The monograph “The University in Ruins” by B. Readings
(1996) is examined as a source of contemporary (late 20th – early 21st centuries) gnoseology. An evident Readings’ closeness to
the postmodern authors (first of all, to Lyotard but also Foucault
and Deleuze, and others) makes it possible to raise the question
not only about well-known critical and ethical aspects of postmodern theories (exposure of conservative statements and rehabilitation of marginal points of view) but their “constructive”
capabilities (for the purpose of humanitarian researches). “The
University in Ruins” by B. Readings seems to be an applicable
case to evaluate what advantages the postmodern gnoseology provides for solving specific problems of theory and history
of culture and what charges and dangers one has to face doing
such research.

The article is devoted to one of the most controversial issues
discussed in the mass media in 2021, yet not addressed in research lierature so far. The author analyzes the concept of «enlightenment activity» in historical, cultural and legal aspects, the arguments of supporters and opponents of the relevant law, as well as the alignment of social forces in the struggle around it. In the author’s opinion, the law, justified by the reasons of the
national security, actually poses a threat to it, because, with a
high probability, it will lead to a further decline in the educational
level of the Russian population.

Morality is a topic that is usually left at the mercy of fiction and
religion. It becomes the subject of scientific research much less
often than other psychological problems. This article revisits the
classical approaches of Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg regarding the child’s moral development, as well as Aleksei Leontyev’s idea about the competition of motives and self-construction of the personality as the origins of the moral. The features of the child's mastering of norms and rules are considered not only as a psychological problem, but also in the historical and cultural contexts. The non-conventionality of the child’s norms can be related to socio-cultural phenomena such as child accusers and child's denunciations. This article points out that cultures and social systems differ not only in their understanding of what is"good" and what is "evil", but also in the fact that they create the preconditions for various moral modes, such as strategies of choice and decision-making in various life situations.