For centuries, man has been trying to findAnswers to the questions: why people are so similar in many areas of life, but at the same time they differ so much; what determines the formation of a particular person; what is inherent in a person at the gene level, and what appears under the influence of habitat and communication.
Многие ученые в процессе своей деятельности 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, Cesare Lombroso, Benedict Augustin Morel, Sigmund Freud, Abraham Maslow, Bekhterev Vladimir Mikhailovich and many other experts put forward their ideas. Naturally, each of them proved his hypotheses, based on professional practice, observation, experiments.
Lev Gumilev is known for proposing a hypothesis about the structure and mechanisms of the development of ethnogenesis and passionarity as an important component of it. What is the difference of this hypothesis from its modern scientific theories?
The background to the emergence of a new opinion on the nature of ethnogenesis
As a child of two poets that I raisedthe grandmother rejected 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 scenarios for the development of the life scenario are possible. The thinker lined up his hypothesis on the analysis of historical and geographical factors of the origin and development of ethnic groups.
According to Gumilyov’s theory, the formation andthe subsequent integrity of the ethnos is provided by the geochemical energies of the biosphere. Every nation develops its own rules of interaction with the outside world. The main factor in the emergence of different nationalities is the adaptation to the terrain and character of the area. With a light hand, Gumilyov passionarity is responsible for the fate of a particular person and a whole ethnic group. What is the meaning of this term?
What is drive
The origin of the word Latin (passio -undergoing, but also passion, affect). In the area of European languages, single-root 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 addictions. In England, passion is the designation of anger. In Poland, the term denotes fury. In Holland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark passion is a hobby.
Русский эквивалент латинского слова – старинное word passion. Many years ago it had a different meaning than today (according to V.I. Dalyu) - this is maya, torment, spiritual impulse to something, moral thirst, unconscious attraction and unreasonable desire. According to the old Russian notions, the passionarity of the nation was represented in the person of the passionate or the passion-bearer.
However, many ancient words of the Russian language eitherout of use, or have lost their former meaning, and today “passion is a strong love, a strong sensual inclination (according to I. S. Ozhegov). There is a simplification of the meaning of the word. Therefore, Gumilev is not talking about passion, but about passionarity.
What is drive?The definition describes the general statement of V.I. Vernadsky on the heterogeneity of the distribution of biochemical energy in a long historical period. The results of the uneven distribution of energy are poured into passionarity (according to Gumilyov). And the moments of the highest release of biochemical energy into space are referred to as passionate tremors.
It is argued that drive is causedmicromutations at the gene level, but this fact is practically unprovable. And the point is not that the relevant studies were not conducted, but that the deviation of the gene set (in the form of a mutation) even a few tenths of a percent of the norm causes severe pathology, and by 1-2% - a change in appearance ( or crocodile).
Gumilev's claims about drive ashereditary sign is true to the extent that temperament types and properties of the nervous system are inherited. But psychogenetics deals with such studies, in which there are enough terms to describe such phenomena. With the help of research methods, scientists proved that the notorious desire to “learn and learn new and unknown” is encoded in a certain group of genes and is inherited. This fact is confirmed by laboratory studies, long-term observations and experiments.
The multiplicity of definitions of the term
According to Gumilyov, passionarity is“A characteristic dominant, an invincible inner desire (conscious or more often unconscious) for activities aimed at the realization of a goal (often illusory)” (the book “Geography of an Ethnos in the Historical Period”) There are other definitions. Some psychologists claim that the author has created a new psychodynamic theory of personality, however, the “classical” typology of characters describes all the features attributed to Gumilyov passionaries only in a different classification.
The peculiarity of scientific knowledge, in contrast tohypothetical assumptions, - in that it is provable, observable, repeatable under similar conditions, with its help you can make an exact scenario of future events. The theory of drive and ethnogenesis is an attempt to look at the history of nations from a different point of observation (bypassing economic and political patterns). Since it is known that in man only 50% of inherited characteristics, and the rest fall on the impact 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 drive inthe book "Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of the Earth." This is a non-standard approach to the study of the history and geography of ethnic groups and the laws of their development. However, it is not difficult to notice the so-called neo-Eurasianism. Eurasianism was a national postulate in the 1920s – 30s. Gumilyov's theory of passionarity is based on the ideas of such famous Eurasians as Trubetskoy, Krasavin, Savitsky, Vernadsky. Lev Nikolaevich is the successor of many ideas of this cultural concept. This is also traced 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 ethnos.
Gumilyov’s views on the interaction of civilization and ethnos
Lev Nikolaevich was one of those to whom the theoryThe progress was nasty. It was in civilization that he saw signs of the destruction of ethnic systems, which, according to Gumilev, leads to land degradation and deterioration of the ecological state of the environment. The main destructive factor 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 followers of Lev Nikolayevich from the concept of Werner Zombart.
The role of passionaries in the development of ethnic groups
Since the emergence of drive amongthe population of the Earth is affected by "some cosmic power", then the specific share of the receipt of this feature will be different. To describe this feature, Gumilev developed levels of drive. In total, there are 9 levels in the classification, which are located on a scale of coordinates within the range from -2 to 6. Conventionally, all levels are divided into three groups (the classical division model):
- Passionaries above normal.
- Passionality is normal.
- Passionaries are below normal.
How are the levels of drive in Gumilev (briefly) in the listed groups:
- В группе «ниже нормы» расположены представители humanity, related, according to Gumilev, to a rating of -2 and -1 (subpassionarii). These are people who do not show any activity aimed at changing, and those who are able to adapt to the landscape (respectively).
- Интересно, что «норма пассионарности» расположена at mark 0 (man in the street). 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 by giving examples of such personalities from history.
- The group “above the norm” is more diverse:
- Level 1 is characterized by the desire to achieve goals without risk to life.
- Level 2 (called the “search for luck with the risk to life”) is characterized by a fair amount of adventurism and is characterized as a “gentleman of luck”.
- Level 3 (called the “break phase”) is described by the pursuit of “eternal” ideals: beauty and knowledge. In this group, Gumilyov refers people of creative professions, scientists.
- Level 4 (denoted as “the level of overheating, the acme phase, the transition”) outlines the ability to strive for an “ideal” goal and achieve social prevalence.
- Level 5 is distinguished by the ability to achieve the goal at any cost, except for his own life.
- Level 6 (called “sacrificial” or “highest level”) is marked by a person’s ability to sacrifice himself.
Gumilyov’s assertion about the independence of his concept from the theory of temperament is rather contradictory. This fact is well noticeable when studying the above stated classification.
The coexistence of ethnic groups
In the matter of interaction of ethnic groups,according to the theory of passionarity, the dimensions of interacting ethnic groups and complementarity (the emotional relationship of ethnoses to each other) are of key importance. Such relationships are expressed in different ways of interaction:
- Symbiosis - implies the relations of ethnic groups, occupying their landscape, but interacting for various reasons. This form is considered optimal for the welfare of each ethnic group.
- Kseniya – (очень редкая форма взаимодействия) implies the presence in the landscape of numerous ethnic groups of small representatives of another ethnic group, existing in isolation and not violating the system in which they are present.
- Chimera - occurs in the case of mixing of representatives of two superethnos on the territory of one landscape. Negative complementarity in this case leads to conflicts and disintegration of ethnic groups.
Stereotypes of behavior in the theory of Gumilyov
An important component of the ethnos as a single organismdetermined by the behavior of representatives of the group. According to L. N. Gumilev, 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 inherited (at the biological level). Structurally, there are four types of relationships:
- the relationship between the group and the individual;
- interpersonal relationships;
- relations of intra-ethnic groups;
- relations of ethnos and intra-ethnic groups.
In the stereotypes of behavior, Gumilyov also includes the rules of the relationship of the ethnic group to foreigners.
Classification of the stages of the development of ethnic groups
According to the theory of Lev Nikolaevich, stereotypesbehaviors undergo changes throughout the life of an ethnos before its “aging” (state of homeostasis). Nine stages (or phases of development) of ethnogenesis are distinguished:
- Push or drift - the stage of the emergence of passion in the ethnic group, the emergence of representatives with a bright characteristic.
- The incubation period is the stage of accumulation of the energy of drive with its manifestations imprinted in history.
- The rise is the stage of the vigorous growth of drive with all the ensuing consequences (for example, the seizure of new territories).
- Akmatic phase - the stage of the highest flourishing of passion in all spheres of life of the ethnic group.
- Fracture is the stage of “satiation” and a sharp decrease in passionarity.
- The inertial phase is the stage of prosperity of an ethnos without manifestation of drive.
- Obscuration is the stage of development of an ethnos, characterized by degradation.
- Homeostasis - the stage of existence of the ethnic group in accordance with the surrounding landscape.
- Agony is the stage of disintegration of the ethnos.
Ethnosphere classification
At the base of this pyramid are located convictions and consortia. Further, ascending, - subethnos, ethnos and superethnos.
The origin and development of the ethnos, according to Gumilev,starts with consortia and convictions. The first is a group of individuals with a common historical past, and the second is a group with single-day household and family structures. The interaction of these groups and maintains the unity of the ethnic group.
Criticism of the theory of L. N. Gumilyov
Самым веским аргументом в пользу псевдонаучности Gumilyov’s theory is the description and explanation of phenomena from the position of “patriotism” (scientific knowledge is free of “emotional” theories that do not rely on a solid factual basis). This circumstance, as noted by critics, prevents the historian from seeing the essence of the historical events that took place. According to Gumilev himself, “emotions in science cause mistakes,” but all the author’s works are filled with contradictions (this is due to the rejection of some research methods in favor of “patriotism”).
Fairly disputed and the postulate of“The absence of a category of guilt and responsibility” in the development of ethnogenesis. Critics see it as a justification for any kind of aggression under the guise of “millstones of history” (urgent need). An illustration is the use of Gumilyov’s concept by radical Russian nationalists in order to justify their actions.
The Eurasian concept was to justifyRussian revolution (and all related consequences) without diversion to ethical assessment. The central idea was the integrity of Russia. And the methods and techniques of interaction with ethnic groups in neo-Eurasianism (Gumilev's theory) were written off to the prevailing passionarity of the Russian people.
The concept has supporters and opponents, but oneremained unchanged - the work did not become a scientific work (this is why Gumilev’s dissertation was not approved by the Higher Attestation Commission, since the criteria for evaluating scientific knowledge and pseudoscientific at the commission are one for all). Unfortunately, the contradictions with which Gumilev’s books are filled have not been eliminated by anyone, and there was no one who wanted to engage in the cutting of this diamond.
However, this fact does not detract from the significance of the work done, framed in the concept of the Passionary theory of ethnogenesis of Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov.
