A RATIONAL-METAPHORICAL PICTURE OF THE WORLD

• Document Type: FOIA
• Keywords: UFO SPECIAL COLLECTION
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005517516
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: January 31, 2011
• Case Number: F-2010-00651
• Publication Date: May 1, 1989

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Classification:. UNCLASSIFIED Status: [STAT]
Document Date: ~01 May 89 Category: [CAT]
Report Type: JPRS Report Report Date:
Report Number: JPRS-UKO-89-014 UDC Number:
Author(s): Boris Viktorovich Raushenbakh, academician, department
head at the Moscow Physical-Technical Institute, Lenin
Prize winner, member of the International Academy of
Astronautics]
Headline: A Rational-Metaphorical Picture of the World
Source Line: 18020014j Moscow KOMMUNIST in Russian No 8, May 89
(signed to press 17 May 89) pp 89-97
Subslug: [Article by Boris Viktorovich Raushenbakh, academician,
department head at the Moscow Physical-Technical Institute,
Lenin Prize winner, member of the International Academy of
Astronautics]
FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE:
1. [Text] Very lively debates are currently under way in society, in
the course of which the qualitatively renovated features of socialism
are emerging more clearly. By no means the least important in such
discussions, in my view, should be problems-rela-ted--t-o-the world -
outlook of modern man and the determination of his place in Space, in
the universe, as well as, metaphorically speaking, in the space of
relations with other people, society and nature on earth, outside of
which we shall not be able to exist in the foreseeable future. The
extent to which we-shall be able to understand such problems and find
the proper ways of solving them will determine, without exaggeration,
the future of civilization as a whole. And although man since most
ancient times has considered such problems, the rapidly changing
reality and surrounding world ascribe ever new content to them,
motivating us again and again to turn to them and to seek answers
consistent with the realities of the present and, perhaps, the
future.
2. Let me begin with an example drawn from my own life.
3. In the past I wrote books on graphic art without resorting to
mathematics but using my customary logic of rational scientific
knowledge. In discussions with readers an amazing pattern emerged: I
was perfectly understood by mathematicians, physicists and engineers
but totally misunderstood by many artists who, actually, praised the
books (possibly unwilling to insult the author). At that point I
recalled that I personally "did not understand" some works by our
outstanding art experts. It turned out that something similar was
3ry
UNCLASSIFIED Approved for Release
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felt by other representatives of the "precise" sciences: to us in
frequent cases works on art are "streams of words" without any
strictly defined rational meaning. Yet the universally known names of
their authors unquestionably guaranteed the high quality of such,
books and it is we who were to be blamed for our failure to
understand them.
4. Thus, I came across the fact that, conventionally speaking, we
could divide the Russian language into two components: the first uses
the logic of rational scientific knowledge and the other the logic of
metaphorical thinking. These are not only two components of the
language but also two types of viewing the world, the supporters of
which find it difficult to understand one another.
5. In order to explain this phenomenon more fully, I believe, we
should turn to the currently intensively studied fact of the
functional asymmetry of the brain. It turns out. that the left
hemisphere is responsible essentially for the processes of rational
thinking while the right one deals with the metaphorical perception
of the world. Apparently the fact that a person could be classified
as a "physicist" or a "lyricist" also depends on which of the
hemispheres dominates in his brain. Naturally, this separation is not
absolute. Geniuses such as Leonardo da Vinci and Goethe, for example,
were able to achieve outstanding successes in the precise sciences,
which require a strictly rational thinkingnd-i-n-the---ar-ts-,-which----------
demand of the artist particular emotionality and a developed
metaphorical way of thinking. As a rule, however, it is one of the
types that nonetheless dominates, whether it applies to noted workers
in science and culture or ordinary people not possessing any
particular talent.
6. The metaphoric perception of the world is older than logical
thinking, which developed later (perhaps that is why dreams which
originate in the right hemisphere do not amaze man by presenting the
most incredible miracles, for the left hemisphere, the "rational"
one, is "disengaged" during that time). There are two different
ways for perceiving and knowing the world, as was pointed out a long
time ago. In Homer's "Iliad," Hector speaks of the tragic fate
awaiting him:
7. "...I firmly tell myself, talking to myself in my mind and my
heart that the day will come when sacred Troy will perish...."
8. What matters to us is that Hector speaks both of the mind (based
on rational thinking) and the "heart" (based on metaphorical
foreboding). It is characteristic of latter ancient tradition to
separate the "opinion," i.e., that which has been obtained through
the senses, from the "knowledge," which has the mind as its source.
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It is only these two ways that lead to the integral perception of the
world. Both are identically essential and neglecting either of them
is fatal to the individual as well as to society.
9. We live in the age of the scientific and technical revolution,
which is rich with impressive scientific discoveries which gradually
encompass all areas of knowledge. In that case, why do we need some
kind of irrational perception of the world based on feelings (such
as, for example, the feeling of duty) rather than the mind and,
consequently, something which is of indefinite and loose nature? The
point is that it does not change what is rational and scientific but
supplements it with essentially new elements.
10. For example, let us consider the problem of man's moral
behavior. The results of scientific studies obtained through rational
ways of thinking may be true or false regardless of moral
considerations. The table of multiplication and now also the art of
making computer programs can be successfully applied by a very good
person for good and useful purposes as well as by the worst scoundrel
for his criminal intents. This situation is well familiar: science
serves progress but can-be used also by the most reactionary forces.
Therefore, the conclusions of rational science do not include a moral
principle. However, to the people morality is of vital importance.
Concepts of morality, and even more so "a moral feeling," appeared
long before science, from the metaphorical and---"- rrational'-'--(I arty--
deliberately using this word) knowledge of the world as well as in
the process of the summation of human empirical collective
experience. It is only subsequently, in connection with the
establishment of the world religions that, on a parallel basis,
rational and ethic substantiations for moral doctrines appeared
(Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Spinosa and Kant).
11. What meaning do I invest in the concept of the irrational? It is
by no means something secret, mystical or, in general, unattainable
by the mind. Rather it is a question of what is irrational in the
narrow logical understanding: an intuitive accomplishment seems
irrational in terms of a discursive one; from the viewpoint of
individual unique experience a logical conclusion and evaluation is
irrational in terms of experimental proof, etc. Therefore, anything
which I will be subsequently calling irrational and illogical, and so
on, may turn out to be entirely rational from a broader viewpoint of
the knowledgeable intellect, which explains and evaluates its own
experience and metaphorical thinking.
12. The behavior of the individual in the world around him is based
on the knowledge of this world. This knowledge is developed in two
interrelated areas: one in which logic has the final word and another
dominated by the feelings: compassion, love of one's neighbor and of
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the fatherland, religious feeling, a poetic feeling (distinguished
not only from literature but also from music and graphic arts), etc.
Do these feelings lead to knowledge, albeit not logical-discursive
but intuitive, sometimes subconscious, yet nonetheless knowledge?
13. Everything seems to indicate that they do. Indeed, when someone,
even a child meets a person for the first time he immediately
develops a sympathy or antipathy toward him without any obvious
rational reason. This feeling becomes the first (albeit sometimes
erroneous) intuitive knowledge (or, if you wish, a " preknowledge " )
about the person, which largely defines our behavior. Sometimes
behavior is dictated by a moral feeling and, in justifying the nature
of his actions, the person states: "I cannot explain why but I was
unable to act differently.- This too is not related to a direct
logical analysis (for otherwise it could have been explained) of the
knowledge of how one should behave in any give situation.
14. At the turn of the.century such examples, and they are numerous,
enabled some poets to claim that there are truths which cannot be
described through prose, i.e., truths which are based not on the
formal understanding of logic but on the specific logic of the poetic
imagery used in the perception of the world. Consequently, the
metaphorical, the nonrational perception of the world, is another
necessary source of our knowledge. Furthermore, occasionally such
knowledge turns out to be more accurate ttia-nthe rat ona - ogie-a-l one
in the area of rational science itself. If we ask what will be the
aspect of technology in the future, it happens that the projections
of specialists are frequently less accurate than those of writers.
Thus, as late as the 1930s, many scientists, including some of the
most noted ones, claimed that nuclear power can never be used by man,
whereas "irresponsible" writers fully accepted it in their works.
In his "The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin," A. Tolstoy described a
"death ray" which, at that time, was absolutely impossible
according to the scientists. Today, however, we speak of laser
weapons as something obvious. In his novel "Doroga na Okean" [Ocean
Road] Leonid Leonov described a radar system which did rot exist as
yet at that time. How to explain this? In all likelihood, the
scientists are excessively attached to science and technology and to
their present postulates and axioms and, proceeding on the basis of
strictly logical conclusions, are unable to anticipate revolutionary
discoveries, whereas the writer, the artist, who is free from such
"prejudices," can obviously "sense" (or anticipate) better the
course of mankind's development. Naturally, this is not a call for
proceeding from knowledge to feelings in the areas of science and
technology. As we pointed out, the irrational, the emotional
component of human knowledge is related, above all, to the moral and
poetic factors in human awareness.
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15. In harmoniously developed people both sources of
knowledge--rational and illogical--define their behavior and are in
some state of balance. Naturally, this is the ideal system. In
reality, a great deal depends on the individual characteristics of
mental development and on the individual's living conditions.
16. In contemporary society the volume and significance of rational
and logical knowledge are increasing steadily. This is clearly
manifested not only in the way computers are taking over ever new
areas of life (from children's games to computing the trajectory of
space apparatus), but also in human motivations and actions. Today,
with increasing frequency the people are seeking optima? solutions to
the problems which face them and, as a rule, the concept of
optimality has a strictly rational sense, such as how to build a
given system at the lowest possible cost, how can an enterprise
obtain maximal profits, what is the likelihood that any given event
may happen, and so on. This way of thinking is basic in our daily
life as well: how to handle our available funds in the best possible
way; how to reach our place of work within optimal time, etc. In this
case the headlong pace of change in our lives exclude the formulation
of "traditional solutions" which would be considered acceptable
both today and in 10 or 20 years. All of these problems must be
resolved under new circumstances on each separate occasion. Today
even professional knowledge and skills cannot remain unchanged
throughout a lifetime. Experience proves that-many-peopre--have--to--be----------
retrained each 10 or 20 years, for the average "life span" of
contemporary technology is much shorter than that of human life.
17. These are precisely the circumstances governing the fact that
the rational component of our knowledge of the world must be used all
the time and increased steadily. Man's attention is focused mainly
on it while irrational knowledge assumes second priority. However,
the latter has a major influence on important aspects of the
perception of the world: a moral assessment of events or moral
motivation for actions. Yet morality becomes somehow secondary, which
is something of increasing concern to the human community. Actually,
is it not a matter of concern the fact that a rating such as
"successful businessman," or "good production organizer"
occasionally proves to be more important than the term "decent
person?"
18. In speaking of the decline of morality, at this point we draw
attention to the fact that in the past a rational component of
knowledge did not play such an excessive role. Let us consider the
life of a peasant in past centuries. The grandson used the same
"technology" as his grandfather and this technology of peasant
labor was defined less by strictly rational considerations than the
age-old experience passed on from generation to generation in the
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form of customs, habits and traditions. The brain was not
overburdened by the problem of seeking optimal solution-: to
rationally formulated problems, and man was able to a greater extent
to concentrate on problems of morality (naturally, as time passed the
assessment itself of what was moral and what was immora'. changed;
here it is a question only of the trend followed in intellectual
activities).
19. Today, in the time of triumph of the natural science and
impressive discoveries in physics, astronomy, biology and other
sciences which provide a rational explanation of life in the
universe, the tremendous task has appeared of drawing a scientific
picture of the world and, on its basis, developing a scientific
outlook. Many people believe that the solution of this ^upertask will
benefit mankind. However this claim is quite arguable.
20. Mankind needs an integral world outlook based on a scientific
picture of the world, as well as an unscientific (including
metaphorical) perception of the world. The world can be learned, as
Homer said, both by the mind and the heart. It is only the sum of the
scientific and the "heart" picture that can-provide an image of the
world worthy of man in his own conscience and that could be a
reliable foundation for behavior.
21. In speaking of the need and possibility----of--crea-t-ing-an--in-tegral
picture of the world, we cannot ignore the question of religion. It
is frequently believed that religion is a sum of myths, behavioral
rules and ceremonies. Obviously, in that case poetry will be the
ability to speak rhythmically and in rime. It is obvious to everyone
that such a definition of poetry loses its main feature: the poetic
image, the poetic feeling. In precisely the same way failure to
mention the religious feeling in the concept of " religion"
deprives it of its main feature.
22. A religious feeling may be inherent in a given person
(naturally, however, by no means in everyone) in the same way that
people frequently have a sense of beauty. And if such a person is
raised in an atheistic family and finds himself in an atheistic
atmosphere, he may feel a certain spiritual discomfort, frequently
without knowing why. In some cases, trying clumsily to satisfy his
mental aspiration toward mystery and miracle, such a person
feverishly seeks some kind of surrogate: he becomes attracted to
mysticism, begins to believe in "flying saucers" (should such such
"saucers" become universally acknowledged by reality, he would
immediately lose any interest in them), etc. We know of many cases
when such "hereditary" atheists have joined the church and felt a
sudden fullness of life and become happy people, in the full meaning
of the term. It is difficult today to say at which stage in the
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history of the human community this need appeared. In any case, the
need for some kind of "faith," consistent with the human mentality,
including religious faith, became more complex and stronger in the
course of the biosocial evolution.
23. Therefore today the religious feeling of people in developed
countries is by no means related to their "ignorance," or
insufficient enlightenment (in the sense of sciences based on
rational knowledge). The satisfaction of this feeling is a natural
need for many people with a strongly developed emotionality. Is this
not the reason for which there are more frequently believers among
members of the artistic intelligentsia than among engineers?
24. However, if a religious feeling is a normal phenomenon for such
people, no primitive atheistic propaganda can be effective. Some
propagandists of atheism proceed from the fact that faith in God will
disappear the moment the people are given a "intelligible
explanation" of the natural scientific picture of the world and
proven that religion is the consequence of the lack of scientific
knowledge and that it should yield to the pressure of science.
However, in the case of a person in whom a metaphorical thinking
prevails, the arguments of rational knowledge will appear secondary
and unconvincing (we already cited the example of the reciprocal lack
of understanding between "physicists" and "lyricists"). These
arguments to him are insignificant compared-iri-th-the liv-i-ng-fee-ling-----
of the presence of God, which is so strong that he not simply
believes in God's existence but, on the basis of his own feelings, he
"knows" that God exists. Therefore, any rational proof provided by
the atheist can only irritate the person who is certain of the
veracity of his concepts.
25. Naturally, religion cannot be reduced exclusively to the
phenomenon of an irrational component of the mind or, even less so,
to the belief that one cannot get rid of it as long as the right
hemisphere of the brain retains its functions. Unquestionably, the
religious feeling is related to features of the human mentality, such
as imagination, and so on. However, theology is also the rational
substantiation of religion. And whereas scientific atheism can refute
more or less successfully precisely such rational substantiations
concerning the existence of God (ontological, gnosiological,
teleological, etc.) it is unable to do anything with the need of man
to believe.
26. Let us say a couple of words about the meaning which is usually
invested in the concept of "God." To the contemporary Christian,
for example, faith in God means faith in the supernatural, a
transcendental reality with personal characteristics, paralleled by
faith in the existence of a meaning to individual human life,
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exceeding the limits of a limited human life. Belief in the
purposefulness of the world and the meaning of history have not been
proven scientifically to their fullest extent.
27. In millennia old human practice, rational knowledgc: and moral
values have always supplemented each other, for which reason the
contemporary believer considers his religious feeling a supplement to
his rational knowledge. Furthermore, this feeling does not prevent
major scientists from achieving the highest possible peaks in the
natural sciences.
28. Therefore, in itself science is unable to suppress the religious
feelings of a sincere believer. A religious faith can be defeated
only by another "faith" (or by something of the same nature). In
this case the word "faith" should be understood in the broad
meaning of the term. It could be some kind of ethical view, such as
early Confucianism; in general, it could be any emotional-irrational
component of human nature, which makes it possible to satisfy that
which was already described as a religious feeling. It could fill but
not crush it. In that case, however, the atheists must add to their
"scientific atheism" some kind of "atheism of the heart," which
is addressed to the metaphorical part of the human awareness (it is
true that today the specific forms of the latter, to the best of my
knowledge, are unknown to anyone). Naturally, a feeling in itself is
not morality and morality is not in itserf reri"~on.--However,------ --
unquestionably there is a tie, a profound one at that, between them.
29. Let us go back to the question of the correlation between
rational and irrational knowledge and consider how to strengthen the
moral principle in contemporary life. This has become an urgent need
both in our country and in the West. However, the way of restoring to
morality its proper place in social life is by no means clear.
30. Of late there has been frequent talk, in this connection, of the
need to humanize contemporary life. In my understanding, this means
somewhat to restrain the "rational" and technocratic motivation and
give some space to spirituality in shaping the behavior of the
individual and of society as a whole. Although the term
"spirituality" is being used today even more frequently than is
necessary, it lack a universally accepted definition. Actually, a
strict terminology here may be unnecessary, for this is not a concept
of rational logic. It was claimed in the past that the spirit is the
wedge of the soul. In such a case spirituality implies the highest
and most refined aspects of the soul. In my view, such statements
could be accepted as a kind of, albeit not excessively precise,
indication of the general meaning of the concept of spirituality.
31. Many are those who are hoping to strengthen the spiritual
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principles in our life by humanizing it, by turning,to the priceless
monuments of domestic and global culture which, in the most people,
in the course of their daily concerns, have somehow been pushed into
the periphery of the mind and no longer participate in shaping human
behavior. Familiarity with the history of the fatherland and its
heroic pages and the activities of outstanding compatriots (public
figures, artists, military leaders) to whom lofty (and by no means
advantageous) objectives determined the meaning of their lives would
all, unquestionably, contribute to restructuring the mind in the
desired aspect.
32. It would be difficult to overestimate the role of the monuments
of history and culture which materialize the past of the fatherland
and which make it possible to feel the link of time and to feel that
one is a link in the chain going deep into the centuries and to be
imbued with pride in the past and awareness of the need to pursue the
great cause bequeathed to us by previous generations. It may be
useful to note here that "living" monuments yield much more than
the "dead" ones. Touring the new building of Leningrad University
is entirely different from walking along its old lengthy hall, the
walls of which remember Mendeleyev. Naturally, erecting new
university buildings is necessary. It is important, however, for the
old building to remain "alive," i.e., to remain part of the
university and not become one more set of offices.
33. Russian literature, in which problems of morality have always
played a key role, could give us no less and, possibly, even more.
Suffice it to recall such guiding lights as F.M. Dostoyevskiy, and
L.N. Tolstoy and their search for moral ideals.
34. All of this was justifiably and frequently said and written by
many of our contemporaries concerned with the gradual decline in
spirituality and the strengthening of narrow-minded and short-sighted
practicalism in all areas of life. Humanizing could be likened to a
beneficial rain which allows the flowers of spirituality to bloom. I
chose this pompous comparison to emphasize the problem. The thorough
watering of the rows is, in itself, no guarantee of a good crop. If
nothing has been planted nothing will grow. Water is merely one of
the components which agriculture needs. This is precisely the case of
a humanitarian education and the reading of the literary classics.
Had this been sufficient, our writers would have been people of ideal
morality. Unfortunately, the history of Soviet literature firmly
refutes such an assumption and, consequently, all that we mentioned
above is, naturally, a prerequisite which is necessary in order to
assert the moral principles in the life of man and society but is by
no means sufficient.
35. In order for humanizing to justify the hopes placed on it a
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certain starting system of elements of morality must exist, which
humanizing could strengthen, refine and channel. In the past this
initial system was somehow spontaneously developed by life itself.
Today this process has been weakened and distorted. Therefore, it
would be useful to turn to the experience of the past.
36. The child developed the elements of morality in the family which
in the past played a significantly greater role in the life of all of
its members than it does today. Today the family is no longer the
focal point of common concerns and interests of its members.
Frequently the father and the mother work in different areas, the
children attend the "extended-day" school and everyone has his own
interests, which frequently are difficult to combine within some kind
of unity. Furthermore, in frequent cases intimate family talk is
replaced by joint watching of television. It is not astounding that
today the initial concepts of morality are acquired by the child at
best from parental instructions rather than direct observation of
their lives and the natural desire to imitate them.
37. In the past the moral obligations imposed upon man by virtue of
his belonging to one stratum or another played a certain positive
role. Let us recall perhaps the sense of honor of the nobility which
made some immoral (from the viewpoint of the nobility) actions
impossible. The unwritten honor code of the nobility was mastered by
the individual in childhood by observing the-behavior of the its-,-----
listening to their conversions and evaluations of events and becoming
the subject of strict remarks if the child committed an error: "a
member of the nobility does not act like this!"
38. We must acknowledge that the church as well played a major role
in the development of morality. It would be an unforgivE.ble error to
believe that moral behavior can be the result exclusively of any type
of education in school or elsewhere. Here again we have the same law
as in the other areas of human activity: if you want to do something
good you need systematic and daily training. Familiarity with the
rules of moral.behavior is not enough. One must live according to
such rules in order gradually to turn knowledge into habit, into a
natural standard. Metaphorically speaking, one should commit a moral
act at least once a day. Real daily life is always more complex than
beautiful plans and by no means could we classify all of our actions
as being entirely moral. In such a case a person who aspires to lead
a moral life must feel, as is now usually said, conflicting emotions.
He may become sincerely regretful for his failure to cope with a
situation which has appeared.
39. It would be unwise to let a serious matter such as moral
"training" develop uncontrolled. Let us give the church its due: it
developed a long time ago an efficient mechanism not only for
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proclaiming morality but also for providing practical education and
support of morality. I am referring to the sacrament of repentance.
The believer must regularly confess his sins (i.e., his violation of
the laws of morality), not only should he commit immoral actions but
even should he think about them. Sometimes the penitent would be
punished by the church. It is important to note that there are no
witnesses to the confession and that the priest does not dare to make
this secret public. Therefore, conditions are created for the
penitent to be maximally truthful, without which a true moral
upbringing is impossible. In principle, it requires a secluded talk
with an authoritative person. This circumstance has been well
understood not only by Christianity but also by other religious and
ethical doctrines in which student and teacher are a constant pair,
who talk, as we used to say, heart to heart.
40. In our present life there is virtually no such mechanism for
developing and upholding morality. The sacrament of repentance cannot
be replaced by self-reports or by the discussion of immoral actions
at large meetings. The concept of the class honor has virtually
disappeared. Some people write about worker's honor but,
unfortunately, usually this means nothing (although in the past
worker's honor was found everywhere and'did not allow a true master
to do hack work. Incidentally, I began my own labor career at the
start of the 1930s as an apprentice joiner at one of Leningrad's
aviation plants, and I well remember the way--o-i.fieredi-tart'-wor-kegs-------------
were literally pressured into "fulfilling the plan" at all cost.
This was accomplished, above all, at the cost of low quality work and
loss of criteria of professional honor. Today a great many people,
in committing an immoral act, experience a feeling of happiness
rather than remorse (such as, for example, pilferers who have stolen
with impunity something from their place of work).
41. I believe that humanizing will yield the desired results only
when it is based on already accepted and practiced common moral
principles. How to achieve this today? For the time being, there is
no specific answer but an answer must be mandatorily found, for it is
this, as we mentioned at the beginning of this article, that will
determine the future not only of our socialist society but also of
civilization as a whole.
42. Contemporary life, with its exaggerated aspiration to rely above
all on rational knowledge and, as a result, with its scornful
attitude toward what I described as irrational, intuitive and
emotional knowledge, is causing dangerous deformations in the
behavior of the human community. As we consider the problems of the
optimal combination of rational with other knowledge as guiding
impetus-in our activities, we unwittingly reach the following
conclusion:
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43. The irrational component must be mandatorily taken into
consideration in defining the objective toward which we must advance.
The rational component calls for suggesting the most sensible ways of
solving the problems. In other words, the objective must be moral and
the way to achieve it, reliable. It is entirely obvious that not only
the end objective but each step toward it must be consistent with the
criteria of morality.
44. This problem has assumed new features in recent years. Until
recently, rational science looked at anything "irrational- with a
certain feeling of superiority, as though even as an obstruction to
progress. However, this was progress conceived precisely from the
viewpoint of rational knowledge. Let us consider the unrestrained
aspiration of departments to build huge dams, canals and such similar
"construction projects of the century." When the humanitarian
public was indignant by this, pointing out that this would destroy
historical monuments, unique landscapes and the habitats of small
nations or, in other words, the immorality of such projects, its
arguments were considered secondary, far-fetched and unworthy of
attention. The claim that "the country needs metal, electric power,
irrigation," and so on was always considered more substantive. The
strictly "rationally" oriented "thinkers" undertook to define
what precisely "the country needs," with enviable conceit. In a
somewhat different form, this process is-also- inherent--i-n- t-heWes-t-.--
It is the natural consequence of uncontrolled scientific and
technical progress. We now see its results. The entire world is
beginning to consider with concern its current condition, and
forecasts leave no room for. complacency.
45. Everywhere we note an exceptionally curious picture: the
strictly rational knowledge, based on numerous computers, all of a
sudden noticed with a feeling of horror, where this had taken
mankind. It became clear that a radical. restructuring is needed, if
one may say so, in human behavior. Continuing the practice of recent
decades would inevitably lead to ecological catastrophe. However,
even before this had been realized the humanitarians, the creative
intelligentsia and a high percentage of the people had already
started, with an enhanced feeling of moral responsibility, to
struggle against the arising catastrophe: for many long years "red
books" for the protection of the natural world from destruction have
been kept, ever new movements are appearing for the rescue of unique
natural formations such as Lake Baykal, etc.
46. It would be useful to reemphasize that the feeling, a kind of
ache for the fate of the earth and the country, preceded the
computations which merely confirmed that which was said initially.
Furthermore, the loss of moral criteria in the daily behavior of the
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people began to alarm not only "lyricists" but also "physicists."
The result has been an increased interest in extralogical, in
nondiscursive knowledge, the aspiration to achieve an integral
perception of the world instead of progress toward the triumph of
one-sided interpretation of the "scientific picture of the world."
It is precisely thus that an integral world outlook is developed
instead of a narrow rationally understood "scientific outlook."
47. Another important feature of the new world outlook should
include asserting the priority of universal human values. But then
one of the main universal human values is the planet earth, for which
reason the new thinking should encompass not only the political and
military areas but also all other areas of human activities,
particularly those related to ecology. The primacy of universal human
values is becoming increasingly important in relations among people
and in the aspiration to unite mankind within a single harmonious
family. New thinking is needed everywhere and one of its
characteristic features should be the harmonious combination of the
mind with the "heart," the rational with the emotional and logical
with intuitive knowledge.
48. COPYRIGHT: Izdatelstvo TsK KPSS "Pravda", "Kommunist", 1989.