Psychological markers of the anthropological crisis

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to draw attention to and take steps to understand the negative trends in the modern human population that affect the areas of health, development, behavior, emotional and moral character and interpersonal relationships of people. These tendencies reveal themselves directly or indirectly within the framework of everyday psychological practice and together can be interpreted as psychological manifestations of the anthropological crisis. The article shows the content potential and significance of Orthodox anthropology for professionals in the humanities: it can provide correct guidelines and important information, form the ideological and methodological core of a specialist’s professional position. The concepts of «anthropological norm» and «anthropological problem» are introduced and substantiated as areas of conjugation of humanitarian knowledge and spiritual knowledge. Spiritual knowledge is an important source in the structure of understanding, defining and cultivating anthropological norms. The idea of anthropological unity and continuity of humanitarian knowledge and spiritual knowledge is supported. An attempt is made to analyze and comprehend the root causes, specifics and destructive manifestations of the anthropological crisis in the context of the Divine-human history. An overview of the main ideas and transformations of the humanistic doctrine, an assessment of its possible influences on the mentality, internal appearance and lifestyle of contemporaries are offered. A review and analysis of the structure of requests for qualified psychological help is given. Two key and interrelated trends have been identified: from an increase in manifestations of abnormal egocentrism to an increase in destructive and self-destructive manifestations in the behavior and lifestyle of people. Abnormal egocentrism and destructive behavior are complex spiritual and psychological phenomena that can be perceived and interpreted as markers of an anthropological crisis at the present historical stage.