Comprehension of history. Toynbi A.J.

The book is devoted to the presentation of the theory of civilizations A.J. Toynby. The author put forward the criteria for evaluating civilizations: stability in time and space, in situations of call and interaction with other peoples. He sees the meaning of civilization in the fact that comparable units (monads) of history pass similar stages of development. Successfully developing civilizations undergo the stages of occurrence, growth, break and decomposition. The development of civilization is determined by whether the creative minority of civilization is able to find answers to the challenges of the natural world and the human environment. Toynbee notes the following types of challenges: a challenge of a harsh climate (Egyptian, Sumerian, Chinese, Mayan, Andian civilization), a challenge of new lands (Minoan civilization), a challenge of sudden blows from neighboring societies (Hellenic civilization), a challenge to constant external pressure (Russian Orthodox, Western Civilization) and an infringement challenge, when society, having lost something vital, directs its energy to the development of properties that compensate for the loss. These are the sequences: Minoskaya - Hellenic - Western civilizations, Minoskaya - Hellenic - Orthodox civilization, Minoskaya - Syrian - Islamic civilizations, Sumerian - Indian - Hindu civilizations.