FROM UTOPIAS TO DIGITAL MODELS: THE EVOLUTION OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIAL DESIGN

The article analyzes the evolution of the philosophical and methodological foundations of social design – from the utopian approaches of Antiquity and the Renaissance to the development of contemporary social design models based on digital technologies. The purpose of the article is to reveal the guidelines for the transformation of the philosophical and methodological principles of social design in the modern information society. The objectives of the article are: 1) to explicate the classical philosophical and methodological paradigm of social design; 2) to analyze the internal limitations of the classical paradigm of social design, in particular in the context of challenges associated with digital technologies and automated management; 3) to identify the main non-classical philosophical and methodological guidelines of social design; 4) to establish the prerequisites for the implementation of non-classical philosophical and methodological principles of social design activity in the modern information society. The article uses a historical-logical approach, which allows us to identify the internal logical connection between the various stages of the evolution of social design as an activity to construct new forms of social relations. A critical-reflective methodology is applied, focused on identifying hidden assumptions, normative attitudes, and transformational implications that accompany social-design practices in the digital age. The main characteristics of the classical paradigm are revealed, which focuses on constructing social order through understanding the regularities of social being, while paying less attention to meaning exchange, cultural pluralism, and the inner human dimension of social action. It is shown that the instrumentalism of the classical paradigm is reinforced by the algorithmic logic of modern digital technologies, where the emphasis shifts from interpreting social meanings to predicting social behavior based on large sets of standardized data. As an alternative, a non-classical methodological paradigm is proposed, grounded in intersubjective dialogue, respect for difference, inclusion, and openness to a plurality of worldviews and life paths. The prospects for further research are linked to the development of digital humanities as an environment for implementing new approaches to social design. The development of digital humanities offers a prospect for moving beyond technocratic instrumentalism and opens the horizon of meaningful, ethically engaged, personalized social design.