Fundamental sociology as a research project. Public talk with Pavel Stepantsov

Abstract

This material is a transcript of a public talk held at the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences (Shaninka). The discussion focuses on evaluating the outcomes and prospects of the research project on fundamental sociology. Moderated by Pavel Stepantsov, the conversation covers a wide range of topics: from defining fundamental sociology and distinguishing it from applied research, to critically revisiting the thesis that «there is no theoretical sociology in Russia». Special attention is given to the contemporary crisis of the sociological project, competition with other disciplines, the return of the state, and imperial issues. The discussion also touches on sociological enlightenment, the observer’s position, and the future of social science in an era of global uncertainty. The meeting is reflexive in nature, serving as an interim report on the development of theoretical sociology in Russia over the past three decades.    

For citation: Filippov, А. (2026) Fundamental sociology as a research project. Public talk with Pavel Stepantsov. Russia’s Directions. Vol. 4. No. 3. P. 135–167.

Editor: Alina Vladimirovna Likhachevskaya, MSSES

Additional Info

Submitted: April 4, 2026

Copyright: © Auhtors, 2026

Distribution: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)