Critical economic and legal analysis of the supernatural and other manifestations of pseudoscience in modern Russia

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

"Of course, the described situation is the result of a lag in public consciousness, which has not yet absorbed the understanding of the role of science and the scientific and technological revolution in modern life. This cannot continue, it should not, and the mass media should take care of the introduction and promotion of knowledge, and not be led by any charlatans" (Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Ginzburg V.L., Izvestia newspaper No. 45 of February 21, 1991)   The quote of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.L. Ginzburg, given above, like no other fully reflects the content of this study. The practice of introducing into the mass consciousness the existence of "supernatural" forces, mysticism, occultism, magic, extrasensory perception, astrology and other manifestations of public delusions and ignorance, as well as individual ideas, more looking like delirium, has reached unprecedented proportions in modern Russia. The market for such services is estimated at billions of dollars (we will show this later in the study). An absolutely uncontrolled shadow area of activity of the so-called "supernatural" contributes to the enrichment of fraudsters, charlatans, subjects who often have obvious mental abnormalities, not only is it not prohibited, but it is not regulated in its economic and legal basis. Most often we can see propaganda and advertising of such activities and services in the mass media. The State Duma of the Russian Federation consistently rejects all draft laws aimed at regulating and controlling this area of human activity, citing the lack of definitions, formulations and grounds (we will present the grounds for this statement later in the study). In this study, the authors will try to close the existing gaps, to give definitions of concepts, to distinguish the categorical-conceptual domain, based on the real facts of reality and generally recognized scientific methods of cognition. The object of the study is the economic and legal space of distorted mass consciousness. The subject of the study is the destructive artistic and creative activity of social groups and individuals. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the role of science and scientific methods of cognition of reality for society and citizens of the country. The objectives of the study in general consist of a reasoned assessment of the destructive consequences for the development of society in the absence of control and regulation of destructive manifestations of social and social existence by the state. The main part of the study consists of several large interconnected sections. The first one examines the world experience of economic and legal regulation and control of the said subject area of research. In the second section of the study, we assess the current state of the issue in Russia, affecting the areas of education and public health. The following section presents the author's definitions and delineations of the categorical and conceptual subject area of research with real reasoned proposals to correct the current situation. The authors of this study do not build a completely individual author's chain of argumentation and evaluation of phenomena. To a greater extent, the arguments and evaluation are based on the results of the remarkable work of Russian scientists, popularizers of science and patriots of their country: Academician V.L. Ginzburg, Academician Y. S. Osipov, Academician E. P. Kruglyakov and other equally worthy representatives of the academic environment and public figures of our country.