The proliferation of new technologies raises the problem of applying and adapting the Turing Test to evaluate the moral decisions made by artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the context of bioethics. The relevance of this problem for the philosophy of culture lies in the need to analyze the prospects for the harmonious coexistence of humans and artificial systems, considering dominant cultural normative systems, one of which is morality. The aim of this research is to refine approaches to solving ethical problems associated with AI against the backdrop of its integration into the latest social technologies. The research objectives were as follows: 1) to identify and describe the problems associated with the spread of AI in the social sphere; 2) to clarify the specifics of the ethical questions arising from the implementation of AI in this area; 3) to systematize knowledge about existing deontological frameworks that aim to address the problem of the social normalization of AI use. The research materials include information on the latest developments in social engineering, namely technologies that apply AI to solve social tasks (in medicine and elderly care), as well as scholarly literature devoted to the use of AI in the social engineering of the future. The study is based on a culture-oriented approach. The methods used involve case analysis and SWOT analysis. Based on the analysis of scholarly literature, various modifications of the Moral Turing Test are presented: the Comparative Moral Turing Test (cMTT), the Ethical Competence Test, the Machine Ethics Safety Test, and the Turing Triage Test. As a result of the research, it is shown that the Moral Turing Test is a functional tool for demonstrating the ethical safety of artificial systems but cannot serve as proof of their possessing moral agency in the human sense, which is particularly relevant for the sensitive sphere of bioethics. The study concludes that: First, within the framework of developing the aforementioned modifications, the methodological difficulties and fundamental limitations of these approaches are described. These include the problem of imitation, the "absence of understanding" in AI, the risk of software errors, and the fundamental differences between thinking and the capacity to be a moral agent. Second, the practical significance of developing criteria for the ethical verification of AI is demonstrated, and the specific bioethical problems arising from its use are clarified (the problem of responsibility, patient autonomy, stigmatization, and equality of access). Third, philosophical approaches to the question of the possibility of creating "genuinely" moral AI are systematized; objections against this thesis are highlighted, based on the arguments of biological naturalism (J. Searle), phenomenology (H. Dreyfus), as well as the concept of the erosion of human moral skills.

The contemporary condition of total digitalization and hyper-connectivity presents a fundamental paradox: unprecedented access to information and communication is built upon the radical opacity of the underlying infrastructures. Understanding this crisis requires new philosophical metaphors capable of conceptualizing withdrawal and ontological rupture. This philosophical essay aims to trace the process of conceptualizing the phenomenon of the urban manhole cover as a key metaphor of contemporaneity, one that reveals the ontological gap between the human world of experience (Umwelt) and the concealed realm of non-human actors including infrastructures, data, andnetworks. The central research question is: How does the manhole cover, as a material and symbolic object, allow us to conceptualize the nature of power and interaction in an age of hidden technological complexity? The study aims to situate the manhole cover within the framework of spatial theory (P. Sloterdijk) and Actor-Network Theory (B. Latour); To analyze it as a "stain of the Real" through the psychoanalytic optics of J. Lacan; To interpret the manhole cover as an "objectin-itself" within G. Harman's Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO); investigate the representation of the manhole cover and its immaterial analogues in contemporary art and choreography; To examine the politico-economic dimension of the manhole cover through the lenses of Marxism and speculative aesthetics. The primary material of the study is the urban manhole cover itself, examined as a semiotic and philosophical object. The analysis is extended to its representations and conceptual avatars in contemporary art, choreography (e.g., works by Sasha Waltz, Murad Merzuki), and cinema, which serve as case studies for its metaphorical expansion. The research employs a multidisciplinary methodological toolkit, including methods of philosophical topology, comparative analysis, and the conceptual apparatus of Object-Oriented Ontology, Actor-Network Theory, psychoanalysis, and discourse analysis. This synthesis allows for a multi-faceted deconstruction of the object. The manhole cover is conceptualized as a universal metaphor of withdrawal and a "non-interface." Its heuristic power lies not in pointing toward hidden information, but in marking the very fact of ontological incommensurability between human and non-human realms. The study argues that power in the modern world is increasingly exercised not by controlling the information "beneath the cover," but by administering the boundaries and managing the consequences of this fundamental opacity. The metaphor is thus extended from an epistemological problem (what is hidden) to an ontological and political one (how we relate to the radically Other). The manhole cover disrupts the immunological logic of spheres, acting as a gateway into the alien realm of networks. It functions as a traumatic void, a puncture in the symbolic fabric of the urban order, pointing to the unsymbolizable Real of infrastructure. As an object-in-itself, it perpetually withdraws from all relations and perceptions, embodying a core principle of OOO. The "manhole-coin," adorned with city coats of arms, is revealed as a token of symbolic power, a fixed sign that legitimizes the appropriation of the subterranean world and naturalizes the city's infrastructural authority. In contemporary art, the manhole cover and its immaterial counterparts (airflows, and data streams) become metaphors for opaque forces that actively shape the body and consciousness.

Nowadays, the question of the mechanisms and methods of implementing religious policy is acquiring particular importance not only for understanding historical experience, but also for understanding the specifics of the contemporary religious situation. The aim of this study is to trace the evolution of atheistic propaganda in Buryatia during the Soviet period, using data obtained from previously unpublished archival materials. To achieve this aim, the study sets the following objectives: 1. To identify the stages of atheistic propaganda in Buryatia; 2. To clarify the structural and organizational aspects associated with its implementation; 3. To describe the forms and methods of its implementation; 4. To establish the connection between the evolution of these forms and methods with a) the ideological priorities of state policy and b) the results of atheistic propaganda. The study materials were archival data from the State Archives of the Russian Federation, the Russian State Archive of SocioPolitical History, and the State Archives of the Republic of Buryatia, documenting the activities of key institutions responsible for implementing atheistic policy. The methodology is based on a comprehensive systemic approach, combining comparative-historical and retrospective methods with elements of hermeneutic analysis. As a result, the evolution of atheistic propaganda in Buryatia is reconstructed. Two main stages are distinguished: the period of "late socialism" (the second half of the 1960s - the first half of the 1980s) and the period of "perestroika" (the early 1990s onward). It was revealed that the main tasks of atheistic propaganda in Buryatia were carried out by authorized representatives of the Council for Religious Affairs under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, members of the Buryat branch of the "Znanie" society and representatives of the All-Union "Znanie" society, employees of the Buryat support center of the Institute of Scientific Atheism of the Academy of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the CPSU, as well as the commission for assistance in compliance with legislation on religious cults. The forms and methods of conducting atheistic propaganda during the "late socialism" period were quite heavily bureaucratized; Emphasis was placed on systemic oversight of the activities of religious associations. Atheism was one of the central components of Soviet religious policy, with lectures serving as the primary form of propaganda. During this period, the establishment of a regional branch of the Institute of Scientific Atheism of the Academy of Social Sciences under the CPSU Central Committee and its support centers was noteworthy; the work of the CPSU Central Committee's lecture group (international lecturers) played a significant role. These institutions demonstrate a commitment to deepening the scientific component of propaganda. In turn, the policy of perestroika provided impetus for changes in the Soviet model of state-confessional relations toward liberalization and democratization, although these processes were not immediately felt at the regional level. Atheism persisted in the activities of regional government bodies, with lectures remaining its key form. However, the emphasis gradually shifted to holding events that brought together government officials, scholars, and religious figures in the format of academic conferences. Despite extensive efforts, Soviet mechanisms of atheistic propaganda failed to achieve their primary goal — the elimination of religiosity among the population of the USSR. Further research into these processes, using unique regional archival materials, could shed light on the real complexities of changing the population's values under the influence of ideological attitudes. A key contribution here should be the study of the narratives circulating in this regard, both among the population and within the academic community.

In the context of accelerating sociocultural transformations, the growing penetration of digital technologies into everyday life, and the intensification of global information exchange the religious identity of contemporary Iranian society is undergoing complex and multidirectional change. Against this background, studying the dynamics of religiosity becomes not only relevant but essential for understanding broader processes of social consolidation, political legitimacy, and cultural continuity. Religiosity in Iran continues to function as a key component of collective identity, yet its internal structure, forms of expression, and mechanisms of transmission are transforming at an unprecedented pace. The main goal of the study is to identify the dominant trends in the changing levels and forms of religiosity among different social groups, with particular emphasis on the younger generation, which is most sensitive to global cultural influences and technological innovations. To achieve this goal, the research addressed several key tasks: 1) systematizing Iranian academic publications on religiosity over the specified period; 2) identifying conceptual models and methodological approaches used to measure religiosity; 3) determining major trends in the evolution of religiosity among various demographic and social categories; 4) analyzing the impact of digitalization, social networks, and online communication on the transformation of religious identity; 5) revealing dominant interpretative frameworks and future projections formulated by Iranian researchers. The study materials consisted of a corpus of 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications by Iranian scholars indexed in SID, Magiran, Noor, IranDoc, supplemented by foreign publications that provide comparative insights and methodological clarification. The primary research method used was a systematic review, which included targeted search, source selection, thematic coding, comparative examination, and secondary interpretation of scientific literature in both Farsi and English. This approach made it possible to reconstruct the main trajectories of academic discourse and identify stable patterns in the empirical data. The results of the study demonstrate that traditional forms of religiosity in Iran are gradually declining, while individualized and experience-based models of faith are gaining prominence. This trend is especially evident among youth, who increasingly distance themselves from institutional religious authorities and prefer more flexible, personalized modes of spirituality. Digital media plays a decisive role in this transformation by reshaping access to religious knowledge, diversifying channels of interpretation, and fostering alternative forms of community building. The conclusions of the study are as follows: 1) Iranian scientific discourse consistently records a shift from collective, traditional religiosity to more individualized and pluralistic forms; 2) researchers employ one of six major models for measuring religiosity, which reflects both the multidimensional nature of the phenomenon and its cultural specificity; 3) the most significant changes occur among young people, who demonstrate weakening institutional affiliation and increased value placed on personal religious experience; 4) digital platforms now act as key drivers of transformation in religious practices and identity formation; 5) Iranian scholarship outlines several future scenarios — ranging from the integration of religion into digital environments to the potential deepening of secularization.

The article explores the methodological approaches to reconstructing the sociocultural context applicable in the study of economic policy documents and proposes an integrated framework that synthesizes several intellectual traditions. As an empirical case, the paper examines the historical and conceptual context in which the Soviet Complex Program for Scientific and Technological Progress (CPSTP) was formulated and adopted. The article demonstrates how this particular program can serve as a rich example for testing a methodology that connects discourse analysis, economic theory, and cultural inquiry. The purpose of the study is twofold: first, to develop a methodology that would allow for a highly reliable characterization of economic policy documents in terms of the motives and reasons for their creation and their actual instrumental function; and second, to apply and test this model through a detailed analysis of the CPSTP. The research seeks to determine how theoretical and structural elements interact in the process of policy formation, allowing a deeper understanding of such documents not only as technical artifacts but as products of specific intellectual and cultural environments. The article’s objectives are twofold: first, to define the methodological foundations of several approaches used in the sociocultural analysis of historical documents and to conduct a comparative analysis of these approaches; and second, to apply the resulting integrated framework to the case of the CPSTP. The methodological framework of the article brings together three major streams of thought. The Cambridge school of intellectual history contributes an interpretive model grounded in the reconstruction of the author’s intentions and of historically situated “speech acts,” which reveal the meaning embedded in policy discourse. Neo-Gramscian theory introduces the dimension of social forces and hegemonic structures by focusing on the configuration of group interests and institutional power shaping the discourse. These two perspectives are integrated through Karl Polanyi’s economic anthropology, which provides a conceptual bridge by emphasizing the embeddedness of economic representations in social and cultural relations. The combination of these approaches makes it possible to situate economic ideas within dynamic sociocultural constellations rather than treating them as detached theoretical constructs. The study draws on both theoretical and empirical materials. It examines key texts representing the chosen methodologies alongside historical and historiographical sources that shed light on the CPSTP’s development and reception. Through this synthesis, the article argues that the Program reflected key intellectual trends of the postwar period, including the broader question of the optimal scope of economic planning and the dilemma of containing technological progress within or excluding it from economic policy. The results of the research include the formulation of a comprehensive approach that enables economic policy documents to be understood as integral parts of a society’s symbolic and institutional order. The analysis of the CPSTP within this framework leads to a re-evaluation of its historical significance: the main conclusion is that rather than a purely technocratic enterprise, it appears as an expression of the intellectual and ideological transformations that defined the global evolution of economic thought in the postwar era.

The publication is a translation of the speech Politische Pflichten der deutschen Jugend (Political Obligations of German Youth) addressed by Oswald Spengler to the students. It addresses the issues regarding Germany’s political future at the time. This address took place in 1924, at the very beginning of that relatively prosperous period which later became known in the country’s historiography as the "Golden Twenties." The speech covers a wide range of cultural, economic, domestic political, and international issues that Germany faced after the First World War. Despite the signs of stabilization that had emerged, Spengler expresses profound alarm and concern regarding the situation in the country. He analyses the consequences of the war and notes the decline of the state's significance on the world stage and domestic autonomy, the increasing economic, political, and ideological influence of foreign powers, and the inability of the national German movement to counter it. By pointing to the weakness, incompetence, and self-interest of political leaders, and criticizing national narcissism and a narrow political horizon, Spengler insists on the necessity of seriously learning the art of politics and offers the youth a program of action which, in his conviction, was to lead to a genuine revival of the country. The translation is based on the collection Politische Schriften (Political works) of 1934. In this publication, Spengler included twice as many references to the second volume of his work Der Untergang des Abendlandes: Umrisse einer Morphologie der Weltgeschichte (The Decline of the Western World) as in the first edition of the speech, which appeared in 1924. In the preface to the collection, he emphasized that the references in the text are given for a revised version of the famous two-volume book.

The article examines the views of one of the most controversial philosophers and political thinkers of the twentieth century, Oswald Spengler, using his speech “The Political Obligations of German Youth”, which he delivered to a student audience in 1924, as a case study. In this small but thematically rich text, the famous author of the two-volume book “The Decline of the West” touched upon various aspects characterizing the transformation of European culture after the First World War, assessed the prospects for economic, political, military and social changes, and expressed his understanding of Germany's position in the post-war situation. While having to leave aside several issues raised in the speech, the article focuses on Spengler's understanding of the role of youth in politics. The relevance of this issue stems from the fact that contemporary culture is undergoing a new stage of transformation, no less global and more drastic in possible consequences compared to the shifts of a century ago. Therefore, the ‘battle for the youth’ which played a crucial role in the history of the Weimar Republic remains significant today. The purpose of the work is to present in a systematic way Spengler's views on the place and role of youth in politics, expressed in the analyzed speech. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were accomplished: (1) to reconstruct the ideological and political context of Spengler's speech, including description of the main value priorities of the concepts of ‘Prussian socialism’ and the ‘German idea’; (2) to describe the state of the youth movement in Germany during the period under study; (3) to present approaches to understanding science-based politics in world political thought; (4) to characterize the requirements of ‘learning politics’ as a political responsibility. The study employed historical and philosophical text analysis, discourse analysis, and comparative methods. The result was the justification of the conclusion that  O. Spengler's position, as expressed in the speech under analysis, fully corresponded to the global trend of the scientization of political governance and the purposeful formation of the personnel reserve of the political elite, but at the same time it was based on the conceptual foundations of ‘Prussian socialism’, which denied the value of parliamentarism and democratic government in general, focusing on the ideal of political unity based on the ‘spirit of the people’. Accordingly, Spengler argued that acquiring knowledge about politics and developing management skills should be considered a duty rather than a matter of personal choice for a young person.

The relevance of studying the social work of the Russian Orthodox Church in the context of assessing the role of religious institutions in global politics is determined by the expanding scope of their activities and the growing significance of non-state actors in political processes and international law-making. The Russian Orthodox Church’s commitment to supporting the Russian state and society has led to a distorted perception of the nature of church-state relations, generating a paradox of politicized interpretations of the Church. This article aims to characterize the trend toward partial étatisation of church-state relations through the lens of the Russian Orthodox Church’s social activities. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were addressed: 1) to clarify the interplay between state and ecclesiastical institutions in the contemporary world; 2) to refine the concept of social work as applied to church institutions; 3) to identify the legal and institutional foundations of church-state cooperation in Russia. The study employs formal-legal and institutional methods, synthesized within a systemic framework. Research materials include official documents of the Russian Orthodox Church, statements by its hierarchs, and regulatory legal acts issued by Russian public authorities. The analysis revealed the following: 1) the involvement of religious associations in the political life of society is inevitable due to the blurred nature of political boundaries in the modern world, however, this does not equate to actual participation in shaping state policy, which requires a religious association to possess factual, rather than nominal, subjectivity. It was also found that étatisation in the context of state-church relations can be viewed as a process of convergence of the actors' positions on socially significant issues; 2) at the present stage the concept of social work performed by church institutions is broadening. This is due to the impact of virtually any activity of these institutions on the extra-ecclesial space and the possibility of evaluating this activity from socially-oriented perspectives; 3) the existing regulatory legal framework for state-church cooperation does not prohibit the Russian Orthodox Church from engaging in political activity but rather establishes the boundaries of what is permissible. It is argued that the expansion of the institutional basis for interaction between the actors reflects a societal need for a moral assessment of the processes observed in the modern world. The analysis demonstrates that the expansion of the Church’s social activities may be perceived as politicized by foreign observers due to the proximity of state and ecclesiastical positions on key current issues. However, in reality, rather than indicating partial étatisation of church-state relations, it instead reflects the modernization of the Church’s social doctrine in response to emerging challenges. The effectiveness of church-state cooperation in the social sphere is driven by the evolving institutional framework of this partnership, while attempts to interpret the Church’s support for Russian society in the current political climate as institutional politicization fail to account for the essential nature and objectives of its mission.

Scientific study of the philosophical lyrics of Russian poets is relevant above all due to the impact of poetry on the overall development of Russian culture: it is impossible to imagine Russian culture without the poetry of the 19th century, which shaped the literary Russian language; the philosophical universe of Russian poetry influences the formation of the shared cultural space of contemporary Russia. The purpose of this study is to establish ways of conceptualizing the creative self-reflection of the poet-thinkers of the 1820s and 1830s. Its objectives include (1) identifying relevant concepts, including those that reinterpret pre-existing poetic proto-concepts, through analysis of imagery and thematic patterns, and (2) attempting to trace their evolution in the works of these poets themselves and in the nearest poetic reflections. The research materials are the poems of the poet-lovers of wisdom (D. S. Venevitinov, S. P. Shevyrev and A. S. Khomyakov), as well as their contemporary E. A. Baratynsky, who, as it is well-known, did not belong to the circle of “lovers of wisdom”, but developed themes close to their philosophical and poetic pursuits. The analysis of the selected works has previously been conducted from various scholarly perspectives. However, the philosophy of culture perspective adopted here enables a focus on the specific philosophical discourse that reveals, in early 19th-century Russian culture, the potential for understanding both independent intellectual pursuits and the search for German thought through the lens of Russian tradition. The study employs content analysis, to manually identify the presence of concepts related to philosophical self-reflection, as well as categorical analysis, supplemented in some cases by a phenomenological approach and discourse analysis. As a result of the investigation, it was established that the conceptualization of creative reflection can be traced in such concepts as mind, thought, cognition, as well as in related concepts (spirit, heavenly regions, rise, inspiration); and in binary oppositions such as light/darkness, day/night, mind/heart, life/death. Overall, this thematic line represents a kind of poetic phenomenology of the cognitive process. At the same time, the early stage of its formation (the period of the 1820s and 1830s), primarily its initial development in the poetry of the “lovers of wisdom”, is associated with the conceptualization of the figure of the ideal poet within the framework of the Romantic theme. One of the attributes of his image, along with inspiration, is a clear thought that embraces the universe in the rapture of knowledge, combined in harmonious balance with heart and soul. It is demonstrated that the concept of thought finds its detailed expression in such poems as Thought by Shevyrev, Thoughts by Khomyakov, and All thought and thought... by Baratynsky. Historical-cultural and semantic analysis of the poetic texts allows us to reveal a dramatic turn: the optimistic pathos of introducing thought to the higher world (poets-lovers of wisdom) is replaced in the second period of the development of the topic by deep skepticism: true knowledge seems unattainable (Baratynsky). In the reflections of Baratynsky's poetry, the stage of the entry of thought into a period of trials and disappointments is seen. The poet's aspiration to transcend the boundaries of the sensory world, which cools his soul toward earthly existence, encounters insurmountable obstacles, the harmony of mind and heart turns out to be illusory. This mental situation described in Baratynsky's poems is characterized as a drama of cognition. The poetic phenomenology of thought revealed in the article — lyrical reflections of the process of cognition and self-knowledge — enriches our understanding of the uniqueness of Russian poetry and culture in general. 

The article presents reflections on the new book Worlds of Japanese Culture by E. Skvortsova and A. Lutsky, which is dedicated to deciphering the cultural codes, deep meanings, and archetypal structures behind Japanese artistic forms, intellectual products, and other manifestations of the national mentality. To achieve this, the book employs a multifaceted approach, combining historical analysis such as the history of Japan's interaction with the West, with the study of artistic and literary traditions, and analysis of philosophical treatises. This research provides ample opportunities for comparison and is important both substantively and methodologically. It contributes not only to a deeper understanding of Japan but also of Russia, which is in the process of clarifying its identity in the face of growing confrontation at the international level, the preference of geopolitical interests over cooperation and cultural exchange, and rising dehumanization and xenophobia. The author of the review draws attention to the most significant conclusions and assessments made in the book under consideration, including: the emphasis on such cognitive features of the Japanese spiritual tradition as the “intuition of practical action” and the “bodily mode of knowledge,” the observation that thought in Northeast Asian countries is characterized predominantly from the position of a “participant” rather than an “observer,” a remark on the vagueness and permeability of the boundaries between “I” and “Other” in personal identification in Japanese culture; as well as an explanation of the tendency towards synthesis and compromise in Japan in contrast to the Western focus on analysis and the desire to insist on one’s own perception of contradiction. At the same time, the example of Japan demonstrates the transparency of cultural barriers and the existence of a whole set of mechanisms for the reception and integration of foreign cultural elements without violating cultural integrity.

In the contemporary scientific and educational sphere of Russia, Buddhism is experiencing a surge of interest, which has led to an increased focus on Buddhist studies. Nevertheless, the development of this discipline is impeded by several challenges, including a shortage of young specialists, narrowly focused research, and insufficient integration among regional scientific schools. This article analyses one of the responses to these challenges: the scientific and educational project, Young Buddhologist School, launched in 2024. The project was initiated by Tuvan State University with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Foundation for the Support of Buddhist Education and Research, and the country’s leading universities — Lomonosov Moscow State University, Buryat State University, and Kalmyk State University. The objective of the project is to establish a distinctive interdisciplinary forum for interaction between novice and established researchers of Buddhism, thereby unifying religious scholars, philosophers, historians, anthropologists, philologists and other specialists. During the project’s first year and a half, two major summer schools were conducted (in 2024 and 2025) and were attended by researchers from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tuva, Buryatia, Kalmykia, and other regions. The program comprised a variety of educational activities, including lectures, seminars, discussions, project work and observation of Buddhist practices. This multifaceted approach enabled participants to exchange knowledge and to develop skills in its practical application. The following topics constituted the primary focus of the School’s summer sessions: firstly, the study of regional traditions and global processes in the historical development of Buddhism; secondly, an examination of the concepts and ideas of Buddhist religious and philosophical thought; thirdly, an analysis of Buddhist rituals and practices; fourthly, an investigation of Buddhist material culture (sacred art, architecture and artefacts); fifthly, the translation and preservation of Buddhist literature; and finally, the formulation of strategies for the development of Russian Buddhist studies. A key feature of both summer sessions was the integration of theoretical and field activities. The participants engaged in two distinct activities. Firstly, they conducted textual analysis and examined historical processes. Secondly, they immersed themselves in living Buddhist traditions. This involved visiting religious centers, attending rituals and interacting with contemporary Russian Buddhists. The preliminary findings of the ‘Young Buddhologist School’ project demonstrate that the scientific and educational forum developed helps to consolidate the Russian scientific community, thereby facilitating the establishment of networks of professional contacts between researchers of diverse generations and schools.