Civilization: from organism to construct

The theories of civilization being popular among modern Russian historians and political scientists are often criticized for their subjectivity and the lack of clear criteria for identifying local civilizations. The majority of these ones are created in line with organicism. Therefore, the concepts of local civilizations are determined by the biological metaphors and geographical environment. It is argued that the phenomenon of local civilizations should be considered as a social and cultural construct. It allows one to explain and overcome these conceptual faults. Treating local civilizations as ‘imagined communities’ and ‘inventions’ makes it possible to describe local civilizations as cultural products and include the unconscious prerequisites of civilization theorists in the field of reflection. Thus, the concept of civilization could be a full-fledged component of historical, philosophical and political discourses.