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This study aims to explain and illustrate the character of Russian systems thinking and to show how it is different and similar to traditions in the West. This study’s second aim is to describe the contributions of some Russian scientists to developing systems thinking and the theory of evolution. This study introduces the predecessors of Charles Darwin in Russia, both supporters and critics of his ideas, as well as scientists who have made similar contributions to the development of systems thinking, particularly Vladimir Vernadsky and Alexander Bogdanov.

Philosophical and theoretical comparisons. In the Russian intellectual tradition, the terms “Russia” and the “West” are likely codes for signifying fundamental philosophical questions about the universality of thinking and culture. The term “West” means universal, rational truth without taking into consideration any differences in life and cultural practice. The term “Russia” means impossibility of such a universal truth and a necessity to look for solutions on the level of life, not only on the level of rational thinking.

Paying attention to differences in approaches to systems and cybernetics and the theory of evolution will enrich the further development of systems sciences in Russia and the West. The paper examines the philosophical underpinnings of science rather than just testing or extending an existing theory. The result is better mutual understanding among scientists with different backgrounds.

This study suggests new avenues for research and expands the range of conceptual possibilities. It improves mutual understanding among scholars and countries. Also, it adds to the topics discussed within the field of systems and cybernetics and the theory of evolution.

The purpose of this chapter is to study the correlation of evolutional and revolutionary transformations in a socio-economic system in the conditions of the formation of an information economy by taking the example of modern Russia.

To distinguish these transformations by studying the information economy, based on the materials of reports and recommendations of the OECD and the World Bank, the indicators that show macro-economic transformations in a socio-economic system in the conditions of formation of an information economy and their control values that correspond to evolutional and revolutionary changes were determined. During the research, the authors used the method of comparative analysis for comparing the values of the indicators in modern Russia with the control values of the indicators that show macro-economic transformations in the socio-economic system in the conditions of the formation of an information economy and classify the corresponding transformations as evolutional and revolutionary. The information and analytical basis includes the materials of the reports of the Higher School of Economics, the OECD, the World Bank, the International Telecommunication Union, the World Wide Web Foundation, the Digital single market, the INSEAD, the WIPO, and the Cornell University.

As a result, it is concluded that the planned transformations in a socio-economic system in the conditions of formation of information economy by implementating the optimization model of this process have an evolutional characteristic. Herein, certain transformations have a revolutionary nature.

The authors determine that the largest revolutionary transformations are due for 2022–2025. However, their classification is caused not by high rate of growth of the indicators’ values but by their achievement of control values. Therefore, the largest socio-economic shifts in the economic system in the modern Russia due to the formation of an information economy will take place in 2019–2022. Hence, in this period, an anti-crisis management of this process should be conducted.