Theoretical and methodological foundations for studying the development of thinking in border spaces in historical retrospect: the case of the Roman-Iranian borderlands (1st century BC – early 7th century AD)

The aim of this research is to identify the features of thinking in border spaces based on specific historical material (the Roman-Iranian borderlands, 1st century BC – early 7th century AD). This work is dedicated to studying the historical experience of the formation of thinking among residents of the border regions of the Ancient and Iranian civilizations. An investigation of sources and historiography leads to the conclusion that specific features exist within the mental sphere of representatives of such regions. In particular, the conceptualization of historical document case studies, combined with a comparative approach carried out within the framework of mid-level philosophy, has revealed that residents of the frontier – in this case, the Roman-Iranian frontier of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages – possessed more highly developed synthetic thinking than representatives of civilizational cores. It is also important to note the significant role of the individual in the course of historical processes in the borderlands compared to other territories. The novelty of the research lies in the very framing of the question regarding the processes of formation, development, and influence of a specific type of thinking on the existence of border (transboundary) spaces in history, as well as the reverse process, resulting in new scientific knowledge about thinking in transboundary spaces. As a result of the study, it was established that the thinking of the ancient frontier is characterized not only by syncreticity but also by syntheticity. This is considered by the authors as part of a comprehensive theory of border (transboundary) regions in historical retrospect.