The forms of social consciousness are understood as various forms of reflection in the consciousness of people of the objective world and social life, on the basis of which they arise in the process of practical activity.
Public consciousness exists and manifests itself in the forms of political consciousness, legal consciousness, moral consciousness, religious and atheistic consciousness, aesthetic consciousness, natural scientific consciousness. The existence of various forms of social consciousness is determined by the wealth and diversity of the objective world itself - nature and society. Having a peculiar object of reflection, each form of consciousness has its own special form of reflection: a scientific concept, a moral norm, a religious dogma, an artistic image. But the wealth and complexity of the objective world only create the possibility of the emergence of various forms of social consciousness. This possibility is realized on the basis of a specific social need.
Political consciousness... Political consciousness is formed with the emergence of classes, the state and politics as a sphere of public life, i.e. with the emergence of the political system of society. It reflects the relationship of classes and social groups, their role and place in the system state power, as well as relations between nations and states, the basis for the unity of these ties are the economic relations of society.
Political consciousness in a class society is of a class nature. It cannot be homogeneous, for it covers the sphere of relations of all classes and strata to the state and government.
Political consciousness is a kind of core of all forms of social consciousness and occupies a special place among them, because it reflects the economic interests of classes and social groups, it has a significant impact on the struggle for power and on all spheres of social life. The leading role belongs to political consciousness, since it stands closer to the economic basis and expresses the material and political interests of the subjects. The economy is primary in relation to politics, but politics is also capable of influencing the economy, on solving its problems, since it is a concentrated expression of the economy. Political consciousness plays an integrating role; it permeates all other forms of social consciousness. Of course, this role is very difficult, since political consciousness can also be influenced by, for example, religion, law or science, but the leading influence remains with the political consciousness.
Political consciousness is a necessary element of the functioning and development of the political system as a whole. Political consciousness is called upon to perform a predictive function in society, evaluative, regulatory and cognitive.
The levels of political consciousness are highlighted: everyday-practical and ideological-theoretical. Ordinary theoretical political consciousness arises spontaneously, from the practical activities of people, their life experience. Emotional and rational, experience and traditions, mood and stereotypes are interconnected here. This consciousness is unstable, because it depends on the specific conditions of life, emotions and changing experience. At the same time, it is largely static, because stereotypes interfere with the flexibility of thinking.
Every member of society is the bearer of ordinary consciousness, and it plays a large-scale role, reflected in mass political sentiments. Social psychology is a way of expressing everyday consciousness. It reflects the attitude of subjects to state power, and it is determined by the level of economic and social life. Ordinary political consciousness is valuable in that it is characterized by the integrity of the understanding of life and, being subjected to creative processing, is the basis for theoretical political consciousness.
Theoretical political consciousness(ideology) is characterized by the completeness and depth of reflection of political reality, distinguished by the ability to forecast, systematization of views. It is designed to develop a sound political program based on economic and social practice. Ideology aims to actively influence public consciousness. Not all members of society are engaged in the development of ideology, but specialists (ideologists) who have devoted themselves to political creativity and are engaged in comprehending the laws of public life. Political ideology can have a great impact on public consciousness as a whole, because it is not only a system of views, but also has state power, its own propaganda system, using science, law, art, religion, all the media.
Legal consciousness. Legal consciousness is most closely related to political consciousness, because both political and economic interests of social groups are directly manifested in it. It has a significant impact on the economy and politics, and on all aspects of social life. Legal consciousness performs regulatory, evaluative and cognitive functions in society. Legal awareness- this is the form of social consciousness, which reflects the knowledge and assessments adopted in society as legal laws of the norms of the socio-political activity of subjects of law: an individual, a collective, an enterprise. Legal consciousness has a concrete historical character, it changes in connection with changes in the economic and political conditions of society, but at the same time it should be noted that there is a significant continuity between the past and the present. Legal consciousness is closely related to all forms of social consciousness, but most of all it interacts with political consciousness and moral consciousness, occupies, as it were, an intermediate position between them. The legal consciousness of society contributes to the support of the idea of regulated relations between the individual and the state, it is necessary to establish law and order, to protect society from arbitrariness and anarchy. But if political consciousness is formed depending on socio-economic interests, then legal consciousness, in addition to this, is based on rational and moral assessments. Legal consciousness arises with the emergence of the political organization of society, law, with the division of society into classes. Legal awareness is associated with law. Legal conscience and law at the same time are not identical. Right- these are legal laws, this is a system of generally binding social norms, protected by the power of the state. Legal relationship- this is the relationship between individuals, organizations, government bodies, related to each other obligations and rights, they are guaranteed by law and reflect the measure of possible and proper behavior. Legal regulations do not allow deviations from the prescriptions of the law. For an offense, the law provides for civil, administrative, disciplinary, and criminal liability. It should be noted that law, firstly, reflects existing social relations, and secondly, it affects their development due to the specific mechanism of their regulation.
The structure of legal consciousness includes such elements as legal ideology and legal psychology. Legal ideology is designed to reflect deeply the legal and related political reality, it is characterized by consistency, consistency, and the ability to predict. Legal ideology includes the theory of state and law, a system of knowledge about the legal basis, the theory of legal development based on the analysis of objective reality. It should be noted that the formation of legal ideology is significantly influenced by the economic basis of society. In the structure of legal consciousness, an important element is legal psychology, as a specific form of its manifestation, including feelings, moods, traditions, customs, public opinion, social habits and is formed under the direct influence of a variety of social phenomena. In the structure of legal consciousness on subjective can be distinguished individual, group and mass(for example, class) consciousness. If we single out such a criterion as levels of reflection of reality, then the following concepts should be separated: everyday, professional and scientific legal consciousness. Ordinary sense of justice formed spontaneously in the daily practice of people. Professional and theoretical legal awareness are a reflection of essential connections and laws of reality and find their expression in legal science and other forms of consciousness (for example, political and moral). In practice, everyday, professional and theoretical consciousness are very closely interconnected and interact. The specificity of legal consciousness lies in the fact that it not only reflects the existing law, but can also critically assess the current legal system, can put forward his moral and legal ideal as a symbol of justice.
Moral consciousness contains historically changing moral relations, which are the subjective side of morality. The moral consciousness is based on the category of morality. Moral is a concept that is synonymous with morality. Morality arose earlier than other forms of social consciousness, back in primitive society, and acted as a regulator of people's behavior in all spheres of social life: in everyday life, in work, in personal relationships. Morality supported the social foundations of life, forms of communication. She acted as a set of norms and rules of behavior developed by society. Morality reflects the relationship of a person to society, the relationship of a person to a person and the requirements of society to a person. Moral consciousness permeates all spheres of human activity. It is possible to single out professional morality, everyday morality and family morality. Moral norms, reflected in the categories of good, evil, duty, conscience, honor, dignity, responsibility, have a specific historical content due to the level of development of society. The concept of morality is dialectically changeable, and it must be considered in interaction with social practice, with those categories that determine moral principles humanity and at the same time are themselves determined social activities... F. Engels was right that "ideas about good and evil changed so much from people to people, from century to century, that they often directly contradicted one another." The content of morality is determined by the interests of specific social classes, at the same time, it should be noted that universal human moral values and principles are also reflected in moral norms - these are principles and norms such as humanism, compassion, collectivism, honor, duty, loyalty, responsibility, generosity, gratitude , friendliness.
Moral consciousness is studied by one of the philosophical disciplines - ethics. Ethics(Greek, from - temper, custom, habit) is a theory of morality, a science of morality, in which human relations, the meaning of life, the concept of happiness, good and evil, moral values, the causes of morality are investigated. Already the ancient philosophers considered ethics as a practical philosophy, for it sought to substantiate thoughts about what should be in the form of moral principles and norms, in the form of ideals and spiritual needs.
Moral consciousness has a complex structure, in which you can highlight the interrelated elements: moral ideal, moral need, moral motivation and self-esteem, norms, value orientation, views, feelings... In the moral consciousness, it should be emphasized two main principles: emotional and intellectual. Emotional start expressed in the form of attitude and perception of the world - these are moral feelings, representing a personal relationship to various aspects of life. Intellectual start presented in the form of a worldview of moral norms, principles, ideals, awareness of needs, concepts of good, evil, justice, conscience.
Moral consciousness is associated with other forms of social consciousness, it influences them, and first of all, such a connection is visible with legal, political consciousness, aesthetic and religion. The most closely interact is the moral consciousness and the legal. Both law and morality regulate relationships in society. But if legal principles are enshrined in laws and act as a coercive measure of the state, then moral norms are based on public opinion, traditions and customs. The specificity of moral consciousness lies in the fact that it reflects spontaneously formed norms, assessments and principles, supported by customs and traditions. A person himself can evaluate his actions and ongoing events, relying on moral norms, therefore, he acts as a subject with a sufficiently developed level of moral consciousness. It should be noted that moral norms should not be dogmatic, morality should not limit the freedom of individual development. The moral consciousness of a person can be ahead of its time, and people were often pushed to fight against an unjustly arranged world not only by economic reasons, but also by moral dissatisfaction with the existing situation, the desire to change and improve the world on the basis of the principles of good and justice.
Aesthetic consciousness Aesthetic consciousness occupies a special place in the system of forms of social consciousness. Standing out as a special branch of spiritual culture, it at the same time performs synthesizing functions, since in structure aesthetic consciousness includes elements such as aesthetic views, ideals, assessments, tastes, aesthetic feelings, needs, aesthetic theory... Aesthetic consciousness is the spiritual foundation that ensures harmonious unity and internal interconnection of various manifestations of the spiritual life of a person and society as a whole.
Aesthetic consciousness is formed in the process of aesthetic activity and is defined as a holistic, emotionally rich reflection of reality. The objective basis of aesthetic consciousness is natural and social reality and socio-historical practice. In the process of labor activity, the spiritual abilities of a person are formed, which include aesthetic consciousness. With the division of labor, the isolation of art from other types of human social activity, the final formation of aesthetic consciousness takes place. Feature aesthetic consciousness is that human interaction with the real world is perceived, evaluated and experienced individually based on existing ideals, tastes, and needs. Aesthetic consciousness is one of the ways of reflection, awareness of the world and impact on it. It arises on the basis of the material-production activity of a person, and with the development of this activity, human feelings are formed, freeing from the instinctive form, specific human needs arise, which, in turn, have a reverse effect on all aspects of a person's life. Elements of aesthetic consciousness are aesthetic taste and ideal, which act as regulators of a person's assessment of objects of aesthetic perception and their own activities. Aesthetic taste- this is the ability to understand and appreciate the beautiful and the ugly, the sublime and the base, the tragic and the comic in life and in art .. Aesthetic taste acts as the ability of a person to assess the merits (or demerits) of aesthetically significant phenomena based on her ideas about the beautiful and the sublime, about the ideal and objectify these representations in specific activities. The peculiarity of aesthetic taste is that it manifests itself directly as an emotional reaction of a person to what he interacts with. According to I. Kant, taste is "the ability to judge beauty." In unity with aesthetic taste, an important element of aesthetic consciousness is aesthetic ideal, which also performs regulatory functions, but at a higher level. It contains an understanding of the essence of beauty, reflects best features personality, is a model that people are guided by, it not only reflects the past and the present, but also looks into the future.
In the formation of aesthetic consciousness, an important role is to play art, it opens up wide opportunities for familiarizing with spiritual values, forms views on moral and aesthetic values, helps transform knowledge into beliefs, develops the aesthetic taste of feelings, develops the creative abilities of the individual, affects practical activities. Art is a specific phenomenon: a special kind of spiritual, practical exploration of the objective world. Art is a means of reflecting and expressing life in the form of artistic images. Art is influenced by political consciousness. But the peculiarity of art is that it exerts an ideological influence due to its aesthetic merits. Works of art have an impact on all forms of social consciousness, especially on political and moral consciousness, on the formation of an atheistic or religious worldview. Through public consciousness, art influences practical activities, the creation of material and spiritual values. At the same time, art itself is influenced by social conditions and needs. Art, as a specific form of social consciousness, reflects the system of social relations that develop in the process of material and spiritual production, refracted in ideals, needs, and tastes. The most important function of art is educational. Reflecting the world in its aesthetic originality, showing the beautiful or ugly, tragic or comic, sublime or base, art ennobles the emotional world of a person, fosters feelings, forms the intellect, awakens the best sides human soul, evokes a sense of aesthetic joy. Aesthetic consciousness and its highest product, art, are a necessary element of social consciousness, ensuring its integrity and focus on the future.
Religious and atheistic consciousness... Religious consciousness is one of the oldest forms of social consciousness, and its subordination to specific socio-historical conditions is quite obvious. Religious consciousness was the leading form of social consciousness for more than two millennia, right up to the Enlightenment. With the development of science, philosophy, legal consciousness, morality, religion is significantly inferior to its position. Atheism emerges as a doctrine that refutes religious views. Religion expressed not only a person's fear of the formidable and incomprehensible forces that dominate everyday life. It reflected attempts to influence these forces. With the help of religion, the norms of human behavior were fixed. Religion served as a means of achieving social stability.
Religion is not an accidental phenomenon in the culture of mankind, but a naturally arisen, historically and socially conditioned form of humanity's awareness of the surrounding world and itself. Religion is a reflection (albeit fantastically) of the surrounding reality, therefore it develops and changes simultaneously with the change of life itself. Religious consciousness, along with religious activities, religious relationships and organizations, is an element in the structure of religion. Religion (from Latin - relegio - piety, shrine) is an attitude and worldview, and the corresponding behavior, determined by belief in the existence of God, is a feeling of dependence in relation to him, which gives hope and support in life. As a form of social consciousness, religious consciousness is in interaction with its other forms, and, first of all, such as moral consciousness, aesthetic, legal, etc. Religious consciousness is specific. It is characterized by faith, emotionality, symbolism, sensory clarity, the combination of real content with illusions, dialogicity (dialogue with God), knowledge of religious vocabulary, imagination, fantasy. Religious consciousness is distinguished by the fact that, along with the recognition of real life, it retains an illusory doubling of the world, faith in the continuation of spiritual life after the cessation of earthly life, faith in other world... It is not possible to prove logically the existence of this world, therefore religious consciousness is based on faith. faith is an integrative part of religious consciousness. It does not need confirmation of the truth of religion by reason or feeling. In religious belief, the main object is the idea of God, the content of religion is based on it. In the structure of religious consciousness, the most important component is religious feelings. Religious feelings- this is the emotional attitude of believers to a recognized object (God), to everything connected with it: places, actions, connections, to each other, and to the world as a whole.
A philosophical approach to religion requires the separation of two levels in religious consciousness: the ordinary and the theoretical (conceptual). Ordinary religious consciousness is a direct reflection of the existence of people. It appears in the form of ideas, illusions, feelings, moods, habits, traditions. It cannot be called whole and systematized. At this level, religion is associated with the individual and appears in a personal form. Conceptual level of religious consciousness is a systematized set of concepts, principles, judgments, arguments, which includes the doctrine of God, nature, society, man. This is a doctrine, theology, theology, prepared and substantiated by specialists. This level of consciousness includes religious-ethical, religious-aesthetic, religious-legal, religious-economic, religious-political concepts based on the principles of a religious worldview. And, finally, religious philosophy at the junction of philosophy and theology joins the conceptual level of religious consciousness.
Natural scientific consciousness. In the era of scientific and technological revolution, it actively invades all spheres of social life, becoming a direct productive force. For all the complexity of the content of science, it should be remembered that science is a spiritual phenomenon. The science is a system of knowledge about nature, society, about man. Scientific knowledge is a product of spiritual production, by its nature it is ideal. In science, the criterion for the rational development of the world occupies the main place and from the trinity - truth, goodness, beauty - truth acts as a leading value in it. Science is a historically established form human activity aimed at cognition and transformation of objective reality, such an area of spiritual production, which has as its result purposefully selected and systematized facts, logically verified hypotheses, generalizing theories, fundamental and particular laws, as well as research methods. Thus, science is both a system of knowledge, and their production, and practically transforming activity based on them. Science, like all other forms of human assimilation of reality, arises and develops from the need to meet the needs of society. The role and social significance of science are not limited to its explanatory function, because the main goal of cognition is the practical application of scientific knowledge. So, the forms of social consciousness and among them naturally scientific, aesthetic and moral consciousness determine the level of development of the spiritual life of society.
Economic Consciousness Economic consciousness emerged as a response to a social order, to the need to comprehend such social phenomena as economics, industrial economics, economics Agriculture, economic and mathematical models, economic policy, economic independence, economic crises, economic pluralism, etc. The economic consciousness of society reflects the understanding of the relationship between economic activity and those social, political and legal conditions in which economic practice takes place. Economic consciousness is the form of social consciousness that reflects economic knowledge, theories, assessments of socio-economic activity and social needs. Economic consciousness is formed under the influence of specific historical conditions and is determined by the objective need to comprehend the ongoing socio-economic changes. In the structure of economic consciousness, it is necessary, first of all, to single out such an element as economic knowledge, on the basis of which practical activity is carried out. Economic consciousness is not limited to the reflection of socio-economic life, it includes attitudes towards it, assessments of economic activity and acts as a significant factor in the behavior of various social groups. The economic consciousness reflects the conditions of the economic life of people, the attitude of a certain class, social group, person to ownership of the means of production. Therefore, the economic consciousness not only reflects being, it is mediated by the socio-economic situation of a person, practical experience, traditions and specific situations. Thus, economic consciousness does not passively reflect the real world, it evaluates it and, based on specific needs, changes it. It has an active impact on the entire socio-economic life of society. Economic consciousness includes different levels of comprehension of reality. In its structure, it is necessary to highlight the theoretical, scientific consciousness and the empirical, everyday understanding of the economy. Theoretical consciousness represented by economics. Ordinary Economic Consciousness is formed on the basis of attitudes, direct life experience, elementary economic knowledge and socio-psychological attitudes. The specificity of economic consciousness lies in the fact that it predicts and projects a new understanding of life, new approaches and methods.
Environmental awareness. In modern conditions, the most important role is assigned to ecological consciousness, human understanding of his unity with nature. Ecology(from the Greek o "iros - dwelling and water education) is a science that studies the relationship and interaction of organisms with each other and with their habitat. The term" ecology "was first introduced in 1886 by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel. a developing dynamic system- the biosphere is the earth's shell, enveloped in life and possessing a peculiar physicochemical and geological organization. The biosphere is the basis of human life and a prerequisite for the creation of material production as the foundation for the existence of society. With the emergence of society and the development of production, technology, the science of the biosphere passes into the noosphere (the sphere of reason), a part of the planet covered by intelligent, conscious human activity. It should be noted that the noosphere tends to constantly expand. This is due to the human entry into space and the development of the bowels of the Earth. In connection with the continuous development and expansion of material production, the scale of human intervention in the natural habitat is significantly increasing, while significant damage to the biosphere is often caused, and the natural ecological balance is disturbed. In turn and natural environment had a significant negative impact on the development of society and on everyone a specific person... Numerous diseases of people caused by violations in the field of ecology have arisen. As a result of its activities, mankind has come into sharp conflict with the habitat. An ecological crisis arose, which manifested itself in a sharp negative change in the biosphere. The habitat has deteriorated, the ecological balance has been disrupted - the balance between the restoration and use of natural resources. Ecological problem has become a global problem in the modern world. In these conditions, the question arises about the responsibility of man for all transformations in nature. Ecology is now faced with the task of determining an acceptable measure of impact on nature in order to preserve it as a necessary biological system suitable for the existence of mankind. It is about not only preventing an ecological catastrophe, but also improving the natural and social conditions of human life and all living things on the planet. The modern ecological situation requires from society the development of ecological culture, a conscious moral and aesthetic attitude to nature in the name of the physical and spiritual health of mankind. Environmental awareness has an important role to play here. Environmental consciousness is a value form of social consciousness, which reflects the relationship between man and nature and the assessment of social activity. Environmental consciousness presupposes the allocation of a person himself as a bearer of an active and creative attitude to nature. In ecological consciousness, a person's attitude to events and processes of reality, affecting in one way or another the natural environment, is manifested. The formation and development of environmental awareness occurs purposefully, under the influence of political institutions, the media, special social institutions, art, etc. The subject of environmental awareness is the relationship to the nature of man and society. Ecological consciousness reflects the real world in the form of such concepts as "ecological situation", "ecological balance", "ecological crisis", "zone of ecological disaster" and others. Environmental awareness has cognitive, educational and practical functions. Environmental consciousness is interconnected and interacts with other forms of social consciousness - with such as moral, aesthetic, legal, political, economic. The modern ecological situation requires from a person a moral and aesthetic attitude to nature in the name of preserving life on Earth. Moral and aesthetic criteria should be reflected in both legal and political consciousness. There should not be only a pragmatic attitude towards nature. Nature is a source of both aesthetic pleasure and physical health. The concept of the Motherland is closely related to the concept of nature. Now a person is required new form self-awareness - ecological understanding of their place in nature, the need for unity and harmony with it. The essence of ecological consciousness is a humane attitude towards nature, a person's understanding of himself as a particle of the natural world. The criterion for the development of ecological consciousness is the formed spiritual need, in a respectful attitude to nature, in an effort not only to preserve, but also to increase natural wealth and beauty.
1. Introduction …………………………………………………………… ....… ... 2
2. Forms of public consciousness ………………………………………… ..4
2.1. Political consciousness ……………………………………………… ... 5
2.2. Legal consciousness ………………………………………………… ..7
2.3. Moral consciousness ……………………………………………… ..11
2.4. Aesthetic consciousness …………………………………………… ... 15
2.5. Religious and atheistic consciousness ……………………………… 18
2.6. Natural-scientific consciousness ……………………………………… ..22
2.7. Economic consciousness ……………………………………………… 24
2.8. Environmental awareness …………………………………………… .25
3. Conclusion …………………………………………………………….… .29
4. Used literature ………. ……………………………………. …… .30
1. Introduction
Public consciousness is a set of ideas, theories, views, perceptions, feelings, beliefs, emotions of people, moods, which reflect nature, the material life of society and the entire system of social relations. Social consciousness is formed and develops along with the emergence of social being, since consciousness is possible only as a product of social relations. But society can also be called a society only when its basic elements, including social consciousness, have taken shape. Society is a material ideal reality.
A set of generalized ideas, ideas, theories, feelings, morals, traditions, i.e. of everything that makes up the content of social consciousness, forms a spiritual reality, acts as an integral part of social life. But although materialism asserts a definite role of social being in relation to social consciousness, it is impossible to simplistically speak of the primacy of the first and the secondary of the other. Public consciousness did not arise some time after the emergence of social life, but at the same time in unity with it. Without social consciousness, society simply could not have emerged and developed, because it exists, as it were, in two manifestations: reflective and active-creative.
The essence of consciousness consists precisely in the fact that it can reflect social being only under the condition of its simultaneous active and creative transformation. But, while emphasizing the unity of social life and social consciousness, one should not forget about their difference, specific disunity, and relative independence.
A feature of social consciousness is that in its influence on being, it can, as it were, evaluate it, reveal its secret meaning, predict, transform it through the practical activities of people. And therefore, the public consciousness of the era can not only reflect being, but also actively contribute to its transformation. This is the historically formed function of social consciousness, which makes it a necessary and really existing element of any social structure. No reforms, if they are not supported by public awareness of their meaning and necessity, will not give the expected results, but only hang in the air.
The connection between social being and social consciousness is multifaceted and varied. Thus, things created by man represent the objectification of the corresponding ideas, and thus organically contain elements of social consciousness. Reflecting social life, social consciousness is able to actively influence it through the transformative activities of people.
The relative independence of social consciousness is manifested in the fact that it has continuity. New ideas do not arise from scratch, but as a natural result of spiritual production, based on the spiritual culture of past generations. Being relatively independent, social consciousness can outstrip social life or lag behind it. For example, the idea of using the photo effect originated 125 years before photography was invented by Daguerre. Ideas practical use radio waves were carried out almost 35 years after their discovery, etc.
Public consciousness is a special social phenomenon, characterized by its own characteristics, characteristic only of it, specific laws of functioning and development.
Public consciousness, reflecting all the complexity and contradictions of social life, is also contradictory, has a complex structure. With the emergence of class societies, it acquired a class structure. Differences in the socio-economic conditions of people's lives naturally find their expression in public consciousness.
In multinational states, there is a national consciousness of various peoples. The relationship between different nations is reflected in the minds of people. In those societies where the national consciousness prevails over the common to all mankind, nationalism and chauvinism prevail.
According to the level, depth and degree of reflection of social life in public consciousness, ordinary and theoretical consciousness are distinguished.
From the point of view of its material carriers, one should talk about social, group and individual consciousness, and in the historical and genetic plan, one considers social consciousness as a whole or its features in various socio-economic formations.
2. Forms of public consciousness
The forms of social consciousness are understood as various forms of reflection in the consciousness of people of the objective world and social life, on the basis of which they arise in the process of practical activity.
Public consciousness exists and manifests itself in the forms of political consciousness, legal consciousness, moral consciousness, religious and atheistic consciousness, aesthetic consciousness, natural scientific consciousness.
The existence of various forms of social consciousness is determined by the wealth and diversity of the objective world itself - nature and society. Various forms of consciousness reflect the relationship between classes, nations, social communities and groups, states and serve as the basis for political programs.
In science, concrete laws of nature are learned. Art reflects the world in artistic images, etc. Having a peculiar object of reflection, each form of consciousness has its own special form of reflection: a scientific concept, a moral norm, a religious dogma, an artistic image.
But the wealth and complexity of the objective world only create the possibility of the emergence of various forms of social consciousness. This possibility is realized on the basis of a specific social need. So, science arises when a simple empirical accumulation of knowledge becomes insufficient for the development social production... Political and legal views and ideas arose along with the class stratification of society.
2.1. Political consciousness
Political consciousness is a kind of core of all forms of social consciousness and occupies a special place among them, because it reflects the economic interests of classes and social groups, it has a significant impact on the struggle for power and on all spheres of social life. The leading role belongs to political consciousness, since it stands closer to the economic basis and expresses the material and political interests of the subjects. The economy is primary in relation to politics, but politics is also capable of influencing the economy, on solving its problems, since it is a concentrated expression of the economy. Therefore, political consciousness as a whole plays an important role in the system of public consciousness.
Political consciousness plays an integrating role; it permeates all other forms of social consciousness. Of course, this role is very difficult, since political consciousness can also be influenced by, for example, religion, law or science, but the leading influence remains with the political consciousness.
Political consciousness is formed with the emergence of classes, the state and politics as a sphere of public life, i.e. with the emergence of the political system of society. It reflects the relationship of classes and social groups, their role and place in the system of state power, as well as relations between nations and states, the basis for the unity of these ties are the economic relations of society.
Political consciousness is a system of knowledge and assessments, thanks to which there is a consciousness of the area of politics by subjects acting in the form of individuals, groups, classes, communities. It is a necessary element of the functioning and development of the political system as a whole.
Political consciousness is called upon to perform a predictive function in society, evaluative, regulatory and cognitive.
Political consciousness in a class society is of a class nature. It cannot be homogeneous, because it covers the sphere of relations of all classes and strata to the state and government, the sphere of relationships between various subjects.
The political assessment of reality depends on the position that the subject occupies, the bearer of this assessment in a given society. In the state, there is a clash of political interests in the struggle for power, and the main problem of political thinking is the organization of state power. The political struggle to determine the state structure can take place in various forms: parliamentary discussions and economic demands, the main discussion of social problems, violent coups d'etat, social revolutions.
Political interests are objective and ultimately affect every person. The life of society is permeated with political interests that concentrate social contradictions and are the basis of socially active associations and social clashes. In the process of the struggle, other forms of social consciousness are involved in the sphere of political discussions: religion, science, philosophy, law, art. Thus, not only the socio-economic, but also the spiritual life of society depends on political interests.
The levels of political consciousness are highlighted: everyday-practical and ideological-theoretical .
Ordinary theoretical political consciousness arises spontaneously, from the practical activities of people, their life experience. Emotional and rational, experience and traditions, mood and stereotypes are interconnected here. This consciousness is unstable, because it depends on the specific conditions of life, emotions and changing experience. At the same time, it is largely static, because stereotypes interfere with the flexibility of thinking. In this consciousness there are no forecasts, theoretical generalizations. Every member of society is the bearer of ordinary consciousness, and it plays a large-scale role, reflected in mass political sentiments.
The way of expressing everyday consciousness is social psychology, the structure of which includes such elements as needs, interests, values, traditions, customs, emotions, feelings, mood, imitation, suggestibility. Everyday consciousness is corrected, polished and tested by practical life. It reflects the attitude of subjects to state power, and it is determined by the level of economic and social life.
Theoretical political consciousness (ideology) characterized by the completeness and depth of reflection of political reality, distinguished by the ability to forecast, systematization of views. It is designed to develop a sound political program based on economic and social practice. Ideology aims to actively influence public consciousness.
Not all members of society are engaged in the development of ideology, but specialists (ideologists) who have devoted themselves to political creativity and are engaged in comprehending the laws of public life.
Political ideology can have a great impact on public consciousness as a whole, because it is not only a system of views, but also has state power, its own propaganda system, using science, law, art, religion, all the media. However, in the modern conditions of the development of democracy and glasnost, the unlimited and uncontrollable influence of the dominant ideology is decreasing.
Theoretical political consciousness is called upon to rely on social existence, although this connection is complex and contradictory.
2.2. Legal consciousness
Legal consciousness is most closely related to political consciousness, because both political and economic interests of social groups are directly manifested in it. It has a significant impact on the economy and politics, and on all aspects of social life.
Legal consciousness is understood as a system of knowledge and assessments, through which the sphere of law is understood by social subjects (individuals, groups, classes). Legal consciousness performs regulatory, evaluative and cognitive functions in society.
Legal consciousness is that form of social consciousness, which reflects the knowledge and assessments of the norms of social and political activity of legal entities adopted in society as legal laws: an individual, a collective, an enterprise.
Legal consciousness has a concrete historical character, it changes in connection with changes in the economic and political conditions of society, but at the same time it should be noted that there is a significant continuity between the past and the present. Legal consciousness is closely related to all forms of social consciousness, but most of all it interacts with political and moral consciousness. Legal consciousness is the means that guarantees the fulfillment of the tasks and rules outlined by the political consciousness, it has a reverse effect on it. The legal consciousness of society contributes to the support of the idea of regulated relations between the individual and the state, it is necessary to establish law and order, to protect society from arbitrariness and anarchy. But if political consciousness is formed depending on socio-economic interests, then legal consciousness, in addition to this, is based on rational and moral assessments.
Legal consciousness arises with the emergence of the political organization of society, law, with the division of society into classes. It arose as a social order for the need to regulate social relations and served as a means of political stability in society. Legal awareness appeared as a need to have clear knowledge about law, about its assessment by various social groups and classes. Legal awareness is associated with law. This connection is explained common reasons their occurrence, functioning and change. Legal conscience and law at the same time are not identical. Law is legal laws, it is a system of generally binding social norms, protected by the power of the state. With the help of law, social forces that have state power in their hands regulate the behavior of people, collectives, classes, and fix certain social relations as mandatory.
The fulfillment of the right is obligatory, it is ensured by the state power. The norms of law govern social relations, the participants of which are the bearers of rights and obligations. Legal relations are relations between individuals, organizations, state bodies, related to each other with duties and rights, they are guaranteed by law and reflect the measure of possible and proper behavior. Legal regulations do not allow deviations from the prescriptions of the law. For an offense, the law provides for civil, administrative, disciplinary, and criminal liability.
The rule of law differs from the non-legal content and quality of laws, they should be more just, humane, securing the rights of every person. Man has these rights by nature. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says: "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." But freedom has a certain measure, i.e. suggests limitation. In society, this measure of freedom is expressed in the form of law and should be equal for everyone. Human rights express the possibilities of his actions in various spheres of life: political, economic, cultural, personal.
The rule of law constitutionally enshrines the freedom of people and their equality in rights as innate qualities of every person. The inviolability of human rights, his honor and dignity, his interests, their protection and guarantee are the principles of the rule of law. In turn, the individual also undertakes to obey the general regulations of the state. In a state governed by the rule of law, the principle of mutual responsibility of the individual and the state is established. Unlike a non-rule-of-law state, the rule of law manages society in a normative manner, i.e. through laws based on civil society.
In the creation of the rule of law, the legal consciousness is called upon to play an important role.
The legal consciousness reflects those changes that occur in the sphere of both material and spiritual production, in the sphere of law. Legal consciousness includes views, ideas about rightful and unlawful, legal and illegal, just and unjust, as well as feelings and emotions.
The structure of legal consciousness includes such elements as legal ideology and legal psychology.
Legal ideology is designed to reflect deeply the legal and related political reality, it is characterized by consistency, consistency, and the ability to predict. Legal ideology includes the theory of state and law, a system of knowledge about the legal basis, the theory of legal development based on the analysis of objective reality. Legal ideology, like any other ideology, is developed by specialists-ideologists, lawyers.
The economic basis of society has a significant impact on the formation of legal ideology.
In the structure of legal consciousness, an important element is legal psychology, as a specific form of its manifestation, which includes feelings, moods, traditions, customs, public opinion, social habits and is formed under the direct influence of a variety of social phenomena.
In the structure of legal consciousness on a subjective basis, it is possible to distinguish individual, group and mass (for example, class) consciousness.
According to the level of reflection of reality, the following concepts can be distinguished: ordinary, professional and scientific legal consciousness. Ordinary legal consciousness is formed spontaneously in the everyday practice of people, as an empirical reflection of the legal and interrelated moral and political aspects of society. Professional and theoretical legal awareness are a reflection of essential connections and regularities of reality and find their expression in legal science and other forms of consciousness (for example, political and moral).
In practice, ordinary, professional and theoretical consciousness are very closely interconnected and interact, nevertheless, for a philosophical understanding, they must be isolated and presented in a specific form. These levels of legal awareness cannot replace each other, but they interact very actively. For example, at the ordinary level of legal consciousness, the laws existing in society are considered and evaluated from the standpoint of their compliance with moral norms, while professional and scientific legal thinking examines law from the standpoint of its political content and compliance with the principles of a rational state structure.
Legal consciousness has a historical character, since legislative law itself is also historically specific. But along with the changing moments in legal consciousness, a stable constant characteristic is also preserved in it - this is the idea of a society based on specific legal relations. Legal consciousness is designed to support this idea, which regulates the relationship between classes, social groups, individuals and the state. At the same time, the specificity of legal consciousness lies in the fact that it not only reflects the existing law, but can also critically assess the current legal system, can put forward its moral and legal ideal as a symbol of justice.
2.3. Moral consciousness
Moral consciousness is one of the forms of social consciousness, which, like its other forms, is a reflection of social being. It contains historically changing moral relations that represent the subjective side of morality.
The moral consciousness is based on the category of morality. Morality is a concept that is synonymous with morality, although there are different interpretations of these terms in the theory of ethics. For example, morality is viewed as a form of consciousness, and morality is the sphere of morals, customs, and practical actions.
Morality arose earlier than other forms of social consciousness, back in primitive society, and acted as a regulator of people's behavior in all spheres of social life: in everyday life, in work, in personal relationships. It had a universal meaning, extended to all members of the team and consolidated everything in common that constituted the value foundations of society, which formed the relationship between people. Morality supported the social foundations of life, forms of communication. She acted as a set of norms and rules of behavior developed by society. The rules of morality were obligatory for everyone, they did not allow exceptions for anyone, because they reflected the essential conditions of people's life, their spiritual needs. Morality reflects the relationship of a person to society, the relationship of a person to a person and the requirements of society to a person. It presents the rules of behavior for people that determine their responsibilities to each other and to society.
Moral consciousness permeates all spheres of human activity. It is possible to single out professional morality, everyday morality and family morality. At the same time, moral requirements have an ideological basis, they are associated with an understanding of how a person should behave. Moral behavior should correspond to the corresponding ideals and principles, while the concepts of good and evil, honor and dignity are of great importance here. Moral ideas are developed by society and can change as it develops and changes.
The main function of morality is to regulate the relationship of all members of society and social groups. Each person has certain needs (material and spiritual) and interests, the satisfaction of which may conflict with the needs and interests of other people or society as a whole. According to the "law of the jungle", these contradictions could be resolved through the approval of the strongest. But such a resolution of conflicts could lead to the extermination of humanity. Therefore, the question arose about the need to approve a method for regulating conflict situations. A person was forced to combine his interests with the interests of society, he was forced to submit to the collective. If he did not obey the norms and rules of behavior in the tribe, then he should have left him, and this meant death. Therefore, the fulfillment of moral norms meant a significant stage in the development of mankind, and it is associated with the need for self-preservation.
In the process of developing morality, certain principles and rules of behavior were developed, which were passed on from generation to generation, their observance was mandatory, and non-observance was punished. In a primitive society, morality and law were identical concepts, and the punishment system was harsh. With the division of society into classes, morality acquires a class character, each class has its own ideas about the norms and rules of behavior, which are determined by social and economic interests. Moral norms, reflected in the categories of good, evil, duty, conscience, honor, dignity, responsibility, have a specific historical content due to the level of development of society.
The concept of morality is dialectically fluid. F. Engels was right that "ideas about good and evil changed so much from people to people, from century to century, that they often directly contradicted one another."
The content of morality is determined by the interests of specific social classes, at the same time it should be noted that moral norms also reflect universal human moral values and principles. Such principles and norms as humanism, compassion, collectivism, honor, duty, loyalty, responsibility, generosity, gratitude, friendliness have a universal meaning. Moral norms of this kind are the basic rules of any society.
The modern world is becoming extremely interconnected and interdependent, therefore, now, first of all, universal human eternal values should be singled out. Under these conditions, the role of morality as a form of social consciousness and a universal regulator of activity increases significantly. The moral requirements preserve continuity associated with simple and understandable forms of people's relations, such as not stealing, not killing, respecting parents, keeping promises, helping those in need, etc. And always, at all times, cowardice, betrayal, greed, cruelty, slander, hypocrisy were condemned.
Moral consciousness is studied by one of the philosophical disciplines - ethics. Ethics (Greek, from - temper, custom, habit) is a theory of morality, the science of morality, which investigates human relations, the meaning of life, the concept of happiness, good and evil, moral values, the causes of morality. Already the ancient philosophers considered ethics as a practical philosophy, for it sought to substantiate thoughts about what should be in the form of moral principles and norms, in the form of ideals and spiritual needs. The term "ethics" was coined by Aristotle.
In the moral consciousness, two main principles should be distinguished: emotional and intellectual. The emotional beginning is expressed in the form of attitude and perception of the world - these are moral feelings that represent a personal attitude towards various aspects of life. The intellectual beginning is presented in the form of an understanding of the world of moral norms, principles, ideals, awareness of needs, concepts of good, evil, justice, conscience.
The moral development of people is especially important in connection with the needs of modern society. Understanding universal human values is possible only on condition of moral development of the individual, i.e. social development, when it rises to the level of understanding social justice.
Moral consciousness is associated with other forms of social consciousness, it influences them, and first of all, such a connection is visible with legal, political consciousness, aesthetic and religion. The most closely interact is the moral consciousness and the legal. Both law and morality regulate relationships in society.
It should be noted that moral norms should not be dogmatic in the sense that morality could properly evaluate non-standard actions and phenomena, morality should not limit the freedom of individual development. The moral consciousness of a person can be ahead of its time, and people were often pushed to fight against an unjustly arranged world not only by economic reasons, but also by moral dissatisfaction with the existing situation, the desire to change and improve the world on the basis of the principles of good and justice.
2.4. Aesthetic consciousness
Aesthetic consciousness occupies a special place in the system of forms of social consciousness. Aesthetic consciousness is the spiritual foundation that ensures harmonious unity and internal interconnection of various manifestations of the spiritual life of a person and society as a whole.
Aesthetic consciousness is formed in the process of aesthetic activity and is defined as a holistic, emotionally rich reflection of reality. The objective basis of aesthetic consciousness is natural and social reality and socio-historical practice. Aesthetic consciousness is one of the facets of the spiritual and practical development of the world.
Creativity "according to the laws of beauty" arises on the basis of labor activity and is its complement. In the process of labor activity, the spiritual abilities of a person are formed, which include aesthetic consciousness. In the process of labor and aesthetic activity, human feelings are formed, aesthetic needs arise, which have a holistic effect on the personality.
With the division of labor, the isolation of art from other types of human social activity, the final formation of aesthetic consciousness takes place. Aesthetic consciousness reflects the world, all the various activities of people and their results in emotionally evaluated images. The reflection of the surrounding world in it is accompanied by the appearance of special complex experiences associated with feelings of the sublime, beautiful, tragic and comic.
But the uniqueness of aesthetic consciousness lies in the fact that it contains the complexity and expressiveness of emotional impressions and at the same time penetrates into deep essential connections and relationships. A feature of aesthetic consciousness is that human interaction with the real world is perceived, evaluated and experienced individually on the basis of existing ideals, tastes, and needs.
Aesthetic consciousness has a complex structure, including needs, ideals, views, assessments, feelings, theories, which are very closely related to each other and interdependent. Aesthetic consciousness is one of the ways of reflection, awareness of the world and impact on it. It arises on the basis of the material-production activity of a person, and with the development of this activity, human feelings are formed, freeing from the instinctive form, specific human needs arise, which, in turn, have a reverse effect on all aspects of a person's life.
In the structure of aesthetic consciousness, aesthetic needs are an important element; they are the beginning of an aesthetic attitude to the world. Aesthetic need can be considered as an objectively existing relationship of a person with the environment, as a result of which there is a need for the production, preservation, assimilation and dissemination of aesthetic emotions, individual and social feelings, views, knowledge, values and ideals and their objectification in human activity.
In the structure of aesthetic need, three interrelated elements can be distinguished: emotional, rational and active. The concept of "aesthetic need" covers both the need to perceive the aesthetic phenomena of the world and the need for art and aesthetic creativity. Aesthetic need acts as a driving force for the development of consciousness and practical activity of the individual, as one of the main elements of aesthetic consciousness and manifests itself in the desire to transform the world. The aesthetic need is closely interconnected with the moral one, for the striving for the beautiful and the good appears in unity.
The structure of aesthetic consciousness includes aesthetic feelings. Aesthetic feelings are a kind of human experience arising from the perception of specific lenses: the beauty of nature, objects of labor, works of art. These feelings stimulate the social activity of a person, have a regulating effect on his behavior and on the formation of aesthetic and moral ideals. They help us perceive the world and art as close to us and stimulate creative activity.
Elements of aesthetic consciousness are aesthetic taste and ideal.
Aesthetic taste is the ability to understand and appreciate the beautiful and the ugly, the sublime and the base, the tragic and the comic in life and in art. Hegel wrote that the objective basis of taste is beauty and that taste is brought up. Aesthetic taste is socially conditioned and has its own individual manifestation. It is determined by the outlook of the individual. Aesthetic taste acts as the ability of a person to assess the merits (or demerits) of aesthetically significant phenomena on the basis of her ideas about the beautiful and the sublime, about the ideal and objectify these ideas in concrete activity. Aesthetic taste manifests itself in any creative activity, in the behavior of people, in everyday life. The peculiarity of aesthetic taste is that it manifests itself directly as a person's emotional reaction to what he interacts with. According to I. Kant, taste is "the ability to judge beauty."
In unity with aesthetic taste, the aesthetic ideal acts as an important element of aesthetic consciousness. It contains an understanding of the essence of beauty, reflects the best personality traits. The aesthetic ideal is based on objective trends in social development and plays a connecting role between the past, present and future.
The aesthetic ideal reflects not only aesthetic problems, but also moral, legal, political, philosophical, for it is based on an understanding of the direction historical development society. The aesthetic ideal in a concrete and holistic form represents a harmonious personality in its relationship with society and nature.
Art is a specific phenomenon: a special kind of spiritual, practical exploration of the objective world. Each form of social consciousness fixes the world around in its inherent specific means (in science - with the help of concepts, categories, in law - in the form of laws, in religion - dogmas, in morality - norms, etc.). Art is a means of reflecting and expressing life in the form of artistic images.
The source of artistic images is reality. Art is influenced by political consciousness. Any form of social consciousness is connected with reality through its functions. The power of art is in the direct impact on the individual and society. Art has always played a big role in the life of society.
Works of art have an impact on all forms of social consciousness, especially on political and moral consciousness, on the formation of an atheistic or religious worldview. Through public consciousness, art influences practical activities, the creation of material and spiritual values.
Art has always played a big role in the life of society. Therefore, in history there has always been a sharp struggle over the question of in which direction works of art will affect a person. Art, influencing practical activities, the creation of material and spiritual values, at the same time itself is influenced by social conditions.
So, aesthetic consciousness and its highest product - art, are a necessary element of social consciousness, ensuring its integrity and focus on the future.
2.5. Religious and atheistic consciousness
Religious consciousness is one of the oldest forms of social consciousness, and its subordination to specific socio-historical conditions is quite obvious. Religious consciousness was the leading form of social consciousness for more than two millennia, right up to the Enlightenment.
Religion is not an accidental phenomenon in the culture of mankind, but a naturally arisen, historically and socially conditioned form of humanity's awareness of the surrounding world and itself. Religion is a reflection (albeit fantastically) of the surrounding reality, therefore it develops and changes simultaneously with the change of life itself. F. Engels called religion "a fantastic reflection in the heads of people of those external forces that dominate them in their daily life - a reflection in which earthly forces take the form of unearthly ones."
In pagan religions, real earthly problems were associated with the world of nature, which suppresses man, with the problems of his illness and death. At the same time, both in paganism and later in Christianity, spiritual problems are gradually coming to the fore, just like the question of the essence of man himself, of his mortality or immortality, of the relationship between good and evil, of conscience and justice. Thus, the religious consciousness was formed as the consciousness of a just life. And religious problems were very closely intertwined with moral problems.
The forms of religion are manifold. But various world religions: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, with all their external differences, have many common features. This similarity is explained primarily by the unity of mankind, the similarity of the processes of social development, the laws of psychology common to people. Religious consciousness, along with religious activities, religious relationships and organizations, is an element in the structure of religion. The elements and structure of religion have arisen and changed in the course of human history.
Religion (from Latin - relegio - piety, shrine) is the attitude and worldview and the corresponding behavior, determined by faith in the existence of God, this feeling of dependence in relation to him, which gives hope and support in life.
In modern philosophy, there are three stages in the history of religion:
1. Religion based on its deity in natural forces (the sun god, the earth god, etc.);
2. A religion that recognizes the almighty "Lord God", requiring obedience to him (this can be the doctrine of a personified God (monotheism), this is Islam and the Jewish religion, and in a broad sense, Christianity (trinity), this also includes religion as a simple morality without God);
3. The religion of redemption arising from the sense of sinfulness. This religion is associated with the belief in the mercy of God who frees from sin.
Religious consciousness as an element in the structure of religion is interconnected with its other elements: religious activity, relationships and organizations. As a form of social consciousness, religious consciousness is in interaction with its other forms, and above all such as moral consciousness, aesthetic, legal, etc.
Religious consciousness is specific. It is characterized, first of all, by faith, emotionality, symbolism, sensory clarity, the combination of real content with illusions, dialogicity (dialogue with God), knowledge of religious vocabulary, imagination, fantasy. Religious consciousness is distinguished by the fact that, along with the recognition of real life, it retains an illusory doubling of the world, belief in the continuation of spiritual life after the cessation of earthly life, belief in the other world. It is impossible to logically prove the existence of this world, therefore religious consciousness is based on faith.
Faith is an integrative part of religious consciousness. It does not need confirmation of the truth of religion by reason or feeling. Religious faith means the need for appropriate behavior and activity and the hope of supernatural virtue through the grace of God.
A certain ideal is confirmed in the religious consciousness, supported by faith in it. This ideal is God. A believer is striving towards this ideal, which combines the best real earthly features.
A person's religious duty is humility before God.
In the structure of religious consciousness, the most important component is religious feelings. Religious feelings are, first of all, the emotional attitude of believers to a recognized object (God), to everything connected with it: places, actions, connections, to each other, and to the world as a whole. Religious feelings are interconnected with religious ideas, myths, views, ideal, faith, so they have a certain direction, meaning and significance. For a believer, religious feelings are an object of spiritual need and desire to experience them, they are emotionally saturated and can be easily hurt.
In religious consciousness, both illusory and adequate reflection of the world are combined.
Religious consciousness as one of the sides of spiritual life can interact with others, therefore, philosophical, moral, aesthetic, economic, political views can take place here. Religious consciousness exists and functions in connection with religious vocabulary, with linguistic expression, thanks to which the religious meaning is expressed. It is thanks to language that this consciousness becomes social, practical and real.
A philosophical approach to religion requires the separation of two levels in religious consciousness: the ordinary and the theoretical (conceptual). Everyday religious consciousness is a direct reflection of the existence of people. It appears in the form of ideas, illusions, feelings, moods, habits, traditions. At this level, religion is associated with the individual and appears in a personal form. Traditional methods of conveying feelings, illusions, and representations are mainly used here. The conceptual level of religious consciousness is a systematized set of concepts, principles, judgments, arguments, which includes the doctrine of God, nature, society, and man. This is a doctrine, theology, theology, prepared and substantiated by specialists.
The modern development of science and technology comes into serious conflict with the dogmas of religion. Society and the state need educated citizens who have a scientific picture of the world. And at the same time, religion is preserved, fulfilling the role of the holder of people's consciousness in the necessary moral framework. Religion largely determines the behavior of believers. Modern science refutes the basic dogmas of religion. But religion flexibly and quickly adapts to changing reality.
The reason for the preservation of the religiosity of consciousness is the stability of the traditions that have evolved over the centuries and have firmly entered the life of people. Church ceremonies associated with major events in a person's life (birth, wedding, funeral) play an important role. The preservation of religious consciousness is associated with the aesthetic appeal of ritual culture, with the emotional saturation of religious feelings, with a sense of faith in goodness and justice. Art has always been and continues to be a kind of accumulator of religious views.
Religious organizations have always tried to put at their service various types of art: architecture, painting, sculpture, music, poetry, theater. All this is intended to strengthen the influence of religion, to strengthen faith. In most cases, the dominant religion acts in alliance with the state, with political power. The preservation and expanding influence of religion is promoted active activity church organizations and sects seeking to find ways to the hearts and minds of people. In these cases, more and more flexible and sophisticated methods are used. Religion is a concrete historical phenomenon. It can disappear only when there is no need for it, when social relations that give rise to belief in supernatural forces and the need to preserve this belief are destroyed.
2.6. Natural Science Consciousness
Natural scientific consciousness as a special form of social consciousness is a complex, social phenomenon. In the era of scientific and technological revolution, it actively invades all spheres of social life, becoming a direct productive force.
For all the complexity of the content of science, it should be remembered that science is a spiritual phenomenon. Science is a system of knowledge about nature, society, about man. Scientific knowledge is a product of spiritual production, by its nature it is ideal. Natural-scientific consciousness is a universal spiritual product of social development, and as such it is multifaceted.
Since the Renaissance, science has become critical area social consciousness, which has its own methods of cognition. In science, the criterion for the rational development of the world occupies the main place and from the trinity - truth, goodness, beauty - truth acts as a leading value in it.
Science is a historically developed form of human activity aimed at cognizing and transforming objective reality, such an area of spiritual production, which has as its result purposefully selected and systematized facts, logically verified hypotheses, generalizing theories, fundamental and particular laws, as well as research methods. Thus, science is both a system of knowledge, and their production, and practically transforming activity based on them.
The subject of science is the surrounding world, and various forms and types of motion of matter, and their reflection in consciousness, i.e. nature, man and society as a whole. Therefore, sciences are divided into natural and technical, which study the laws of nature and the methods of its development and transformation, and social, which study various social phenomena and the laws of their development, as well as man himself.
Research methods of science depend on its subject. For example, in the social sciences, statistics is one of the main, and in the natural sciences, experiment. At the same time, the line between these sciences is not absolute. In modern conditions, related disciplines appear (biochemistry, biophysics). General scientific methods are analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, systems approach, etc.
Each science has an empirical level and a theoretical one. The theoretical levels of individual sciences converge in the philosophical explanation of principles and laws, in the formation of the methodological and worldview sides of scientific knowledge as a whole. At present, the needs of material production affect the development of science and the directions of its research: in turn, science also affects the development of society. The discoveries of science and inventions in the field of technology have had a huge impact on the development of mankind.
The role of science in the development of production increases with the expansion and socialization of production. Thanks to its discoveries, modern science has greatly facilitated the life and work of people. Scientific discoveries and inventions led to an increase in labor productivity, to an increase in the quantity and quality of goods. In modern conditions, science is becoming a direct productive force. The humanities are becoming important for improving the system of public life, for accelerating socio-economic development on the basis of scientific and technological progress. Sociological and economic research should help to reasonably use the available natural and social opportunities, choose the optimal direction and development of material and spiritual production. Science, like all other forms of human assimilation of reality, arises and develops from the need to meet the needs of society. The role and social significance of science are not limited to its explanatory function, because the main goal of cognition is the practical application of scientific knowledge.
So, the forms of social consciousness and among them naturally scientific, aesthetic and moral consciousness determine the level of development of the spiritual life of society.
2.7. Economic Consciousness
Economic consciousness is a form of social consciousness, which reflects economic knowledge, theories, assessments of socio-economic activities and social needs. Economic consciousness is formed under the influence of specific historical conditions and is determined by the objective need to comprehend the ongoing socio-economic changes. Economic consciousness, comprehension and improvement is aimed at the existing economic reality.
In the structure of economic consciousness, one should first of all single out such an element as economic knowledge, on the basis of which practical activity is carried out.
Economic consciousness is not limited to the reflection of socio-economic life, it includes attitudes towards it, assessments of economic activity and acts as a significant factor in the behavior of various social groups. The economic consciousness reflects, first of all, the conditions of the economic life of people, the attitude of a certain class, social group, person to ownership of the means of production.
Thus, economic consciousness reflects the real world, it evaluates it and, based on specific needs, changes it. It has an active impact on the entire socio-economic life of society.
Economic consciousness includes different levels of comprehension of reality. In its structure, it is necessary to highlight the theoretical, scientific consciousness and the empirical, everyday understanding of the economy. Theoretical consciousness is expressed in economic laws, categories, theories, ideas. Everyday economic consciousness is formed on the basis of attitudes, direct life experience, elementary economic knowledge and socio-psychological attitudes. These levels of economic consciousness are interconnected and their interaction creates a variety of economic views and orientations.
The specificity of economic consciousness lies in the fact that it predicts and projects a new understanding of life, new approaches and methods.
2.8. Environmental awareness
In modern conditions, the most important role is assigned to ecological consciousness, human understanding of his unity with nature. Ecology (from the Greek o "iros - housing and water education) is a science that studies the relationship and interaction of organisms with each other and with their environment. The term" ecology "was first coined in 1886 by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel.
In the process of long evolution in living nature, a developing dynamic system was created - the biosphere - the earth's shell, enveloped in life and possessing a peculiar physicochemical and geological organization. The biosphere is the basis of human life and a prerequisite for the creation of material production as the foundation for the existence of society.
With the emergence of society and the development of production, technology, the science of the biosphere passes into the noosphere (the sphere of reason), a part of the planet covered by intelligent, conscious human activity. It should be noted that the noosphere tends to constantly expand. This is due to the human entry into space and the development of the bowels of the Earth.
In connection with the continuous development and expansion of material production, the scale of human intervention in the natural habitat is significantly increasing, while often causing significant damage to the biosphere, disrupting the natural ecological balance, the equilibrium natural system that has naturally formed over millennia. In modern conditions, the degree of human influence on nature is increasing more and more. Unfortunately, this impact is also negative. An irreversible geochemical change in nature takes place. Significant damage has been inflicted on the biosphere, the system of natural natural processes has been disrupted: air and soil are polluted, the soil cover has been largely destroyed, forests have been cut down, some water bodies have perished, the water of many rivers and seas has been poisoned, etc.
In turn, the natural environment has had a significant negative impact on the development of society and on each individual person. Numerous diseases of people caused by violations in the field of ecology have arisen. As a result of its activities, mankind has come into sharp conflict with the habitat. An ecological crisis arose, which manifested itself in a sharp negative change in the biosphere. The habitat has deteriorated, the ecological balance has been disrupted - the balance between the restoration and use of natural resources. The environmental problem has become a global problem in the modern world.
In these conditions, the question arises about the responsibility of man for all transformations in nature.
The modern ecological situation requires from society the development of ecological culture, a conscious moral and aesthetic attitude to nature in the name of the physical and spiritual health of mankind. Environmental awareness has an important role to play here.
Environmental consciousness is a value form of social consciousness, which reflects the relationship between man and nature and the assessment of social activity. Environmental consciousness presupposes the allocation of a person himself as a bearer of an active and creative attitude to nature. This is a consideration of any production and social issues taking into account environmental factors and consequences, this ecological approach to the solution of certain problems.
At present, environmental education and upbringing is needed to regulate the behavior of individuals and social groups in relation to nature. The purpose of ecological education is to form ecological social and individual consciousness. The subject of environmental awareness is the relationship to the nature of man and society. Ecological consciousness reflects the real world in the form of such concepts as "ecological situation", "ecological balance", "ecological crisis", "zone of ecological disaster" and others. In addition, there are certain values and norms. Environmental consciousness includes certain knowledge about nature and the place of man in it, environmental assessments of ongoing processes, feelings of love for nature.
Environmental awareness is called upon to fulfill certain social functions. It has primarily cognitive, educational and practical functions. Environmental consciousness is interconnected and interacts with other forms of social consciousness, and above all with such as moral, aesthetic, legal, political, economic. The modern ecological situation requires from a person a moral and aesthetic attitude to nature in the name of preserving life on Earth.
The essence of ecological consciousness is a humane attitude towards nature, a person's understanding of himself as a particle of the natural world. The criterion for the development of ecological consciousness is the formed spiritual need, in a respectful attitude to nature, in an effort not only to preserve, but also to increase natural wealth and beauty.
Conclusion
Thus, the forms of social consciousness are different forms of reflection in the consciousness of people of the objective world and social life, on the basis of which they arise in the process of practical activity. Public consciousness exists and manifests itself in the forms of political ideology, legal consciousness, morality, religion, science, artistic views, art, philosophy. In contrast to the direct reflection of reality in everyday consciousness, forms of social consciousness appear as more or less systematized consciousness, mediated by theoretical or figurative reflection of reality. The forms of social consciousness differ among themselves, according to the object and, the form of reflection, according to social functions and the originality of the laws of development. The diversity of forms of social consciousness is determined by the wealth and diversity of the objective world itself - nature and society. Different forms of social consciousness reflect different areas and aspects of reality.
But the wealth and complexity of the objective world only create the possibility of the emergence of various forms of social consciousness. This possibility is realized on the basis of a specific social need.
The originality of social need, giving rise to certain forms of social consciousness, determines that specific historical role which they play in the life and development of society.
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Public consciousness. Essence. Levels. Forms.
PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS- this is the spiritual life of society in the aggregate of feelings, moods, views, ideas, theories, reflecting social life and influencing it. Representation in the spiritual activity of people of interests, representations of various social groups, classes, nations, society as a whole.
Public conscience - the totality psychological properties inherent in a society considered as an independent integrity, a system that is not reducible to the sum of its constituent individuals.
Almost any society, regardless of its size, stability and degree of integration, has this or that consciousness (some of its features can be found at the queue in the store). Historical reality, reflected in the minds of people, generates public sentiments, ideologies, social psychology, national characters, and so on. These, in turn, have an effective impact on reality. Public consciousness serves as the basis for cultural activities and influences the individual psychology of each person entering society.
The subject of social consciousness is society, not an individual. An individual is capable of inventing an ideology or giving impetus to a certain phenomenon of social psychology, but it will only enter public consciousness when it “takes hold of the masses”.
Its structure: it consists of two parts-poles of "Ideology" - conscious, theoretically processed, reflected. "Social psychology" or "mentality", which is the sphere of the collective unconscious, is characterized by concealment, depth, spontaneity. (
At the same time, "social psychology and ideology are in some contradiction with each other, but do not exist without each other" and mutually penetrate each other.
Public consciousness is part of culture in the broadest sense of the word.
Preserving in the culture of society, social psychology / mentality reflects the historical path it has traveled. “The mentality of an individual is determined by the principles and structural features of the language and culture that determined its development and formation< ...>Language and culture, in turn, are formed in the course of the historical development of a particular people. Thus, the historical experience, processed and deposited in the language and culture, then influences the formation of the deep features of the human psyche, mastering the world through language and culture. The way of thinking can therefore be seen as an interiorized experience of linguistic and cultural history. " The famous historian PN Milyukov wrote about this: "The national character is itself a consequence of historical life." What has been said in this case about the ethnos can, in our opinion, be extended to other types of societies.
Existence in culture different parts public consciousness is different. Ideology requires special development, cultivation, fixation (because it is based on theoretical, scientific thinking) and is therefore concentrated in its entirety in the minds of a few. The existence of social psychology / mentality is largely spontaneous (although there are ways of control, manipulation), it is inherent in all members of society.
The content of the pole of ideology is theories, scientific, religious, philosophical systems and teachings, a conscious worldview. The content of the pole of spontaneous, unaccountable social psychology / mentality is mental, behavioral, emotional stereotypes; latent value attitudes; pictures of the world and perception of oneself in the world; all kinds of automatisms of consciousness; public performances, etc.
The mechanism for the preservation and transmission of social psychology / mentality, as well as its assimilation by each new member of society, are similar to the mechanism of life of living natural languages. Through the environment (linguistic or, respectively, mental) and from the older generations to the younger. “Culture and tradition, language, lifestyle and religiosity form a kind of“ matrix ”within the framework of which mentality is formed. The epoch in which the individual lives, leaves an indelible imprint on his perception of the world, gives him certain forms of mental reactions and behavior, and these features of spiritual equipment are found in " collective consciousness" ».
Public consciousness is historically fluid. Ideology can change instantly, although it always takes time to spread it widely. As for the mentality, representatives of the Annals School have always noted the slowness of the changes taking place in it. BF Porshnev in his "social psychology" distinguishes a more or less stable "mental warehouse" (for example, national character) and dynamic "mental shifts", public mood (for example, fashion).
To comprehend public consciousness, it is necessary to analyze the broadest possible cultural context: texts and objects of "material culture", the system of social ties and relationships, everyday life and history. In feedback: understanding the mentality and ideology of a society will help to correctly assess all processes occurring in it, adequately perceive the behavior of its members and better understand the cultural phenomena it has developed.
The essence of public consciousness
For many centuries, heated debates around the essence of consciousness and the possibilities of its cognition have not ceased. Theologians view consciousness as a tiny spark of the majestic flame of the divine mind. Idealists defend the idea of the primacy of consciousness in relation to matter. Taking consciousness out of the objective connections of the real world and considering it as an independent and creative essence of being, objective idealists interpret consciousness as something primordial: not only is it not explainable by anything that exists outside of it, but from itself is called upon to explain everything that happens in nature, history and the behavior of each individual. The adherents of objective idealism recognize consciousness as the only reliable reality.
If idealism pulls out the chasm between reason and the world, then materialism seeks community, unity between the phenomena of consciousness and the objective world, deriving the spiritual from the material. Materialistic philosophy and psychology proceed in solving this problem from two cardinal principles: from the recognition of consciousness as a function of the brain and a reflection of the external world.
Levels of public consciousness
The structure of social consciousness is very complex: first of all, levels are distinguished in it - everyday-practical and scientific-theoretical. This aspect of the consideration of social consciousness can be called epistemological, since it shows the depth of penetration of the subject of knowledge into objective reality. As you know, everyday and practical consciousness is less structured, more superficial than scientific and theoretical. Public consciousness at the everyday-practical level manifests itself as social psychology, at the scientific-theoretical level - as an ideology. It should be emphasized that ideology is not the entire scientific-theoretical consciousness, but only that part of it that bears a class character. But this will be discussed below.
The next aspect of considering public consciousness is according to its bearer or subject. Thus, the types of social consciousness are distinguished - individual, group and mass consciousness. The bearer of individual consciousness is an individual person, the bearer of group consciousness is a social group, the bearer mass consciousness- an unorganized group of people united by any idea, goal. For example, fans of a pop singer, regular listeners of the Mayak radio station can be referred to the phenomenon of mass consciousness. It is sometimes said that the bearer of mass consciousness is the crowd, but many sociologists believe that it is more correct to single out both the consciousness of the crowd and the consciousness of the masses. In passing, we note that the crowd is people who are in direct contact with each other, who have gathered to achieve some goal, but the crowd is distinguished from the masses by direct contact, the presence of a leader and joint activities, for example, at a rally, demonstration, etc.
Forms of public consciousness
Public consciousness is a collection of various spiritual phenomena that reflect all spheres of social life and the richness of a person's individual life, therefore, its various forms are distinguished - moral, aesthetic, religious, legal, political, philosophical, scientific, ecological, economic, etc. Of course, such structuring is conditional, since the types, forms, levels of social consciousness are in constant interaction and mutual influence.
Analyzing public consciousness, social F pays special attention to ideology. Ideology is a system of ideas and theories, values and norms, ideals and directives for action. It contributes to the consolidation or elimination of existing social relations. In its theoretical content, ideology is a combination of legal, political, moral, aesthetic and other ideas that ultimately reflect the economic relations of society from the standpoint of a certain social class.
Let us dwell in more detail on the spiritual life of society. It can be understood as the sphere of being in which the objective, supraindividual reality was transformed into an individual, subjective reality inherent in every person.
As an aggregate spiritual product, it is important to understand how the relative independence of social consciousness in relation to social being is manifested.
Public consciousness acts as a necessary side of the socio-historical process, as a function of society as a whole. Its independence is manifested in development according to its own internal laws. Public consciousness can lag behind social life, but it can also be ahead of it. It is important to see continuity in the development of social consciousness, as well as in the manifestation of the interaction of various forms of social consciousness. Of particular importance is the active reverse influence of social consciousness on social life.
There are two levels of social consciousness: social psychology and ideology. Social psychology is a set of feelings, moods, customs, traditions, motives characteristic of a given society as a whole and for each of the large social groups. Ideology is a system of theoretical views that reflects the degree of society's knowledge of the world as a whole and its individual aspects. This is the level of theoretical reflection of the world; if the first is emotional, sensual, then the second is the rational level of social consciousness. The interaction of social psychology and ideology, as well as the relationship between ordinary consciousness and mass consciousness, is considered complex.
Forms of public consciousness
As social life develops, human cognitive abilities arise and are enriched, which exist in the following basic forms of social consciousness: moral, aesthetic, religious, political, legal, scientific, philosophical.
Morality- a form of public consciousness, which reflects the views and ideas, norms and assessments of the behavior of individual individuals, social groups and society as a whole.
Political consciousness there is a set of feelings, stable moods, traditions, ideas and integral theoretical systems that reflect the fundamental interests of large social groups, their relationship to each other and to the political institutions of society.
Right Is a system of social norms and relations protected by the power of the state. Legal awareness is knowledge and assessment of law. At the theoretical level, legal consciousness appears in the form of legal ideology, which is an expression of the legal views and interests of large social groups.
Aesthetic consciousness there is an awareness of social being in the form of concrete-sensual, artistic images.
Religion- This is a form of social consciousness, the basis of which is the belief in the supernatural. It includes religious beliefs, religious feelings, religious actions.
Philosophical Consciousness- this is the theoretical level of the worldview, the science of the most general laws of nature, society and thinking and the general method of their cognition, the spiritual quintessence of its era.
Scientific Consciousness Is a systematized and rational reflection of the world in a special scientific language, based on and finding confirmation in the practical and factual verification of its provisions. It reflects the world in categories, laws and theories.
And here one cannot do without knowledge, ideology and politics. In the social sciences, the essence and meaning of these concepts from the moment of their appearance exist different interpretations and opinions. But it is more expedient for us to begin the analysis of the problem posed with philosophy. This is justified not so much by the fact that, in terms of the time of its appearance, philosophy precedes all other sciences, as by those - and this is decisive - that philosophy is the foundation, the basis on which all other social sciences are based, i.e. studying society, science. Specifically, this is manifested in the fact that since philosophy studies the most general laws of social development and the most general principles of the study of social phenomena, then their knowledge, and most importantly, application, will be the same. methodological basis used by other social sciences, including ideology and politics. So, the defining and guiding role of philosophy in relation to ideology and politics is manifested in the fact that it acts as a methodological basis, the foundation of ideological and political doctrines.
Ideology
Now let's see what it is ideology, when and why it arose and what function it performs in the life of society. For the first time the term "ideology" was introduced into use by the French philosopher and economist A. de Tracy in 1801 in his work "Elements of Ideology" for "the analysis of sensations and ideas." During this period, ideology acts as a kind of philosophical trend, which signified the transition from enlightenment empiricism to traditional spiritualism, which gained significant distribution in European philosophy in the first half of the 19th century. During the reign of Napoleon, due to the fact that some philosophers took a hostile position towards him and his reforms, the French emperor and his entourage began to be called "ideologists" or "doctrinaires" of persons whose views were divorced from the practical problems of public life and the real politicians. It was during this period that ideology begins to move from a philosophical discipline to its current state, i.e. into a doctrine, more or less devoid of objective content and expressing and protecting the interests of various social forces. In the middle of the XIX century. a new approach to elucidating the content and social cognition of ideology was made by K. Marx and F. Engels. Fundamental in understanding the essence of ideology is its understanding as a certain form of social consciousness. Although ideology has relative independence in relation to the processes taking place in society, on the whole, its essence and social orientation are determined by social being.
Another point of view on ideology was expressed by V. Pareto (1848-1923), an Italian sociologist and political economist. In his interpretation, ideology differs significantly from science, and they have nothing in common. If the latter relies on observation and logical comprehension, then the former relies on feelings and faith. According to Pareto, it is a socio-economic system that has equilibrium due to the fact that the antagonistic interests of social strata and classes neutralize each other. Despite the constant antagonism caused by inequality between people, human society nevertheless exists and this happens because it is governed by ideology, the belief system, the chosen people, the human elite. It turns out that the functioning of society to a large extent depends on the elite's ability to bring their beliefs, or ideology, to the consciousness of people. Ideology can be brought to the consciousness of people through clarification, persuasion, and also through violent actions. At the beginning of the XX century. German sociologist K. Manheim (1893-1947) expressed his understanding of ideology. Based on the position borrowed from Marxism about the dependence of social consciousness on social life, ideology on economic relations, he develops a concept of individual and universal ideology. Individual or particular ideology means "a set of ideas that more or less comprehend real reality, the true knowledge of which conflicts with the interests of the one who proposes the ideology itself." More generally, ideology is the universal "worldview" of a social group or class. In the first, i.e. on an individual level, the analysis of ideology should be carried out from a psychological perspective, and in the second - from a sociological perspective. In both the first and second cases, ideology, according to the German thinker, is an idea that can grow into a situation, subjugate and adapt it to itself.
“Ideology,” Mannheim argues, “is ideas that have an impact on the situation and which in reality could not realize their potential content. Often ideas appear as well-meaning goals of individual behavior. practical life, there is a deformation of their content. Denying class consciousness and, accordingly, class ideology, Mannheim recognizes, in essence, only the social, particular interests of professional groups and individuals of different generations. Among them special role assigned to the creative intelligentsia, supposedly standing outside the classes and capable of impartial knowledge of society, although only at the level of possibility. Common to Pareto and Mannheim will be the opposition of ideology to positive sciences. In Pareto, this is the opposition of ideology to science, and in Mannheim, ideology to utopias. Taking into account how Pareto and Mannheim characterize ideology, its essence can be characterized as follows: ideology is considered to be any belief with the help of which collective actions are controlled. The term belief should be understood in its broadest sense and, in particular, as a concept that regulates behavior and which may or may not have an objective meaning. The most thorough and reasoned interpretation of ideology, its essence was given by the founders of Marxism and their followers. They define ideology as a system of views and ideas, with the help of which the relations and connections of people with reality and with each other are interpreted and evaluated, social problems and conflicts, as well as the goals and objectives of social activities, consisting in the consolidation or change of existing social relations.
In a class society, ideology is class in nature and reflects the interests of social groups and classes. First of all, ideology is a part of public consciousness and refers to it the highest level, since in a systematic form, clothed in concepts and theory, it expresses the main interests of classes and social groups. Structurally, it includes both theoretical attitudes and practical actions. Speaking about the formation of ideology, it should be borne in mind that it does not arise by itself from the everyday life of people, but is created by social scientists, political and statesmen. At the same time, it is very important to know that ideological concepts are not necessarily created by representatives of the class or social group whose interests they express. World history testifies that among the representatives of the ruling classes there were many ideologues who, sometimes unconsciously, expressed the interests of other social strata. Theoretically, ideologists become such by virtue of the fact that they, in a systematized or rather explicit form, express the goals and the need for political and socio-economic transformations, to which they empirically, i.e. in the course of his practical activity, one or another class or group of people comes. The nature of ideology, its direction and quality assessment depend on whose social interests it corresponds to. Ideology, although it is a product of social life, but, possessing relative independence, has a huge opposite effect on social life and social transformations. In critical historical periods in the life of society, this influence in historically short periods of time can be decisive.
Politics- a historically transient phenomenon. It begins to form only at a certain stage in the development of society. Thus, in a primitive tribal society, there were no political relations. The life of society was regulated by centuries of habits and traditions. Politics as a theory and management of social relations begins to form as more developed forms of the division of social labor and private ownership of tools of labor appear. tribal relations turned out to be unable to regulate new relations between people using the old folk methods. Actually, starting from this stage of human development, i.e. since the emergence of the slave society, the first secular ideas and ideas about the origin and essence of power, state and politics appear. Naturally, the idea of the subject and essence of politics has changed, and we will focus on the interpretation of politics, which is currently more or less generally accepted, i.e. about politics as a theory of the state, politics as science and the art of management. The first of the famous thinkers who touched upon the development and organization of society, expressed ideas about the state, was Aristotle, who did this in the treatise "Politics". Aristotle forms his ideas about the state based on an analysis of the social history and political structure of a number of Greek city states. The doctrine of the Greek thinker about the state is based on his conviction that man is a "political animal", and his life in the state is the natural essence of man. The state is presented as a developed community of communities, and the community - as a developed family. His family is the prototype of the state, and he transfers its structure to the state system. Aristotle's doctrine of the state has a clearly expressed class character.
Slave state- this is the natural state of the organization of society, and therefore the existence of slave owners and slaves, masters and subordinates is fully justified. The main tasks of the state, i.e. , there should be prevention of excessive accumulation of wealth among citizens, since this is fraught with social instability; the immense growth of political power in the hands of one person and the keeping of slaves in obedience. N. Machiavelli (1469 - 1527), an Italian political thinker and public figure, made a significant contribution to the doctrine of state and politics. The state and politics, according to Machiavelli, are not of religious origin, but represent an independent side of human activity, the embodiment of free human will within the framework of necessity, or fortune (fate, happiness). Politics is not determined by God or morality, but is the result of human practical activity, the natural laws of life and human psychology. The main motives that determine political activity, according to Machiavelli, are real interests, self-interest, the desire to get rich. The sovereign, the ruler must be an absolute sovereign and even a despot. He should not be limited by either moral or religious prescriptions in achieving his goals. Such harshness is not a whim, it is dictated by the circumstances themselves. Only a strong and tough sovereign can ensure the normal existence and functioning of the state and keep in the sphere of his influence the cruel world of people striving for wealth, prosperity and guided only by selfish principles.
According to Marxism, politics- This is a field of human activity, determined by the relationship between classes, social strata, ethnic groups. Its main goal is the problem of conquering, retaining and using state power. The most important thing in politics is the organization of state power. The state acts as a political superstructure over the economic base. Through it, the economically ruling class secures its political domination. In essence, the main function of the state in a class society is to protect the fundamental interests of the ruling class. Three factors provide the power and strength of the state. Firstly, it is public power, which includes a permanent administrative and bureaucratic apparatus, the army, the police, the court, and the houses of detention. These are the most powerful and efficient government bodies. Secondly, the right to collect taxes from the population and institutions, which are necessary mainly for the maintenance of the state apparatus, power and numerous government bodies. Thirdly, this is an administrative-territorial division, which contributes to the development of economic ties and the creation of administrative and political conditions for their regulation. Along with class interests, the state, to a certain extent, expresses and protects national interests, regulates mainly with the help of a system of legal norms the entire set of economic, socio-political, national and family relations, thereby contributing to the strengthening of the existing socio-economic order. One of the most important levers by which the state carries out its activities is law. Law is a set of norms of behavior enshrined in laws and approved by the state. In the words of Marx and Engels, law is the will of the ruling class, elevated into law. With the help of law, economic and social or socio-political relations are consolidated, i.e. the relationship between classes and social groups, the status of the family and the situation of national minorities. After the formation of the state and the establishment of law in society, previously nonexistent political and legal relations are formed. Political relations are expressed by political parties that express the interests of various classes and social groups.
Political relations, the struggle between parties for power is nothing more than a struggle of economic interests. Each class and social group is interested in establishing the priority of their interests in society with the help of constitutional laws. For example, workers are interested in objective remuneration for their labor, students - in scholarships that would provide them at least food, the owners of banks, factories and other property - in the preservation of private property. We can say that the economy at a certain stage gives rise to politics and political parties because they are needed for normal existence and development. Although politics is a product of the economy, nevertheless, it has not only relative independence, but has a certain influence on the economy, and in periods of transition and crisis, this influence can even determine the ways of economic development. The influence of politics on the economy is carried out different ways: direct, through economic policy carried out by state bodies (financing of various projects, investments, prices of goods); the establishment of customs duties on industrial products in order to protect domestic producers; holding such foreign policy that would favor the activities of domestic producers in other countries. The active role of politics in stimulating economic development can be carried out in three directions: 1) when political factors act in the same direction as the objective course of economic development, they accelerate it; 2) when acting contrary economic development then they hold him back; 3) they can slow down development in some directions and accelerate it in others.
Conducting the right policy directly depends on the extent to which the political forces in power are guided by the laws of social development and take into account the interests of classes and social groups in their activities. So, we can say that in order to understand the socio-political processes taking place in society, it is important to know not only the role of social philosophy, ideology, and politics separately, but also their interaction and mutual influence.