Home – Home – Jornals – "Philosophy of Education" 2022 number 3

Introduction. Modern humanity is at a crossroads to a new system. In this connection, a question is topical about the possibility of a transition to an egalitarian form of social organization and the role of education in this process. Various points of view about possible paths to an egalitarian society are present in science and are reflected in the content of education. The article presents the results of a critical analysis of the ontology and the theoretical and methodological arsenal of the theory of modernization and the neo-institutional concept of a world culture in the field of solving the problems of modern education, and also shows the advantages of the world-system approach. Methodology. The concept of “paradigm” (T. Kuhn) and the idea of I. Lakatos that a paradigm has an advantage if the research program formed within its framework has a large empirical area are used as a methodological basis. Discussion. The modernization theory and the neo-institutional concept of a world culture are conflicting paradigms regarding the world-systems approach. Modernization theory proclaims the values of an egalitarian society, but due to the limited ontology and theoretical and methodological arsenal, it does not provide an opportunity to see, and, consequently, solve the real problems of the modern world and education that contradict these values. The criticism of the neo-institutional concept of a world culture that exists in scientific publications makes it possible to raise the question of the regressive nature of its research program. Conclusion. The theory of modernization and the neo-institutional concept of a world culture are Eurocentric concepts, whose supporters describe the process of spreading egalitarian values, but both directions are reflections of the ideology of the modern world-system and legitimize its expansion.