The article considers the concept of modernity (as relevance, today), the meanings of which were formed at the junction of the philosophy of history and political - philosophical reflection. It is shown that this concept was conceptualized in the New Age and played a significant role in the formation of the identity of Modernity as a radically new era open to the future, which determined its role in the formation of political strategies. Moreover, as the study demonstrates, the concept of modernity was focused on the (better) future, on the development of a common progressive line of development, and from this point of view everything that relates to the past seems to be non - modern, an anachronism harmful to political practice and capable of lead only to grave political consequences (Jacobin dictatorship). Gradually, with the development of the tragic political experience of the twentieth century, the concept of modernity takes on new meanings, becomes multi - level, “multi - voice”. Today, the concept of modernity and building political practices cannot but take into account the fact that modernity itself is not homogeneous and unambiguous. Today we are dealing with a situation where the discourse of modern traditional societies is revealed to some extent as the flip side of modernity, it exists and speaks like a premature world, but at the same time it is integrated into the present and actively influences it.
