In the textbook, through the prism of three historical types of rationality that have developed in culture - mythological, religious, classical, non-classical and post-classical - an analysis of ideas about the history of its essence and meaning, forms of implementation and methods of comprehension, subject of action and driving forces is given. From the standpoint of post-classical rationality, based on the principles of phenomenology, hermeneutics, realism, solutions to such widely discussed issues as the possibility of historical progress, the validity of the prospect of the "end of history," the existence of universal laws of history, the feasibility of the idea of ​ ​ the unity of mankind and others are considered and proposed.