Self-organization. Forecast. Hope
Authors: Kolesnikov Andrey Vitalievich , Malinetskii Georgii Gennadyevich 
Published: May 2023

We present an analysis of the reports and discussions at round tables, as well as the considered forecasts at the VI International Conference “Designing the Future and the Horizons of Digital Reality”. This conference was held on February 2 and 3, 2023 at the Business and Cultural Center at the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Russian Federation. Interdisciplinarity and analysis of the key issues facing the world, the Union State of Belarus and Russia from the point of view of self-organization or synergy are an important feature of this conference. Temin “synergetics” was proposed in the 1970s by the German theoretical physicist H. Haken. Introducing it, he had in mind an approach whose development would require the joint creative efforts of scientists in the natural sciences, the humanities, mathematicians, and engineers. This fully applies to this conference, a key role in the organization of which was played by the staff of the Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the RAS Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics. The dialogue between mathematicians, philosophers, entrepreneurs, psychologists, sociologists, teachers, physicists, which took place at this conference, turned out to be very interesting and useful. The human problem was in the center of attention of the conference participants. An outstanding philosopher, academician I.T. Frolov made great efforts in the 1980s to convince colleagues from various fields of research who worked at the USSR Academy of Sciences that this particular problem was the key one not only for academic, but for all domestic science. Leading specialist in the field of philosophy of science, full member of the academies of sciences of the USSR, and then of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine V.S. Stepin developed the same view. Unfortunately, they were not understood and heard neither by colleagues, nor by managers, who believed that there was a long cloudless road ahead and there was no need to rush to change priorities. The world system found itself at a point of bifurcation, at which the former trajectory of development lost stability. The situation is repeating itself. The world is at a bifurcation point again. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the situation in the world is similar to that described in the revelation of St. John the Theologian – the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are riding around the world – critical threats to all mankind. It is at this moment that an objective, scientific, systemic forecast of the trajectories along which the world can develop after the bifurcation point acquires special significance. The focus of the conference was on this range of problems. Human lives in rational, emotional and intuitive spaces. The ideals of the Enlightenment were associated with the idea that it was the ratio that was the key, that knowledge itself would determine the best path to the future. The past century has shown that this is not the case. Meanings, values, civilizational choice, image of the desired future, historical path, cultural code are not secondary, but defining entities in the current reality. At the conference, much attention was paid to this range of problems, which is now being actively considered in the Russia-Belarus Union State. The world is on the verge of cardinal changes, and their analysis by scientists based on the results of their research may turn out to be very important. Small impacts at the bifurcation point can have big consequences. They can become the basis of a large project, help society choose the Future, and not a repetition of the past.