Methodology of the humanities by N. I. Kareev in the light of the interdisciplinarity

The article is based on the materials of historical, sociological and methodological works by N. I. Kareev and contains an analysis of his understanding of interdisciplinarity. The analysis led to the conclusion that the development of terminology, classification of sciences and research methodology was central to Kareev’s works throughout his entire scientific career. Moreover, Kareev’s constant references to these topics indicate that the scientist felt the need for such a methodological and meta-scientific reflection. Constantly addressing the issues of interaction of sciences (interdisciplinarity), he discovered some conditions that made it possible, namely: interdisciplinarity is possible only with a strict delineation of the subject area of sciences; it is due to a certain phase in the development of the humanities and social sciences, one of which becomes the basis for scientific reflection (in his works it is the sociology); interdisciplinarity in social sciences and humanities is possible only at the level of fundamental research, but not in applied research. N.I. Kareev’s works seem relevant in the light of the ongoing discussions in contemporary Russian humanities about interdisciplinarity, the use of scientific terminology in the humanities and the objectivity of scientific knowledge.