No 1 (2010)

The article is devoted to the events of the Time of Troubles («Smutnoe Vremia») in Russia. This period is analyzed through the appearance of new democratic forms of social integration and authority legitimation and a birth of proto-civil type of interconnection between state and society. This example gives an opportunity to overcome some existing stereotypes, connected with Russian history and Russian political tradition.

In the given article is analyzed the political philosophy of I. Kant in wide socio-cultural context. The author examines the problem of correlation between politics and morals, different variants of it (from machiavellism - «the aim justifies any means» up to pacifistic - «nonresistance to evil by force»). The article investigates the principles of humanistic policy («the virtue aim can be achieved only by virtue methods») and its collisions on example of creativity of I. Il'in, L. Tolstoy, F.M. Dostoevsky and modern politics.

In the given article is considered theoretically-semantic content of the concept «national interests». Critical analysis of wide spectrum of concepts and definitions of national interests by domestic and foreign scientists is presented in the article. According to the author, national interests and state interests should be considered as closely connected and complementary but not identical categories. On the other hand, even during an epoch of globalization the concept of national interest is always based on values and particular ideological content of the separate state.

The article is devoted to the problem of religious extremism in contemporary Russia. The author defines a term «religious extremism», researches conditions of origin of this phenomenon, it's correlation with another extremism forms, with international religious extremism; uses the example of wahhabism to show that a religious group can be considered traditional, legitimate in one countries and radical, extremist in another ones.

The defense policy of the Barak Obama's administrations develops along the trends which manifested themselves already under President G. Bush Jr. The troubles Washington faces at the international arena forced the American circles to revoke theirs unilateral approach to international affairs, paying more attention to interrelationships with allies and partners, and stability operations in the crisis areas.

In the article are considered the changes of the international environment of ethnopolitical conflicts in the modern world and factor of globalization directly influencing them. The author points at low efficiency of mechanisms of regulation of the modern conflicts, both at state level, and at level of international relations. It is thus underlined that the problem of harmonization of ethnic relations within the modern states and relations of the last among themselves is extremely actual. The state as the institute and the form of social self-organization should find its new place and define its new role because of inevitable influence of globalization processes.

The article is dedicated to the experience of regional transformation of Islamic political thought in Europe, based on an example of Tariq Ramadan philosophical concept. Author analyzed Ramadan's views on a role of Islam in new conditions, religious identity of believers, political and legal systems, reaction to modernization challenges of the present and ways of their overcoming. This concept can become the alternative in forming dialogue between East and West, in modernization of Islamic communities and opposition to Islamic radicalism.