«Superfluous people» as social and philosophical problem of the 21st century

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of «superfluous people» in the contemporary socio-cultural reality. This term appeared in Russian literature and journalism in the middle of the 19th century to describe people who, with all their external well-being, were dissatisfied with their own life. In contrast to this interpretation, the English economist T. Malthus defined «superfluous people» as the population that consumes resources with minimal profit. The author of the article is in search for the answer to the question why in the contemporary world there is an increase in the number of «superfluous people» in the Malthus’s sense, that is the outcasts, the unemployed, and people who do not fit the standards of consumer society. According to the author, the reason is the distortion of social attitudes in developed countries of the West. The global economic crisis, especially in the context of COVID-19, requires a change in the liberal economic course. The author suggests adjusting the Russian economic policy taking into account the constant sanctions imposed by the West against the Russian Federation. In these conditions, the most appropriate option is the mobilization economic policy. The government should ensure the creation of enterprises for manufacturing import-substituting products, which would protect the country’s economy from the inevitable collapse. Significant attention and support should also be given to the social sphere, which would provide the population with a sufficient number of jobs. These actions of the government would support the country’s economic and social stability, thus making it possible to avoid mass unemployment.