The Fourth Scientific and Technological Revolution and Its Social Outcomes
Oleg N. Yanitsky*
Citation : Oleg N. Yanitsky, The Fourth Scientific and Technological Revolution and Its Social Outcomes International Journal of Research in Sociology and Anthropology 2018, 4(4) : 46-54.
The aim of the article is to discuss some urgent issues of the coming the Fourth scientific and technological revolution (hereafter, the STR-4) and its social consequences. Such revolutionary transformations in a mode of production and a reproduction of a society as a social entity are usually have critical character accompanied with conflicts and wars. Basing on the �interregnum� concept offered by A. Gramsci and developed by Z. Bauman the author came to the following conclusions. First, the STR-4 as such and its consequences have to be analyzed together as a complex phenomenon which I call a global sociobiotechnical system (hereafter, the SBT-system). Second, as many social theorists showed, our world is overpopulated and experienced a lack of living resources. Third, the consequences of the above changes may have a multisided and cascade character. Fourth, the STR-4 creates a virtual space for human life and social activity. Fifth, any transition period is accompanied with a lot of unintended consequences and critical situations partly generated by the transition process as such partly due to the weakening of existing social order. Sixth, within any society will be the agents (forces) which will be pro and contra the above transition because the former are accustomed to gain profit from the existing rules of games whereas the latter will be nervous awaiting this new and uncertain future. Seventh, different individuals, groups and societies are not equally prepared to coming changes but the growing spatial mobility is their common feature. Eighth, at the same time the majority of people have to be more mentally and practically mobile; to be an experienced man means the resource for survival in that transition period. Ninth, under the above conditions existing social institutions are replacing by temporary agreements and roadmaps. Tenth, the national and global politicians have to take into account various feedbacks of repressed social and natural environment. Eleventh, for the reason of the growth of world population and lack of living resources the geopolitics is becoming an important instrument of survival. Twelfth, all-embracing and all-penetrating information networks are potentially and actually risky both for nature and humanity. The complex science that studies the hybrid wars has emerged.