Suchergebnisse

Context A better understanding of how individual animals use their habitat after disturbance can help optimise management practices for their conservation. Forestry is one such disturbance for koalas that operates under regulations based on best available information to minimise impacts. Aims This study aimed to investigate tree use by koalas in a mosaic of young, regenerating trees after timber harvest and mature trees in adjacent exclusion zones. Methods Tracking collars using very high frequency radio and Global Positioning System transmitters were used to track 10 koalas (five males, five females) across all seasons in three forests, 5–10 years after timber harvesting as regulated by practices current at that time. Tree use was compared to availability based on basal area in different parts of the forest. Key results We tracked koalas to 429 day-trees and 70 night-trees during this time. Males and females displayed little difference in tree use. Blackbutt Eucalyptus pilularis and turpentine Syncarpia glomulifera were the most commonly used species during the day, but blackbutt was ranked with the highest preference relative to tree availability. Tallowwood Eucalyptus microcorys was by far the most commonly used tree at night. Koalas used a broad range of tree sizes during the day and night, but most often used medium-sized trees, with preferences for a diameter of 30–60 cm (slightly smaller at night). Koalas used all topographic positions in the landscape, but more than half of the trees used were in lower topographic areas (gullies and lower slopes). Areas mapped as having previous heavy timber harvesting were the most used forest category, followed by riparian exclusion zones. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that koalas commonly used trees regenerating after harvest, although preferences for medium-sized trees and tallowwood as a night browse tree suggest current forestry regulations can be fine-tuned by retaining a greater proportion of these features. Implications Because most trees were used only once, our results support the view and current practice of retaining habitat patches, such as exclusion zones and wildlife clumps (triggered by a koala habitat model), to provide a mix of species and size classes for both food and shelter. A review of tree size and species retention is recommended.

The article deals with the features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the imperial period of its history. The national sociological tradition of studying religion as a socio-cultural phenomenon and a social institution, which was developed during this period, had its own unique and peculiar appearance and was just begun to revive again in post-Soviet Russia, contrasts with the tradition that took place in the West. In this context, the appeal to unfortunately undeservedly forgotten works of classics of Russian religious and socio-political though is very promising area of modern sociological research.When studying this problem, the author emphasizes the study of the works of representatives of three ideological areas of Russian religious and socio-political thought: conservatism, liberalism and socialism, as well as the peculiarities of the historical development of Russian society and the state and those events that had a significant impact on the formation and development of scientific understanding of religion in Russia. Among such features, the author, in particular, refers to the formation of an "antisystem" (systemic integrity of people who take a dim view of their homeland, hate their own nation, its values and culture, history, traditional religious, political and social systems) among the Russian intelligentsia, bureaucracy and part of the elite of Russian society, under a certain influence of Westernism, as a consequence of the spiritual schism of the 18th century, which occurred in the educated strata and elite of Russian society.When studying the features of understanding religious issues by representatives of Russian conservatism, the author of the article analyzes the views of N.Ya. Danilevsky, K.N. Leontiev, F.M. Dostoevsky, M.N. Katkov, K.P. Pobedonostsev, L.A. Tikhomirov.He notes the fact that judgment of this perspective was carried out by these authors from "Slavophile", traditionalist (pochvennichesky and guarding) positions, in the context of judgment of features and an originality of a way of development of Russia as the center of east Christian (orthodox) culture and also empires successors of orthodox Byzantium - defenders Pravoslaviya, Orthodox church and belief, the orthodox people, values and the culture of Christianity "keeping" the world from approach of the evil and arrival of the power of Antichrist.

The development of digital culture has made significant changes in the field of culture and information, in particular in the field of library activities. Digitization of library collections forms a digital resource of knowledge, which requires reflection and identification of its potential, strengths and weaknesses. The strengths of the digital resource include a multiple increase in the availability of the book collections and a qualitative change in the opportunity of their research. The problematic aspects of digitalization include the issue of reliability of the digital sources and authenticity of a book unit translated into digital format. One of the verification solutions to this issue may be creating a digital information block accompanying a digital book to collect, accumulate and preserve information about the paper book unit and the history of its existence.Due to the development of digital technologies, a paper book ceases to be the only medium of information. From an information document, it turns into an object of culture with a memory value, historical and artistic features. The translation of the book into the category of a cultural object brings together the position of libraries and museums as medium socio-communicative institutions that act as a platform for the presentation of their collections, one of the most optimal forms of which are exhibitions. The article considers the issues of representativeness of book exhibits and book exhibitions in the conditions of development of the digital environment and digital technologies. There is examined the representativeness of book exhibitions using the example of thematic and artistic-mythological exposition methods.The article considers the activities of the Museum of Painting Culture (MZHK) and the Higher Art and Technical Workshops (VKHUTEMAS) and their experimental searches of the first third of the 20th century in the field of creating new museum exposition forms and exhibition formats. The author draws parallels between universal methods of working with an art object developed by MZHK and VKHUTEMAS and working with book exhibits when creating an exhibition today. The article briefly outlines the tasks solved by the curatorial and design group to strengthen the representative function of an exhibit-book. There are analyzed modern forms of real and virtual exhibitions, their interrelation and mutual influence, formats of interaction. The article notes the importance of exhibitions for the self-presentation of cultural institutions in the digital space.

The aim of the research is to analyze typical problems in the implementation of quality management systems (QMS) on the basis of private production enterprises which operate in emerging economy context and to develop a rational strategic plan for the design and implementation of such a system, taking into account the experience of successful organizations. The main benefits of implementing QMS are presented. In the article it is recommended to consider the formation of QMS as a project with the appropriate stages of activities. The following positions are envisaged at the initiation stage: formalization of the decision on QMS implementation, appointment of project participants, project team training, as well as development of mission, vision, quality policy and QMS process structure. At the implementation stage, it is proposed to develop and approve QMS documents, as well as to implement an internal audit program. At the stage of project closure, it is advisable to put into operation the developed system and pass a certification audit in order to obtain a certificate of compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001. The article presents the structure, content, sequence and estimated duration of all the stages of the project, as well as the division of responsibilities between the project team members. Emphasis is placed on the main issues which can arise at different stages of such a project. In the paper the following range of issues was identified: inconsistency of QMS processes structure with the existing organizational structure of the enterprise; incorrect definition of the performance indicators for processes at different hierarchy levels; erroneous decisions in the internal documentation system organizing. In its turn, in the article the causes for the above-mentioned issues were identified, namely: insufficient motivation of project participants, lack of time or other necessary resources, unwillingness to change the current management system of the company, inconsistency of real goals with the stated ones, etc. In the article it is proposed to divide the main causes of issues into three basic groups: by project participants (personal), bureaucratic (systemic) and leadership (administrative). The authors propose a number of measures to minimize the risks of issues in the QMS implementation, and determine the distribution of areas of responsibility for these measures organizing.

Issues concerning interethnic relations in the Russian Federation as a multinational state, are relevant. They are especially important in the border regions of the country. Scientific analysis of ways and mechanisms of harmonization of interethnic relations is of great importance for maintaining the socio-political, economic stability of modern society, as well as social harmony in the region. The following indicators are considered: the specifics of national identity (the degree of closeness with people of the same nationality, the risk of dissolving into the culture of other peoples); changes in interethnic relations in the region over the past five years; access to public benefits for people of different nationalities (receiving guaranteed social, medical, educational services, chances of employment, developing their business, holding high positions in government); attitudes towards migrants and the migration situation in general (the region's residents' assessments of migrants living in the region, attitudes towards them, the need to attract them to the region and support them by the Russian government, possible measures to establish good neighborly relations between migrants and the local population, the role of national diasporas in harmonizing such relations, the impact of population migration on the situation in the region as a whole). The practical value of the study lies in the presentation of current assessments of residents of Altai krai about interethnic relations and the migration situation in the region. The empirical basis is the data from a sociological study implemented in the Altai krai (n = 400) by the research team of the Altai State University. The obtained data were analyzed using the methods of mathematical and statistical data processing (SPSS 23.0 statistical package). It is noted that people who have experienced the spread of infringement of rights due to nationality are more likely than others to be at risk of losing their nationality; in the absence of a sufficient number of chances to receive high-quality free education, medical care, social services; negative attitudes towards migrants. The regional situation in the sphere of interethnic relations is not acute and tense, however, regular monitoring, a set of measures aimed at establishing friendly relations between different nationalities, between migrants and the population in the Altai krai.

Purpose. The presented paper is aimed at detecting attitudes towards tourism development among inhabitants of the fast-developing and modern ski resort Białka Tatrzańska - Poland.

Method. To investigate the impact of tourist traffic on the life of Białka Tatrzańska inhabitants, an empirical survey was conducted. The survey was conducted among 160 residents of Białka Tatrzańska. A research questionnaire contained twenty questions grouped into pairs. Each pair was dedicated to one of the earlier detected possible effects of over-tourism and one of the questions was connected with the appearance of the effect in Białka Tatrzańska, while the second was about the same impact on respondents' everyday lives.

Findings. The results allow to confirm that inhabitants of Białka Tatrzańska show a much higher level of acceptance regarding the negative consequences of tourism than previously observed in big cities. The respondents confirmed that this negative impact is present in their location, but their quality of life is not influenced strongly by that. Additionally, the results confirmed that local people participate in economic profits derived from tourism development in the case of resorts that followed the catalytic development path.

Research and conclusions limitations. The research was conducted at one tourism resort and its characteristic features could have impacted the results. Some statements might have been consequences of the catalytic genesis of the resort and its remarkable success. Research also needs to be replicated in other countries and resorts not connected with winter sports.

Practical implications. The results need to be replicated at resorts of another genesis (integrated or mixed), of other types (seaside resorts), and in other countries. Additionally, the very successful position of Białka Tatrzańska on the tourism market can influence the rather enthusiastic attitude of residents towards tourism.

Originality. There are numerous studies in which residents' attitudes are presented towards tourism and tourists in cities, while studies on over-tourism at resorts and nature-based destinations are much more concentrated on the ecological effects of tourism development and impressions possessed by tourists. The paper is focused on the impact of tourism development on residents' lives, basing on the example of a very successful example of a Polish catalytic ski resort.

Type of paper. Research paper.

Introduction. The article describes the impact of the global trend of digitalization on the most vulnerable category of the population. The study of the digital divide is a fairly new area of research in the social sciences. Modern technologies are a part of our lives that influence social processes – in particular, it can increase or reduce social inequality. Modern researchers are finding more and more evidence of the growth of relative inequalities in Internet skills and Internet use. In case if the typical user's "set" is a smartphone, the Internet and a laptop (or computer), the homeless person's "set of technologies" may be different or not at all. Studies of the digital divide have already been conducted in large cities of socially and economically developed countries.Methodology and sources. The object of the study is a group with a low socio-economic status, homeless people, including those who have returned from prison. The study involved 15 respondents from 24 living in the social center at the time of the interview.Results and discussion. As a result of the analysis of the collected data, some features of the perception of digital technologies and practices of their use were identified. The peculiarities of perception are combined into a group of discursive patterns, the practice of using digital technologies – into a group of behavioral patterns. A good result of sociological research is the refutation of stereotypes that have developed in society. So, it seems possible to identify two main stereotypes. It is believed that mostly the homeless do not have cell phones, but if they do, it is likely a status thing for them. The second stereotype is associated with the repertoire of digital technologies: homeless people likely use non-personalized technologies due to their marginal position. Both stereotypes have been refuted. The unexpected result of the study indicates its absolute relevance and the prospect of further study, including vulnerable groups of the population.Conclusion. The prospect of future research is the continuation of the study on the example of other organizations and the study of other categories of homeless people (applying for overnight accommodation for one night or not visiting social organizations). It also should be noted, that the possibility of developing new social work practices taking into account the results of the study.

Abstract
Background
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global health, human rights, and protection issue, which can increase during emergencies. GBV coordination is an essential component of every humanitarian response, ensuring that, from the earliest phases of a crisis, accessible and safe services are available and prevention and mitigation mechanisms are implemented to reduce GBV. We sought to address the limited evidence on GBV coordination, by reviewing literature on GBV coordination in emergencies, identifying facilitators and barriers influencing effectiveness.

Methods
We conducted a scoping review on GBV coordination in emergencies from 1990 to 2020. Studies explicitly discussing GBV coordination in humanitarian, natural disaster and public health emergencies, in low or middle-income countries, were included. Using thematic analysis, we developed a six-topic framework to synthesise evidence on effective GBV coordination and present recommendations for strengthening GBV coordination in emergencies.

Findings
We included 28 of 964 sources identified, covering 30 different emergency settings across 22 countries. Sources spanned emergency settings, with minimal evidence in public health emergencies and none focussed solely on GBV coordination. Several sources suggested that timely establishment of GBV coordination mechanisms, led by dedicated, experienced coordinators, increased funding and strengthened service provision. GBV risk mitigation was compromised by weak commitment across sectors, poor accountability systems, and limited engagement of affected women. Inclusive GBV coordination, involving national and local actors is vital but engagement efforts have been inadequate and localisation funding targets not yet achieved. Implementation of the GBV Information Management System has reinforced coordination, funding allocation and service provision. While specialist GBV services remain insufficient, emergencies can present opportunities for expansion. Sustainability and long-term impact are compromised by over-reliance on international leadership and funding, weak commitment by governments, and limited attention to GBV prevention.

Conclusion
Despite enhanced global commitments to addressing GBV in recent years, it remains consistently under-prioritised and under-resourced. Recommendations to strengthen GBV coordination in emergencies include: funding dedicated GBV coordination positions across all types of emergencies, building the global GBV coordination workforce, expanding inclusion of national actors and investing in GBV risk mitigation and prevention through multiyear funding. The evidence-based framework for effective GBV coordination presented here, can guide further research in diverse emergencies.

The article presents a historical and philosophical retrospective aimed at establishing strict conceptual boundaries that prevent uncontrolled extrapolation of modern terms and concepts to realities that are not included in the meanings of modern humanitarian discourse. The philosophical definition of the "culture" concept is substantiated, which includes specific characteristics that have a chronologically factual origin. The authors give a general conceptual overview of current intellectual trends dealing with the theming of the phenomenon of culture; and highlight their pluralistic character. The article analyzes the polysemicity of the postmodern situation as an intersubjective disposition within cultural communication and as a special way of understanding the current state of affairs that exist under the sign of fundamental complexity. Criticism of destructive attitudes in understanding and predicting possible outcomes and solutions of pressing culturological problems is carried out. In particular, it points to the moment of subjective psychologizing in some pessimistic expert assessments, when personal disorder in new circumstances is presented as an objectively negative state of affairs. The principles of constructivism ontology are introduced and defended, which constitute an alternative to the traditional understanding of philosophy as delayed evidence (the owl of Minerva flying out into the twilight). A fundamental replacement of the descriptive (passive-contemplative) approach is proposed with a projective (active-creative) one. The authors present a substantial version of constructing a positive ontology based on a historical precedent in the form of the ideology of classical humanism. The philosophy of postmodernism is interpreted as hyperreflection of Modernity, that is, not as a negation, but as overcoming the traditional structures of rationality to form more complex (sophisticated) types of reflective thinking. The authors substantiate the need to connect a volitional resource, intentionalized in the direction of creating semantic configurations of social reality. This eliminates the reductionist possibility of interpreting such a call by appealing to complex contexts that require the development of complimentary discourses and narratives. The authors adhere to the position according to which any extreme is false, and the truth is found in the zone of balance between the extremes, considering the completeness of the experience knowledge of both extremes. Classical history passed under the sign of speculation, the 20th century - under the sign of thoughtless activism. In the 21st century, it is necessary to learn how to combine these extremes.

Abstract
In this paper I argue that the English freethinker Anthony Collins (1676–1729) is making use of 'conglobation' to develop an argument across the Vindication of the Divine Attributes (1710) and the Discourse on Free-Thinking (1713), which aims to challenge the religious authority of orthodox representatives of the Anglican church. That is, Colins makes use of a rhetorical (piecemeal) strategy that serves to insinuate one's proper position to create, what I will call, the 'authority-challenge'. I reconstruct this challenge in three steps. First, I analyse Collins' criticism of William King (1650–1729), the Archbishop of Dublin, who according to Collins' Vindication advances a conception of the divine attributes and of the nature of God that is compatible with atheism. Second, I introduce Collins' argument from disagreement, which he develops in his Discourse. This argument aims to establish that whenever there is meaningful disagreement, e. g., about the (philosophical) content and not merely about the best terminology, between the supposed experts, we have the right to think on our own about the issue at hand. In the third step, I present the 'authority-challenge'. In a nutshell, this challenge requires orthodox representatives of the Anglican church either (i) to open the door to atheism by not substantively disagreeing with William King (thereby undermining everything they stand for and presenting themselves as hypocrites) or (ii) to substantively disagree with King to contain atheism (thereby undermining their status as experts for religious issues). Since (i) cannot be an option, they have no choice but to undermine their own authority by impairing their expert status, which, in turn, has ramifications for their political power as well. In the second part of my paper, I argue that §§ 16–22 of the fourth dialogue of George Berkeley's Alciphron (1732/52) are designed to meet Collins' 'authority-challenge'. This will allow me to resolve the puzzle that these sections so far have posed for commentators. In particular, many have been puzzled by Berkeley's argumentative strategy and in particular his references to the Scholastics. As I argue, however, if §§ 16–22 are read in the light of Collins' authority challenge, it becomes evident that Berkeley uses these references in his attempt to refute King without failing to meet Collins' challenge.

Complexity theory and systems-thinking are increasingly popular in physical activity (PA) research and policy discourse. The impact of this perspective shift, across many sectors, may be underwhelming. We explore why, by focusing on how these concepts are understood and applied by PA policy-makers. This is of particular interest given the challenges of multisectoral interest and poorly defined stakeholder boundaries that are associated with PA promotion. In this study, we critique key elements of complexity theory and consider how it is understood and put into practice in PA policy-making.We adopted a complex realist position. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with national-level policy-makers from United Kingdom government settings (five civil servants, three politicians, two policy advisors). An inductive thematic analysis was conducted, and managed with NVivo 10 software.Three overarching themes were constructed to reflect policy-makers' uncertainty about complexity and the application of such perspectives to this policy space, their sense that PA was an unexceptionable yet unclaimed policy issue, and their desire for influence and change. Participants discussed complexity in contrasting ways. Its meaning was context-dependent and dynamic, which generated uncertainty about applying the concept. Participants also perceived an increasingly diverse but ill-defined PA policy system that spans the domains of expertise and responsibility. Collaborative practices may contribute to a previously unobserved sense of detachment from the systems' complexity. Nevertheless, participants suggested potentially effective ways to stimulate system change, which require passionate and enterprising leadership, and included varied evidence use, a focus on localised implementation and different ways to connect people.This research highlighted the importance of extending complexity theory and systems-thinking. While emphasizing the prevalence of these ideas across the PA sector, there is uncertainty as to their meaning and implications. This may prevent their use in ways that enhance PA policies and programmes. Participants conceptualised PA as a tool, which was imposed on the system. While this may support participative decision-making and localised implementation, further research is needed to understand how local systems foster leadership, the practical application of complexity and systems-thinking, and how to support system-wide change in the development and implementation of PA policies.

The article deals with the features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the imperial period of its history. The national sociological tradition of studying religion as a socio-cultural phenomenon and a social institution, which was developed during this period, had its own unique and peculiar appearance and was just begun to revive again in post-Soviet Russia, contrasts with the tradition that took place in the West. In this context, the appeal to unfortunately undeservedly forgotten works of classics of Russian religious and socio-political though is very promising area of modern sociological research.When studying this problem, the author emphasizes the study of the works of representatives of three ideological areas of Russian religious and socio-political thought: conservatism, liberalism and socialism, as well as the peculiarities of the historical development of Russian society and the state and those events that had a significant impact on the formation and development of scientific understanding of religion in Russia. Among such features, the author, in particular, refers to the formation of an "antisystem" (systemic integrity of people who take a dim view of their homeland, hate their own nation, its values and culture, history, traditional religious, political and social systems) among the Russian intelligentsia, bureaucracy and part of the elite of Russian society, under a certain influence of Westernism, as a consequence of the spiritual schism of the 18th century, which occurred in the educated strata and elite of Russian society.When studying the features of understanding religious issues by representatives of Russian conservatism, the author of the article analyzes the views of N.Ya. Danilevsky, K.N. Leontiev, F.M. Dostoevsky, M.N. Katkov, K.P. Pobedonostsev, L.A. Tikhomirov. He notes the fact that judgment of this perspective was carried out by these authors from "Slavophile", traditionalist (pochvennichesky and guarding) positions, in the context of judgment of features and an originality of a way of development of Russia as the center of east Christian (orthodox) culture and also empires successors of orthodox Byzantium – defenders Pravoslaviya, Orthodox church and belief, the orthodox people, values and the culture of Christianity "keeping" the world from approach of the evil and arrival of the power of Antichrist.

The purpose of the article is to study the chain of interaction "challenge-action- confidence", to build a system model of the dependence of the level of confidence on the impact of the challenge under the influence of the activity context and to formulate the law of the crisis of confidence, which reveals the process of its functioning in the conditions of transforming economic relations. The methodological basis of the study was humanistic and economic approaches, which made it possible to pay priority attention to the problems of interaction between challenge and confidence, as well as to the process of the influence of social mechanisms on the level of confidence. The use of the synthesis method made it possible to identify the author's approach to the problem, and the application of the identification principle revealed shortcomings in the theory and practice of the interaction between challenge and confidence. The system-integrated approach made it possible to identify problems in the "challenge-confidence" chain, determine the role of the social mechanism in forming the context of this process, build a systemic model of the dependence of the level of confidence on the impact of a challenge under the influence of the context, and formulate the law of its functioning through the introduction of the concept of a crisis of confidence. The results of the work are: a new theoretical and empirical understanding of how a challenge, confidence and context interact in a single chain, a system model of the dependence of the level of confidence on the impact of a challenge under the influence of the context, and the law of the crisis of confidence, which reveals the process of its functioning. The main scientific conclusion is concluded in the position that under the influence of external and internal challenges to confidence, with its existing certain level, the process of functioning of the social mechanisms of its formation should be concentrated on making a creative response that makes it possible to reduce the impact of a challenge on confidence, and in specific conditions and increase the level of confidence based on the use of the positive component of the challenge.

Relevance. One of the conditions for strengthening the position of the country on the global markets is the production of high-tech goods, determining the possibility of quality satisfaction of modern needs. Activation and intensification of processes in the Russian economy contribute to the enterprises - generators of innovation and belonging to the sector of high-tech production. Applying advanced technologies, demonstrating the innovative activity, the enterprises are called to determine the strategic vector of innovative economy formation. Therefore, consideration of the issue of studying the structure of funding sources of this sector, existing problems and prospects will allow making forecasts adequate to modern realities.Purpose ‒ to analyze the current state of the process of financing high-tech industries as the basis for structural changes in the industrial sector of the economy and the source of stable socio-economic development of the state.Objectives: to examine the structure and sources of financial investments in the high technology sector, analyze the dynamics and effectiveness of funding of innovation activities in the high technology sectors of the Russian economy in current conditions.Methods. The research was based on the methods of comparative analysis, economic and statistical analysis, and methods of expert evaluations.Results. The efforts of the state to introduce advanced technologies affect all sectors of the economy and, primarily, the high-tech sector. This is because industrialized countries are currently undergoing the processes of restructuring and modernization of industry, with special attention being paid to knowledge-intensive and high-tech industries. It is possible to ensure the competitiveness of domestic industrial products with the development and implementation of correct strategies of economic development, elaborated legislative base in the relevant area, and sufficient financing for conducted transformations.Conclusions. Despite the active attention of the state to the high-tech sector of the economy, the issue of timely and sufficient financing thereof remains open, which creates objective difficulties for solving the tasks set by the President to preserve the scientific and technological potential of the Russian Federation, ensure conditions for innovative development of the real sector of the economy and improve the competitiveness of the Russian industry at the national and international levels.

Relevance. The crisis of the modern European sovereign nation-state is defined as existential (not "technical"); therefore, we should talk about a socio-philosophical study of the "crisis of the foundations".The purpose of the article is to present the non-reality of the foundations of the nation-state in modern times, totally determined by the dominant liberal economic paradigm of the political (J. Agamben), and modern ways of removing the consequences of the political crisis in the liberal tradition.The objective is based on the interpretation of these statements - to determine the conditions and boundaries of the possibility of "response" from the perspective of "liberal metaphysics".Methodology. According to K. Schmitt, liberalism is "consistent metaphysics", the essence of which is defined as "endless free / public discussion"; a consistent liberal "response" to the challenge, therefore, can only be given on the basis of the named "essence" ‒ the main methodological position that determines the structure and content of this article.Results. It was revealed, that a nation as a form of political unity of a sovereign people, in the perspective of liberal metaphysics, cannot be relied on as a "substance of the state". That the people-sovereign is "split in itself" and the available ways of actualizing its real unity are no longer "valid". That the mechanisms of political representation that democratically legitimize the power institutions of a sovereign nation-state in its new European, that is, liberal, form, need radical reform. "Free discussion", stated in the article, is limited in the possibility of "answering" the "existential crisis"; this presupposes the need to reduce the "political" (Schmitt's "concept of the political" as an "existential solution" of the sovereign in the horizon of the existential opposition "friend – enemy") and "reduction" by means of such a reduction of the "essentially political" to technical issues of "governance" (M. Weber). Three main methods of "liberal reduction of the political" are distinguished: "logical-epistemological" by Y. Elster, "ethical" by J. Rawls, "aesthetic" by R. Ankersmit, and their characteristic "features" are determined.Conclusion. It is concluded that a consistent liberal political philosophy, losing in its understanding of politics as government, the distinction between auctoritas and potestas, is unable to thematize the "existential", that is, political, crisis of the foundations of a sovereign nation-state.