recreate the dominance of the Russian superethnos under the guise of the USSR in Eurasia, and then the desire of the ethnos to streamline relations within itself comes to the fore. Another stage in the formation of an ethnos is conviction. This is a community of people united already in the phase of decline of an ethnic group, in the phase of inertial development - by an ordinary family or private way of life, cultural ties. Convixias arise as communal communities, speaking the dominant language of the state, do not “stick out” from the niche, strive to realize their “small” destiny within the big destiny, and therefore most often encounter either support or indifference from their neighbors. Thus, Soviet-Russian Germans today become convicts for the purpose of preserving their historical phase of existence and wish to return to their homeland in the Volga region in order to create there a kind of social organism that is incomprehensible to the surrounding population. Similar processes are occurring in Europe, and especially acutely in the Near and Middle East, Asia, and everywhere else.

Types of concepts and relationships between them

1. Concept

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The law of mutual transition of quantity and quality

1. concept of “quality”

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1.1 Concept

Slavophiles are representatives of the liberal-minded noble intelligentsia who support the doctrine of the originality and national exclusivity of the Russian people...

Historical dispute between Westerners and Slavophiles

2.1 Concept

Westernism, like Slavophilism, arose at the turn of the 30s and 40s of the 19th century. It was represented by “both capitals” - Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Moscow circle of Westerners took shape in disputes with the Slavophiles in 1841-1842...

Marxist-Leninist materialism as philosophy and science

4.5 Concept of law

General characteristics of judgments

1. Concept

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Basics of logic

1. The concept of “hypothesis”. Hypothesis as a form of knowledge development. The logical nature of hypotheses. Types of hypotheses: general and specific. The concept of a working hypothesis. Conditions for selecting preferred hypotheses. Construction of a hypothesis and stages of its development. The role of inference and experimental data in constructing hypotheses. Confirmation methods

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7. The concept of society

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3. L. Gumilyov’s theory of passionarity

Before describing Lev Gumilyov’s theory of passionarity, it is necessary to define ethnicity. According to Gumilyov’s definition, an ethnos is a naturally formed group of people based on an original behavioral stereotype...

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The doctrine of passionarity L.N. Gumeleva

4. The theory of passionarity L.N.
Passionary theory of ethnogenesis

Gumilyov

Passionary theory of ethnogenesis is a hypothesis of Lev Gumilyov, describing historical process as the interaction of developing ethnic groups with the host landscape and other ethnic groups. Ethnogenesis (from the Greek “ethos” - “tribe...

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Theory of ethnogenesis L.N. Gumilyov

INTRODUCTION

The people inhabiting our planet form many diverse communities. A special place among them, both in terms of cultural significance and stability in history, is occupied by communities called peoples in everyday Russian, and ethnic groups in scientific literature. The term “ethnos” itself has been used in ethnological literature for quite a long time, but its scientific understanding as a special concept to designate a special community of people has essentially occurred only in recent decades. In modern ethnology, this concept is inextricably linked with the concept of ethnicity. In the 60s – 90s, a huge number of scientific publications on this problem appeared in the world. Thanks to them, the concept of “ethnicity” was firmly entrenched in the categorical apparatus of political science, history, ethnology, sociology and other social sciences.

In Russian ethnology, from the very beginning of the use of the term “ethnos”, the meaning “people” was established behind it. At the same time, to designate various forms of ethnic communities and relations in the scientific literature, terms derived from this word are also used. Among them, the concept of “ethnicity” is often used as a category denoting the existence of distinctive features of ethnic groups or identities. This term focuses attention, first of all, on the multiethnic nature of most modern societies.

A characteristic feature of Russian ethnological science is that it has always been dominated by theoretical views on ethnic communities as real existing objects, which, like any biosociocultural systems, are characterized by strictly consistent step-by-step development: birth, functioning, interaction, evolution, death or transformation.

Ethnologists consider the study of the process of ethnogenesis - the origin and development of ethnic groups - to be one of the most difficult sections of their science. This is due to the fact that ethnic history different nations determined by the contradictory interaction of anthropological, linguistic, historical, economic, cultural, demographic, political and other factors.

The starting point for the study of ethnogenesis is the question of the understanding and use of the term “genesis” itself in relation to ethnic groups and ethnic groups. In the world and domestic literature on ethnology, cultural and social anthropology, ethnogenesis, as a rule, is understood as the process of the historical origin of ethnic groups during the Pleistocene (from 2 million to 20 thousand years ago) and the beginning of the Holocene (from 20 thousand to 3 thousand . years BC), when, according to archeology and paleontology, the processes of anthropogenesis, the development of the Homosapiens species, the sociogenesis of early forms of human societies, the emergence of the main forms of labor, language, religion, art, etc. took place. By virtue of large number factors that influenced the groups of people who participated in ethnogenesis, it makes no sense to talk about either a specific starting point for this process or any date for its completion. After all, over the last 5 thousand years, humanity has not preserved its primary ethnic morphology. It is quite obvious that during all this time the creation of new ethnic formations did not stop, as it continues to this day.

1. Character traits ethnicity

Outstanding Russian scientist L.N. Gumilyov considers ethnos as a biophysical reality, always clothed in one shell or another. For Gumilyov, ethnicity is not a social group, since it is not directly connected with productive forces. Ethnicity is not a race, since it is not a form of community life, but a biological characteristic. An ethnos is not a population (the sum of individuals living in the same area and randomly interbreeding with each other). Ethnicity is a geographical phenomenon associated with the feeding and hosting landscape.

At the same time, the idea becomes clear and obvious that a person is not only a social being who, in a certain sense, stores all experience historical development humanity. We must not forget that man is also part of the biosphere of our planet, a natural result of its long development, lasting millions and billions of years. IN AND. Vernadsky, the creator of the doctrine of the biosphere - noosphere, argued that the Earth's biosphere is the totality of living matter (all living organisms of our planet) and the environment transformed by it. Man, as part of the living matter of the Earth, cannot but take part in the biogeochemical processes that ensure the functioning of the biosphere. How does a person enter the biosphere, become it? integral part? Gumilyov believed that this happens in the form of ethnic groups, which together become the anthroposphere, or ethnosphere. Therefore, the role of landscape for the existence of an ethnic group is clear - it is a necessary element of the anthroposphere. But ethnic groups differ from plants and animals, which are also inextricably linked with the environment, but are not capable of conscious activity, in that a person can consciously and purposefully change the conditions of his existence. This human ability can become both the greatest good and the greatest evil. After all, through his activities, a person violates the carefully adjusted mechanisms of self-regulation of the biosphere and, instead of the expected improvement in his living conditions, he may face an environmental disaster.

Another essential characteristic ethnicity is its close connection with energy. As part of the Earth's biosphere, ethnic groups must participate in all biosphere processes. To imagine the scale of these processes, it is enough to mention that the most important function is environment-forming, and its result is the modern appearance of our planet. Such powerful processes as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes require enormous energy costs. The nature of this energy was also discovered by V.I. Vernadsky, who called it biogeochemical energy of living matter. For the functioning of the biosphere as a whole, the most important thing is the energy of the Sun, the radiation of which literally permeates the entire biosphere. To explain the essence of ethnos and ethnicity, cosmic radiation, which occasionally reaches the surface of the Earth and exerts its lightning-fast energy effect, is of greater importance.

Gumilyov's hypothesis is that several times per millennium the Earth is exposed to some kind of specific type cosmic radiation, which causes mutations that contribute to the appearance of an increased craving for action in some people. Gumilyov called this property passionarity, and people who are carriers of this property - passionarities. By getting together, such people set common goals and achieve their implementation. They develop common behavioral stereotypes and a common self-awareness, thus forming a new ethnic group.

Gumilyov also considered essential for the characteristics of an ethnic group systems approach, according to which the whole world is considered as a set of systems - a set of externally and internally ordered elements. Gumilev believed that ethnicity is a closed system of a discrete type. It receives a charge of energy at the moment of a passionary impulse (the already mentioned outbreak of cosmic energy leading to mutations) and, having wasted it, either moves to an equilibrium state with the environment, or falls apart. This is exactly how natural groups of people exist in the biosphere with a common behavioral stereotype (Gumilyov considered this feature to be the most important for an ethnos) and a unique internal structure that contrasts itself with all other similar groups on the basis of the dichotomy “us - them.” This phenomenon of opposition is the mechanism by which man influences nature, perceives its components and crystallizes them into his culture.

When ethnic groups interact with each other, the rhythms of their passionary fields overlap each other. In this case, either harmony can arise, when the phases of their vibrations coincide, or disharmony. In the first case, ethnic fusion, assimilation, and fruitful ethnic contacts are possible; in the second, a violation of the rhythm of one or both fields, which undermines the systemic connections of ethnic groups and, under unfavorable conditions, can lead to the death of participants in such contact. Thus, Gumilyov provides an objective basis for the feeling of complementarity - the division into “friends and foes”, which is the most important characteristic of an ethnos.

2. The concept of ethnogenesis L.N. Gumilyov

Creating his theory of ethnogenesis, Gumilyov based it as the main postulate on the thesis about the natural-biological nature of an ethnic group, due to the fact that it is an integral part of the bioorganic world of the planet and arises in certain geographical and climatic conditions. Gumilyov defines ethnicity as a biophysical reality, and therefore he looks for the entire mechanism of ethnogenesis in real natural processes. In his opinion, being an integral part of the biosphere, ethnic groups must obey its laws, participating in the processes that take place in it. And these are gigantic processes that have largely shaped the entire modern appearance of our planet, comparable in energy costs to the greatest geological processes. IN AND. Vernadsky called this energy biogeochemical energy of the living matter of the biosphere.

41. The essence of the passionary theory of ethnogenesis L.N. Gumilyov

It is nothing more than the converted energy of the Sun, space and radioactive decay in the bowels of the Earth. The biosphere is simply bathed in flows of energy, it is open to space and is sensitive to the energy surges that occur there. This is the reason for population explosions that seem mysterious at first glance - swarms of locusts, lemmings, suddenly appearing in gigantic numbers to rush into the waters of the ocean. Humans experience similar influences, and the reaction to them becomes noticeable at the level of ethnic groups. If certain conditions are met, an energy flash becomes the beginning of the process of ethnogenesis.

Gumilyov's Theory of Passionarity.

Passionarity theory

Lev Nikolaevich Gumilev– Russian ethnologist, historian, doctor of historical and geographical sciences; creator of the doctrine of ethnicity as a biosocial category. The theory of passionarity is outlined in the book “Ethnogenesis and the Earth’s Biosphere” (1989).

According to Gumilev (and in this he agrees with Spengler and Danilevsky), the people are an organic phenomenon that goes through certain periods of life - “phases”:

- climb;

– acmatic phase;

- fracture;

– inertial phase;

- obscuration.

Moreover, these phases (as well as the very emergence of the ethnos) are directly related to the state of passionarity (energy level) of its members.

During the recovery phase passionarity grows, in the akmatic phase it reaches its highest intensity.

There is a “overheating of the system” - a struggle of ambitions, and the ethnic group enters in a state of breakdown(sharp decrease in energy).

In the inertial phase(if you are lucky enough to enter it without depopulation), the decline in passionarity is inhibited and the ethnic group lives on the accumulated wealth and traditions.

This period is especially favorable for “gathering the fruits of the earth” - Golden autumn civilization.

A striking example here is the Western world of the 18th-20th centuries.

Finally, obscuration– a new sharp decline in passionarity, a painful decline of the ethnic group.

According to Gumilyov, There are three categories of people:

– passionaries;

– harmonious individuals;

– subpassionaries.

For passionaries energy is excessive.

Moreover, this has nothing to do with morality, ideology, or even talent; there are only gradations of passionarity and energy.

In any case, the passionary commits actions that go beyond the biological instinct of self-preservation. A passionary can be a warrior, a politician, a scientist, an artist, a writer, a terrorist, or just a loser (like Shukshin’s heroes - “weirdos”).

In a harmonious person passionarity and biological instinct balance each other.

Such an individual (if he has the appropriate talent and school) in good conditions can even become an excellent artist, composer, etc.

On one condition - if they pay for it.

If not, he will do some other business, albeit less creative, but more profitable (with regret, of course).

Subpassionary he is not capable of anything useful.

Biological impulses - primary reactions(lust, anger, laziness) are far superior to energy.

Typical subpassionaries are tramps, mercenaries, prostitutes.

The modern era, by the way, is characterized by the accumulation of such types at the top of society both in Russia and in the West.

Apparently, the transition to a new phase of development is ripening.

Gumilyov gives a lot of examples of the history of ethnic groups and super-ethnic groups

(civilizations).

Here's what it looks like relative to the Western world.

In the 9th century AD passionate

push affected the territory of France and Germany (“feudal revolution”).

After centuries of timelessness and barbarian kingdoms, a new, knightly Europe was born.

In the era of the rise of passionarity, it defended itself from the attacks of the Vikings, Arabs and Hungarians, became covered with Romanesque castles and Gothic cathedrals, and burst out from an excess of strength in the Crusades.

In the acmatic phase we see the struggle between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines in the Holy Roman Empire German nation, The Hundred Years' War between England and France, the struggle of kings with feudal lords.

In the breaking phase The Reformation, religious wars, the Thirty Years' War of the 17th century are taking place with rampant sub-passionary banditry.

In the inertia phase The ethnocultural split in Europe is being eliminated, and successful colonial conquests are underway.

There is an unprecedented rise in science and prosperity in the Western world.

Current page: 1 (book has 79 pages total) [available reading passage: 52 pages]

Lev Gumilev
PASSIONARIUM. Theory of passionarity and ethnogenesis

* * *

Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov 1912–1992

Ethnogenesis and biosphere of the Earth

Changing the laws of Nature is beyond human capabilities, if only because people themselves are part of Nature. But knowledge of the laws of Nature, including the law of ethnogenesis, is very useful, because it allows you to avoid many troubles.

Dedicated to my wife Natalia Viktorovna

Introduction

What will we talk about and why is it important? in which the need for ethnology is substantiated and the author’s view of ethnogenesis is presented, without the argumentation to which the rest of the treatise is devoted, where the author will lead the reader through a labyrinth of contradictions.

Fear of disappointment

When the reader of our time buys and opens new book in history or ethnography, he is not sure that he will read it even halfway through. He may find the book boring, pointless, or simply not to his taste. But it’s still good for the reader: he just lost two or three rubles, but what about the author? Collections of information. Formulation of the problem. Decades of searching for a solution. Years at a desk. Explanations with reviewers. Fight with the editor. And suddenly everything is in vain - the book is uninteresting! It lies in libraries... and no one takes it. This means that life was in vain.

This is so scary that all measures must be taken to avoid such a result. But which ones? During his studies at the university and in graduate school, the future author is often instilled with the idea that his task is to write out as many quotations from sources as possible, put them in some order and draw a conclusion: in ancient times there were slave owners and slaves. The slave owners were bad, but they had a good time; the slaves were good, but they felt bad. But life for the peasants was worse.

All this, of course, is correct, but the problem is that no one wants to read about it, not even the author himself. Firstly, because this is already known, and secondly, because it does not explain, for example, why some armies won victories while others suffered defeats, and why some countries grew stronger while others weakened. And, finally, why powerful ethnic groups arose and where did they disappear, although there was certainly no complete extinction of their members.

All of the questions listed are entirely related to our chosen topic - the sudden strengthening of one or another people and its subsequent disappearance. A striking example of this is the Mongols of the 12th–17th centuries, but other peoples also obeyed the same pattern. The late academician B. Ya. Vladimirtsov clearly formulated the problem: “I want to understand how and why all this happened?” But he did not give an answer, like other researchers. But we return to this plot again and again, firmly believing that the reader will not close the book on the second page.

It is absolutely clear that in order to solve the problem we must first examine the research methodology itself. Otherwise, this task would have been solved long ago, because the number of facts is so numerous that it is not a question of replenishing them, but of selecting those that are relevant to the case. Even contemporary chroniclers were drowning in a sea of information, which did not bring them any closer to understanding the problem. Over the past centuries, archaeologists have obtained a lot of information, chronicles have been collected, published and accompanied by commentaries, and orientalists have further increased the stock of knowledge by codifying various sources: Chinese, Persian, Latin, Greek, Armenian and Arabic. The amount of information grew, but did not transform into a new quality. It still remained unclear how a small tribe sometimes became the hegemon of half the world, then increased in number, and then disappeared.

The author of this book raised the question of the degree of our knowledge, or rather, ignorance of the subject to which the study is devoted. What at first glance is simple and easy, when trying to master the plots that interest the reader, turns into a mystery. Therefore, it is necessary to write a detailed book. Unfortunately, we cannot immediately offer precise definitions (which, generally speaking, greatly facilitate the research), but at least we have the opportunity to make primary generalizations. Even if they do not exhaust the full complexity of the problem, they will, to a first approximation, allow us to obtain results that are quite suitable for interpreting ethnic history, which has yet to be written. Well, if there is a fastidious reviewer who demands a clear definition of the concept of “ethnos” at the beginning of the book, then we can say this: ethnos is a phenomenon of the biosphere, or a systemic integrity of a discrete type, working on the geobiochemical energy of living matter, in accordance with the principle of the second law of thermodynamics , which is confirmed by the diachronic sequence historical events. If this is enough for understanding, then you don’t need to read the book further.

Ethnic groups as a form of existence of a species Homo sapiens

For more than a hundred years, discussions have been going on: is the biological species Homo sapiens changing or have social patterns completely replaced the mechanism of action of species-forming factors? Common to man and all other living beings is the need to exchange matter and energy with the environment, but he differs from them in that almost all the means of existence necessary for him are forced to obtain through labor, interacting with nature not only as a biological, but primarily as a social being . Conditions and means, productive forces and the corresponding relations of production are constantly developing. The patterns of this development are studied by Marxist political economy and sociology.

However, the social laws of human development do not “cancel” the action of biological laws, in particular mutations 1
"In the face modern man the process of biological evolution created the owner of species properties that led to the attenuation of further evolution”; “The absence of natural selection was tantamount to the cessation of the action of one of the factors of evolution... and biological evolution the person had to stop”; .

And it is necessary to study them in order to avoid theoretical one-sidedness and practical harm that we inflict on ourselves by ignoring or deliberately denying our subordination not only to social, but also to more general laws of development.

Methodologically, such research can begin on the basis of a deliberate abstraction from specific methods of production. Such an abstraction seems justified, in particular, because the nature of ethnogenesis differs significantly from the rhythms of development of the social history of mankind. With this method of consideration, we hope, the contours of the mechanism of interaction between humanity and nature will become clearer.

No matter how developed technology is, people get everything they need to maintain life from nature. This means they are included in food chain as the upper, final link of the biocenosis of the region they inhabit. And if so, then they are elements of structural-systemic integrity, which include, along with people, domestic animals (domestic animals and cultivated plants), landscapes, both transformed by man and virgin, mineral wealth, relationships with neighbors - either friendly or hostile, one or another dynamics of social development, as well as one or another combination of languages (from one to several) and elements of material and spiritual culture. This dynamic system can be called ethnocenosis. It arises and disintegrates in historical time, leaving behind monuments of human activity, devoid of self-development and capable only of destruction, and ethnic relics that have reached the phase of homeostasis. But each process of ethnogenesis leaves indelible traces on the body of the earth’s surface, thanks to which it is possible to establish general patterns of ethnic history. And now, when saving nature from destructive anthropogenic influences has become the main problem of science, it is necessary to understand which aspects of human activity were destructive for the landscapes that accommodate ethnic groups. After all, the destruction of nature with disastrous consequences for people is not only a problem of our time, and it is not always associated with the development of culture, as well as with population growth.

When raising the question of the interaction of two forms of natural development, it is necessary to agree on the aspect. We can talk about either the development of the biosphere in connection with human activity, or the development of humanity in connection with the formation of the natural environment: the biosphere and bone substance, making up the other shells of the Earth: the lithosphere and the troposphere. Humanity's interaction with nature is constant, but extremely variable both in space and time. However, behind the apparent diversity lies a single principle that is characteristic of all observed phenomena. So let’s pose the question this way!

The nature of the Earth is very diverse; humanity, unlike other species of mammals, is also diverse, because humans do not have a natural habitat, but are distributed, starting from the Upper Paleolithic, throughout the entire landmass of the planet. The adaptive abilities of humans are an order of magnitude greater than those of other animals. So, in different geographical regions and in different eras, people and natural complexes (landscapes and geobiocenoses) interact in different ways. In itself, this conclusion is unpromising, since the kaleidoscope cannot be studied, but let’s try to introduce classification into the problem... and everything will be different. There is a constant correlation between the laws of nature and the social form of the movement of matter. But what is its mechanism and where is the point of contact between nature and society? And this point exists, otherwise the question of protecting nature from humans would not arise.

S. V. Kalesnik proposed dividing geography into: 1) economic, studying the creations of people, and 2) physical, studying natural shells Earth, including the biosphere. A very reasonable division. Nature creates what we cannot create: mountains and rivers, forests and steppes, new species of animals and plants. And people build houses, construct cars, sculpt statues and write treatises. Nature cannot do this.

Is there a fundamental difference between the creations of nature and man? Yes! The elements of nature transform into each other... “This stone once roared, this ivy soared in the clouds.” Nature lives forever, swelling with the energy it receives from the Sun and stars of our Galaxy and radio decay in the depths of our planet. The biosphere of planet Earth overcomes global entropy through the biogenic migration of atoms tending to expand. Conversely, objects created by man can either be preserved or destroyed. Pyramids stand for a long time, the Eiffel Tower will not stand for that long. But neither one nor the other is eternal. This is the fundamental difference between the biosphere and the technosphere, no matter how grandiose the latter may acquire.

Subject of study

A review of the current state of the science of ethnicity should plunge the reader into bewilderment. All authors writing on this topic, including ethnographers, essentially replace genuine ethnological characteristics with professional, class, etc., which, in fact, is equivalent to the denial of ethnos as a reality. The existence of an ethnos is only indicated by the fact that it is directly felt by people as a phenomenon (phenomenon), but this is not proof. The poet said: “Both day and night the sun walks before us, but stubborn Galileo is right.” And indeed, the ethnologist has some reasons for pessimism, which seem insurmountable at first glance.

Ethnology is a nascent science. The need for it arose only in the second half of the 20th century, when it became clear that the simple accumulation of ethnographic collections and observations threatens that science, which does not pose problems, will turn into meaningless collecting. And so, before our eyes, social science and ethnology emerged - two disciplines interested in the same subject at first glance - humanity, but in completely different aspects. And this is natural. Every person is simultaneously a member of society and a member of an ethnic group, and this is far from the same thing. Equally, ethnology as a science requires definition. Let's say for now that ethnology is the science of the impulses of behavior of ethnic groups, similar to ethology, the science of animal behavior. Impulses can be conscious and emotional, dictated by the personal will of the individual, tradition, the forced influence of the team, the influence of the external situation, the geographical environment, and even spontaneous development, the progressive course of history. In order to understand such a complex issue, an appropriate methodology is needed. The methodology can be either the traditional method of the humanities or the natural sciences. Which one should be chosen to successfully overcome the difficulties that arise for a scientist who has taken on a completely new field of science?

First of all, let us clarify the concept “ humanitarian sciences" In the Middle Ages in the Christian world, the only absolutely authoritative source of scientific information were two books: the Bible and the works of Aristotle. Science came down to commenting on quotes, which had to be given accurately, because illiterate heresiarchs often invented supposedly quoted sayings of the prophets, Christ and Aristotle. From here arose a system of references to the text that has survived to this day. This stage of science was called scholasticism, and by the 15th century. it no longer satisfied scientists. Then the range of sources was expanded - the works of other ancient authors were involved, whose texts needed to be verified. This is how the humanitarian (i.e. human, not divine) science arose - philology, which differs from scholasticism in its critical approach to texts. But the source was still the same - someone else's words. After the Renaissance, major naturalists contrasted the humanitarian methods of obtaining information with natural science based on observation of nature and experiment. The formulation of the question has changed: instead of “what did the ancient authors say?” tried to find out “what really is?” As we see, it is not the subject of study that has changed, but the approach and, accordingly, the methodology.

The new technique gained acceptance slowly and unevenly. Back in 1633, Galileo had to renounce that the Earth revolves around the Sun, and his opponents appealed to the fact that there was no such information in the literature known to them. In the 18th century Lavoisier, at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences, declared the message about the fall of a meteorite “anti-scientific”: “Stones cannot fall from the sky, because there are no stones in the sky!” Geography only in the 19th century. got rid of legends about Amazons, hairy people, giant octopuses sinking ships, and other fiction that readers at the philistine level took literally. The hardest thing was for historians, who could neither set up an experiment nor repeat an observation. But here the monistic approach came to the rescue, which allowed for criticism of the source, both comparative and internal. Thanks to many painstaking studies, codes of indisputable facts with chronological references were compiled, and some dubious information was rejected. This enormous wealth of knowledge can only be useful when it is applied to a specific object, be it social communities - classes, or political entities - states, or ethnic groups that interest us. In the latter case, the facts of history turn into an “information archive” and serve the purposes of ethnology along with other information: geographical, biological, biophysical and biochemical, which, in the presence of creative synthesis, makes it possible to interpret ethnology as natural science, built on a sufficient number of reliable observations recorded during the accumulation of primary material.

And now let’s return to the cardinal thesis: can we consider that ethnography, both descriptive and theoretical, has left the field of view of geography and belongs entirely to the sphere of historical sciences? No and no again! This position, in our opinion, is groundless and destructive. It leads science to impoverishment, that is, to simplification by reducing the erudition of the researcher. It’s easier for him, of course, but his work loses its promise and ceases to be of interest to the reader. I am afraid that persistent disagreement with the thesis posed here will lead to a compromise not only of the historical methodology, which is not used for what it was developed for, but also of the science itself - ethnography. For for it there is only one path of development - transformation into ethnology, where, along with the collection and description of material, there is an interpretation of it from the angle dictated by the formulation of the problem.

An excursion into philosophy

This needs to be extremely brief. Since we proceed from the fact that an ethnos in its formation is a natural phenomenon, then the basis for its study can only be the philosophy of the nature of knowledge, i.e. dialectical materialism. Historical materialism aims to reveal the laws of social development, that is, it refers, in the words of K. Marx, to the history of people, and not to the history of nature located in the bodies of people. And although both of these “stories” are closely intertwined and interconnected, scientific analysis requires clarification of the angle of view, i.e. aspect. The historical material we use is our information archive, nothing more. For the purposes of analysis, this is necessary and sufficient. On this occasion, K. Marx expressed himself clearly: “History itself is valid part of the history of nature, the formation of nature by man. Subsequently, natural science will include the science of man to the same extent that the science of man will include natural knowledge: it will be one the science" . Now we stand on the threshold of creating such a science.

When we talk about synthesis, the approach to the problem will change accordingly. But, as we know, analysis precedes synthesis, and there is no need to get ahead of ourselves. Let us only say that even then the foundations of scientific materialist natural science will remain unshakable. Having agreed on the meaning of the terms and the nature of the methodology, let us move on to the formulation of the problem.

Humanity as a species Homo sapiens

It is customary to say: “Man and Earth” or “Man and Nature,” although still in high school explain that this is an elementary, primitive anthropocentrism inherited from the Middle Ages. Yes, of course, man created technology, which neither the dinosaur of the Mesozoic era nor the Machairodus of the Cenozoic era created. However, with all the achievements of the 20th century. Each of us carries within us nature, which constitutes the content of life, both individual and species. And none of the people, other things being equal, will refuse to breathe and eat, avoid death and protect their offspring. Man remained within the species, within the biosphere - one of the shells of planet Earth. Man combines his inherent laws of life with specific phenomena of technology and culture, which, while enriching him, do not deprive him of his involvement in the elements that gave birth to him.

Humanity as a biological form is a single species with a huge number of variations, which spread throughout the entire surface of the globe in the post-glacial era. The distribution density of the species varies, but with the exception of polar ice the whole Earth is the abode of man. And one should not think that somewhere there are “virgin” lands where no human has set foot. Today's deserts and wilds are filled with traces of Paleolithic sites; Amazon forests grow on redeposited soils once destroyed by the agriculture of ancient inhabitants; Even on the cliffs of the Andes and Himalayas traces of structures incomprehensible to us have been found. In other words, during the period of its existence, the species Homo sapiens repeatedly and constantly modified its distribution on the surface of the Earth. He, like any other species, sought to develop the largest possible space with the greatest possible population density. However, something interfered with him and limited his capabilities. What?

Unlike most mammals, Homo sapiens cannot be called either a herd or an individual animal. A person exists in a collective, which, depending on the angle of view, is considered either as a society or as an ethnic group. More precisely, each person is both a member of society and a representative of a nationality, but both of these concepts are incommensurable and lie on different planes, such as length and weight, or the degree of heating and electric charge.

The social development of humanity has been well studied, and its patterns have been formulated historical materialism. The spontaneous development of social forms through socio-economic formations is inherent only to a person in a group, and is in no way connected with his biological structure. This question is so clear that there is no point in dwelling on it. But the question of nationalities, which we will call ethnic groups to avoid terminological confusion, is full of absurdities and extremely confusing. One thing is certain - there is not a single person on Earth outside the ethnic group. Each person when asked: “Who are you?” - will answer: “Russian”, “French”, “Persian”, “Masai”, etc., without thinking for a minute. Consequently, ethnicity in consciousness is a universal phenomenon. But that is not all.

Level	Name	Explanation	Description
6	Sacrificial	Highest level	The wearer is capable, without hesitation, of sacrificing his own life in order to achieve his goal, which coincides with the interests of the ideals
5			The bearer experiences a greater desire for the ideal of victory, which is expressed in his ability to take great risks in order to achieve his goal (in this case, superiority over other passionaries), but such a person is not capable of sacrificing his own life
4	Transition		The characteristics of the carrier coincide with the fifth level, but they are not on such a large scale (the desire is not for victory, but for the ideal of success)
3	Nadlomny		The wearer strives for the ideal of knowledge, beauty, etc.
2			The internal desire of the wearer is based on a constant search for happiness or good luck
1			Carriers who strive for improvement without risking their lives
0	Common man	Zero level	The passionary is a quiet person by temperament who is completely adapted to the landscape
-1	Subpassionaries		Such carriers are capable of the most insignificant actions; they are adapted to the landscape
-2	Subpassionaries		Passionaries who are not capable of any action or change; they are gradually destroyed or replaced by ordinary people

New articles about the passionarity of Nikolai Gumilyov. Gumilyov's theory of ethnogenesis

The background to the emergence of a new opinion about the nature of ethnogenesis

What is passionarity

Multiple definitions of a term

Gumilyov's views on the interaction of civilization and ethnicity

The role of passionaries in the development of ethnic groups

Coexistence of ethnic groups

Stereotypes of behavior in Gumilev's theory

Classification of stages of development of ethnic groups

Classification of the ethnosphere

Criticism of the theory of L. N. Gumilyov

Biography

Passionary theory of ethnogenesis by Gumilyov

Ethnic systems

Passionarity

Complementarity

Levels of passionarity

Forms of ethnic contacts

Symbiosis

Ksenia

Chimera

Ethnic antisystems

Passionary tremors

Criticism of the passionary theory of ethnogenesis

Lev Gumilev about passionarity

1. Concept

2. The concept of existentialism

1. concept of “quality”

1.1 Concept

2.1 Concept

4.5 Concept of law

1. Concept

1. The concept of philosophy

7. The concept of society

3. L. Gumilyov’s theory of passionarity

1. The concept of the unconscious

2. Concept

4. The theory of passionarity L.N. Passionary theory of ethnogenesis Gumilyov

Passionary theory of ethnogenesis

4.1. Concept

41. The essence of the passionary theory of ethnogenesis L.N. Gumilyov

Gumilyov's Theory of Passionarity.

Passionarity theory

Lev Gumilev PASSIONARIUM. Theory of passionarity and ethnogenesis

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Ethnogenesis and biosphere of the Earth

Introduction

4. The theory of passionarity L.N.
Passionary theory of ethnogenesis

Gumilyov

Lev Gumilev
PASSIONARIUM. Theory of passionarity and ethnogenesis