In the second half of XX century modern civilization reached considerable heights in all spheres of social life- science, technology, culture, confronted face-to-face with unresolved global problems. Their range is fairly well-known today. There are military, political, resource, demographic, global economic problems, which occur, particularly, because of the crisis in health care, education, culture, growing crime. Scientists are not common in view on the future of modern civilization; it is an ability to resolve conflicts that threaten it. Based on historical experience, some of them rightly believe that the death of modern civilization is possible. There are numerous examples of missing past civilizations as a basis for such a pessimistic forecast.
The global crisis of modern civilization is planetary, rather than local, like it was in the past. Thus, the death threatens not proper part of modern culture and humanity in general, not some form of social organization (capitalism, socialism, etc.), but general conditions for human existence. Therefore, the problem of humanity is the ability to change its social and cultural forms of life in clearly crisis state, while maintaining the overall conditions of life. There will be an inevitable confrontation of humanity global catastrophe, because the overall risk of common unites is encouraging. However, it is necessary to understand all that global problems, firstly, can not be permitted for any particular country or parts of countries (for example, the problem of resources) for all global issues closely linked with each other. So, for example, the transformation of developing countries into a source of raw materials for developed countries dooms people first in a miserable, half-starved existence, which leads to instability, increased military confrontation, the war threat growth and even the possible use of weapons for mass people destruction.
The most important task among the global issues is to prevent global thermonuclear war. Despite the significant achievements of the last two decades in the field of block weakening, the military-political confrontation in the world remains a critical factor, affecting the development of the global crisis. Significantly, the confrontation hinders integration trends, prevents awareness of globality crisis. It can be mentioned as a result of diverted enormous resources that could be directed at hunger eliminating and malnutrition, on environmental programs, etc. In addition, the accumulated stockpiles of weapons can (as a result of natural disaster etc.) finally solve the problem of the humanity existence generally in their own way. Awareness of danger and futility of further military and political opposition is growing in the world, although the rate of this movement is founded fear. Another important factor in the global crisis is a process of planet resource depletion. By the end of XX century, humanity is faced with energy, food crisis, the trend of a sharp reduction in non-renewable reserves and increasing unsuitability and even danger to life renewable resources. Certainly, the resource crisis can not be considered outside the connection of ecological and demographical problems. It would be wrong to say that the world has no understanding of the threat of resource and economic disasters. The scientists and public promote various regulations among national and international programs in the field of environmental protection. Also they mention about rational use of natural resources. However, the problem can hardly be solved by these measures. The radical decisions are not occurred within industrial civilization, humanity necessary transition to the new norms of behavior, values and goals of the new post-industrial society.
Demographic factors of the global crisis are most evident in Third World countries. Freed from colonial rules, these countries were in the face of poverty, hunger and epidemics in three or four decades of the free population development. The lamentable state of those countries is due not only to historical patterns of development, but is due to an exceptionally high rate of population growth. So, for the last 30 years the population of economically developed 39 countries has increased by only 43%, while the population of developing countries 170 countries - by 2.2 times. The demographers predict a demographic stabilization in the near future and even depopulation in developed countries. The population growth of Third World countries are extremely high and, therefore, would impair the unemployment, poverty, poverty, hunger issues.
An extremely dangerous fact is that the Third World countries have become a center of instability for the whole world. The humanity can not successfully resolve other global problems, having no decisions for the poor countries. It is often offered the western recipe to solve the problems of Third World countries. One of the arguments is a successful example of a few former colonial countries that are committed to the development of market economy, democratic forms of social organization. But we can not forget, that the global challenges faced the humanity in the XX century, had generated by human-made Western civilization, orientation and perceptions about the value of life. The timely prediction and prevention of negative consequences of the scientific and technological revolution is another important global issue.
In the period after World War II, the trend leading of world economic development was the internationalization of production, which is carried out as a private economic (international monopoly) and at the international level (integration process). The process of integrating previously appeared in Western Europe with the most developed forms. Now they are clearly emerging in other regions and continents. In the end of XX century, the leading role in the global economy is played by three major centers - the U.S., Western Europe, Japan. Concluding the XX century, modern civilization, that had reached heights in all spheres of social life, appeared before global problems. These issues are necessary to be solved to reach the required transition to new forms of social live and the formation of human civilization.