Abstract
<jats:p>The article examines the problem of understanding pedagogy through the prism of dialectics of two main approaches: cultural-anthropological and sociocentric. A retrospective analysis of the development of the Russian education system over the past hundred years is carried out. There are four key stages: pre-revolutionary, Soviet, stagnation and modern. The relationship between the philosophical foundations of pedagogical concepts (from Locke and Dewey liberalism to Marxism) and state educational policy is investigated. Special attention is paid to criticism of the liberal reforms of the 1990s - 2000s, which led to fragmentation of the educational space, excessive variability of content and a decrease in the quality of student training. General education is shown to be a strategic resource of the nation and a natural monopoly of the state, requiring strict regulation to ensure sovereignty. The conclusion is made about the need to prioritize a socially oriented approach in the current conditions. At the same time, the author points out the importance of finding a balance between individual development and socialization based on traditional spiritual and moral values. It is emphasized that the content of education is the basis of the system that determines the worldview of future generations.</jats:p>