Dr. Mikhailo Minakov

Alfried Krupp Junior Fellow 
(Oktober 2013 - September 2014)

  • Born 1971 in Leninsk, Russia/UdSSR 
  • Studies of Philosophy, Political Theory and History in Saporoschje, Kiew und Dresden 
  • Lecturer in Philosophy and Sciene of Religion, University 'Kiew – Mohyla Akademy' 

Fellow project: "Philosophy and Authority in Russian empire/Soviet Union/Post-Soviet Countries"

My research is dedicated to processes of modernization and evolution of political cultures in imperial Russia/Soviet Union/Post-Soviet Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Taking into account a multitude of modernization processes in which political reason manifests itself, I concentrate on analysis of mutual impacts of philosophy and politics, as well government policies towards philosophy/social sciences and humanities in universities and in public sphere for the period of 1801 – 2010 in the lands of Western Eurasia. My main hypothesis is that analysis of interrelationships between authorities and philosophy/social sciences & humanities during the Eastern European modernization can identify the main factors defining the role, limits and functions of public rationality in political life of contemporary Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Antidemocratic tendencies in political life of Eastern European countries are based on legitimacy structured by dominance of irrational values and distrust to political reason.

Fellow report in the academic year 2013/14