On the issue of comparative historical analysis of religious extremism in the context of the civilizational dichotomy “West - East”

Introduction. East and West, their civilizational mutual influence, correlation and place in world history - this is an extremely wide range of problems, which has been in the center of attention of historians and philosophers for more than one century. Since in the modern world similar economic and political mechanisms can be found in the states of both the Western and Afro-Asian regions, the dichotomy “West - East”, which goes back to the civilizational foundations of individual societies, today is rooted in the sphere of social life and spiritual tradition. This article is an attempt to analyze the phenomenon of religious extremist movements operating in the West and the East, their similarities and differences in organizational and doctrinal terms.