Two of the contemporary "megatrends" are analyised in the article, finding their roots in economic structures of earlier centuries. The article throws new light on the role of China, for instance, and reflects upon various explanations of the East Asian miracles that can be found in the scientific literature.

The late philosopher explains how Marxism has been misunderstood and misinterpreted in the period of the system change in Eastern Europe. While criticising leading ideologues of the transition, he also points out common features in the Marxist and liberal positions.

Our journal has presented a number of articles based on the world-system approach. A history student took the courage to-compare how various authors use phrases like core and periphery, and to find out whether a consistent framework can be developed from all this to analyse contemporary global trends.

The author summarizes the findings of a longer research programme. He does not question the need for decentralising the public sector, though he criticises the "reform" policy that ignores the social and macro-economic environment.

Postmodernist authors preach tolerance, although often they appear arrogant themselves. It seems there is a relationship between philosophy and behaviour.