EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT OF "CIVILIZATION": FROM THE IDEA OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT TO THE MODERN UNDERSTANDING

This article examines the historical evolution of the concept of civilization from its origins in the Enlightenment to its modern interpretation. It explores how the meaning of the term has shifted from a moral ideal associated with progress and refinement to a comprehensive socio-cultural concept encompassing diverse historical and cultural systems. Using historical-philological, comparative, and evolutionary methods, the study analyzes the views of major European thinkers and demonstrates that contemporary scholarship recognizes civilizations as dynamic, interconnected, and culturally diverse forms of social development.