Lev Gumilev, "Ethnogenesis and the biosphere of the Earth": summary

As you know, the popular theory of ethnogenesis and the doctrine of passionarity are the scientific legacy of the historian Lev Gumilyov.

What do we know about ethnogenesis? This is the process of formation and development of an ethnic group, or nationality. We will discuss in more detail the principles of ethnogenesis set forth in the book Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of the Earth.

The son of poets of the Silver Age

The son of Anna Akhmatova and Nikolai Gumilyov - two great people of their time - had a very difficult, but great fate. He was born on October 1, 1912 (according to the new style). His father was executed, and he himself was arrested 4 times for anti-Soviet intentions of his parents, but his inner will and desire for science were not broken.

Lev Nikolaevich received the degree of professor of history. Over the years of his work, he did a lot, and most importantly, he identified the phases of the development of civilization. The whole world knows its cyclic concepts and the main theory, based on all his works, the theory of passionarity.

What is ethnogenesis?

Gumilev developed his thought in the field of the philosophy of history. Such a term was first proposed by Voltaire.

Lev Gumilev defended the non-linearity of history. He argued that everything in this world is developing cyclically. Including civilizations that arise endlessly, reach prosperity, and then come to decline and death. The same historical concept was developed by N. Danilevsky in the middle of the 19th century.

The concept of the cyclical nature of history is considered in the book Ethnogenesis and Biosphere of the Earth, a brief summary of which we will consider in more detail.

Gumilyov’s work on ethnic groups is important in ethnography, since social groups, interacting, in essence, create history.

Gumilev distinguishes superethnic groups, ethnic groups, sub-ethnic groups, consortia and convicions in the ethnosphere. What is the difference between systems? Superethnos are a community of states united by one goal. Sub-ethnic groups are part of ethnic groups with their own characteristics. For example, Don Cossacks.

Consortia - groups united by any business, views. These are associations such as political parties. Who is related to convulsions? These are communities associated with family relationships or common rites.

Currently, the book "Ethnogenesis and the biosphere of the Earth" is considered critically. However, one cannot but agree with the originality and importance of the theory of ethnogenesis. Lev Gumilyov in his book summarized a lot of historical material, trying to study the laws of the development of ethnic groups and the interpenetration of cultures.

Cultural development and death

So, the main work of the historian Gumilyov - "Ethnogenesis and the biosphere of the Earth." The book contains information on the lifespan of cultures. The approximate lifespan of each civilization is about 1,500 years.

An ethnic group begins to develop in a certain territory, when the way of life and the way of thinking of a group of people are sharply different from the stereotypes of thinking and behavior of other communities. And it begins to develop when the impulses of passionarity weaken, and with time it reaches decline, or another, more powerful culture, absorbs it.

Ethnogenesis can be divided into the following phases of development.

Phases of Ethnic Development

No. p / p	Stage. Time	What's happening?
one	Drift or start	Usually it’s not reflected in history.
2	The incubation period (150 years)	The emergence of a new culture.
3	Slow rise (150-450 years)	Ethnicity is developing. There is a sharp jump in passionarity. At this time, the population is growing rapidly, and the system needs new territories. New spheres of influence and new heroes are required.
four.	Overheating (450-600 years)	Fast development. The level of passionarity reaches the maximum possible for a given community.
5.	Cracking (600-750 years)	The split within the culture.
6.	Inertia phase (750–1000 years)	Prosperity amidst the stress of previous generations.
7.	Obscuration (1000-1200 years)	Gradual transition to degradation. The decline in the overall level of drive.
8.	Memorial stage	The memory of civilization remains for some time in the minds of subsequent generations.
9.	Homeostasis	Human life is interconnected with nature. Loss of civilization.
10.	Agony	Complete oblivion.

The whole division of the life of an ethnic group into phases is conditional. The author of the treatise Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of the Earth insists that various parallel factors must be taken into account. Other ethnic groups intervene in a separate culture, internal contradictions are growing. Therefore, the system may disappear faster - due, for example, to natural disasters or uncontrolled bloody wars. And also a lengthening of some phase may occur, and the system will "live" longer.

What is passionarity? Basic theory

The theory of passionarity says that such a force is the guide in the development of any society. Lev Nikolaevich Gumilev began work on this theory in the early 60s. Theory supplemented the concept of the cyclical nature of history.

Passionarity is the ability to overstrain for the sake of the common good, contrary to its selfish goals. This desire arises in a person subconsciously.

In each phase, society refers to people who carry a “charge” of passionarity in different ways. At the initial stages, they are supported, in the obscuration phase they are “crushed” by society as interfering with a calm and measured life.

Levels of Passion

Passionarity is the higher in society, said Lev Nikolayevich Gumilyov, the greater the proportion of passionaries in the ethnic group. At the initial stages of the development of the ethnic group, there are a lot of people capable of self-sacrifice. These times are recorded in the memory of the people as myths. And passionaries (carriers of this power) are considered divine heroes. The drive of passion is a direct consequence of micromutations, Gumilev thought, although this has not been proven. Such heroes, carriers of energy, are Napoleon, Jeanne dARC and others.

But the theory has many opponents. Opponents of the theory argue that it is impossible to apply the concept of energy to the natural sciences, which relates entirely to the mental sphere.

Relations of ethnic groups on earth

Ethnic groups can interact with each other in several ways. The scientist identified 3 main types of interaction:

1. Symbiosis - peaceful interaction in one territory of two or more ethnic groups. In such a system, the identity of each nationality is preserved, no one oppresses anyone.
2. Ksenia - such a system is characterized by a calm attitude of the superethnos to the existence of another small ethnic group in it. This is possible when the supersystem is at the stage of maximum development. A small system does not require any rights and exists almost in isolation. They interact as a host and guest.
3. Chimera is an annihilating clash of two ethnic groups. A chimera arises when 2 superethnoses meet on the same territory, the principles and ideals of which are clearly incompatible.

It should be noted that a properly organized multinational symbiosis is a very powerful entity. Especially in the development phase. But over time, when civilization begins to experience breakdown, and then the inertial phase of development, the negative impact of other superethnos destroys the "outdated" supersystem.

This happened with the Arab caliphate. It was when the system entered the phase of breakdown that numerous small chimeras destroyed the entire centuries-old way. As a result, the superethnos fell apart.

Chimera Theory and Antisystem

Such a formation on the same territory as a chimera is the most convenient soil for antisystems. The antisystem is a community of people who want to destroy the ethnic system from the inside. The actions of the members of the antisystem are aimed at the destruction of all cultural characteristics and the reproduction of generations in the ethnic group.

The chimera, however, contributes to destruction, since two super-systems will fight each other until the destruction of one of the ethnic groups. And sometimes, they mutually destroy each other. Collisions can fade and resume. But a complete truce cannot be expected, since the systems are not complementary to each other.

The dynamics of ethnocultural systems

Each system develops in parallel with the others. All ethnic groups must somehow interact. In his book "PASSIONARIUM. Theory of Passionarity and Ethnogenesis", the author analyzed the development of several ethnic groups from the 1st to the 15th centuries of our era. Lev Gumilev confirms in this work that passionarity affects the development of civilization, since different peoples have different periods of life, and it is impossible to predict the development of relations between ethnic groups.

The phase of inertia is most different in different ethnocultural systems. The period can be very fast, and can be delayed by more than 200 years. This happens because some peoples have a higher level of passion and wish to preserve the heritage of their ancestors.

Other books by Lev Gumilyov

The famous scientist wrote several rather interesting scientific works. One of Gumilyov’s books - “Biosphere and Ethnogenesis of the Earth” - occupies a special place in the scientific community of culturologists and ethnographers.

In addition to books, he wrote scientific monographs and articles on the features of ethnogenesis of different countries. He mentioned Khazaria, China, the possibility of creating a European house in the future, and he called himself a Eurasian.

So, what works of Lev Gumilyov (books, collections of lectures and articles) are most famous among historians and ethnographers of our time? These include:

• "Millennium Around the Caspian";
• "Search for a fictional kingdom" - a book about the life of the peoples of Central Asia until the XIII century;
• "The greatness and fall of Ancient Tibet;
• "Ancient Türks";
• "Biosphere and ethnogenesis of the earth";
• "Where is she, the country of Khazaria?"

These and other books of the Soviet historian entered the scientific world literature and created a lot of controversy.

However, the theory of ethnogenesis and passionarity resonated with many philosophers and historians and became one of the most popular hypotheses in ethnography.