Russian “Christian sociology” on the positivist theory of progress

The article examines the views of the representatives of the so-called Russian “Christian sociology” - V.S. Solovyov, S.N. Bulgakov, N.A. Berdyaev, and S.L. Frank - regarding the positivist theory of progress. The relevance of such consideration is conditioned, firstly, by the ideological processes taking place in modern Russian society related to the formulation of national ideology, and secondly, by the need to deepen and systematize the ideas about the formation of national sociological knowledge. “Christian Sociology” from the standpoint of social theology proves the methodological, factual, logical and ethical failure of positivist concepts of progressive social development and its elements. The inability of positivist sociology and the theory of progress to be a general theory of society and to foresee the future is emphasized. The factual, logical and ethical inconsistency of the proposed ideals and criteria of progress, as well as the contradiction in the substantiation of the subject and boundaries of progress are noted.