The title of the book emphasises the peculiarity of the modern world and society — their volatility, the difficulty of comprehending them. But it is obvious that such comprehention is necessary, since rapid changes in our lives bring not only new benefits, but also new challenges and threats, prompting science and public thought to look for opportunities to influence social development. However, this influence is an extremely complex and debatable problem, as it may be dictated by the very ‘pernicious arrogance’ that has already brought people a lot of misfortune.
In their interviews, the authors of the book — specialists in various fields of knowledge, representing new generations of researchers (25 to 50 years old) — reflect on the new realities of Russia and the world, and on the potential for creativity in contemporary Russian public thought. All of them have to a greater or lesser extent already made a name for themselves in science, politics, business, public, cultural and spiritual activities. There is no doubt that their assessments, judgements, and proposals will be of interest to professional social scientists, political figures, and the general public.