Theories of social progress include: Social progress

Chapter XVIII. SOCIAL PROGRESS

2. The contradictory nature of the development of truth The main thesis of materialist dialectics in the doctrine of truth is the recognition of its objective nature. Objective truth is the content of human ideas that does not depend on the subject, i.e.

Fundamental themes in the study of social science. Profound changes cover almost the entire modern world. In social reality, the intensity of change is constantly increasing: during the life of one generation, some forms of life organization arise and collapse, while others are born. This applies not only to individual societies, but also to the world order as a whole.

To describe the dynamics of society in sociology, the following basic concepts are used: social change, social development and social progress. Society is never stationary. Something is happening and changing in it all the time. People, realizing their own needs, master new types of communication and activities, acquire new statuses, change their environment, join new roles in society, and change themselves both as a result of generational changes and throughout their lives.

Contradictory and uneven social changes

Social changes are contradictory and uneven. The concept of social progress is controversial. This is revealed mainly in the fact that the development of many social phenomena and processes leads both to advancement in some directions and to a return and retreat in others. Many changes in society are of such a contradictory nature. Some changes are barely noticeable, while others have a significant impact on the life of society. For example, it changed a lot after the invention of the plow, the steam engine, writing, and the computer. On the one hand, over the course of a generation in industrialized countries, enormous changes occur in the life of society. It changes beyond recognition. On the other hand, the world continues to have societies in which change is extremely slow (Australian or African primitive systems).

What causes the contradictory nature of social change?

Discrepancy in society's social interests different groups, as well as the fact that their representatives perceive the changes taking place differently, determines the inconsistency of social changes. For example, the need to ensure a decent existence for oneself creates an employee’s interest in selling his labor power as dearly as possible. By realizing this same need, the entrepreneur strives to acquire labor at a cheaper price. Therefore alone social groups may positively perceive changes in the organization of work, while for others it will not cause satisfaction.

Social development

Among the many changes, one can distinguish qualitative, irreversible and directional ones. Today they are commonly called social development. Let us define this concept more strictly. Social development represents a change in society, leading to the emergence of new relationships, values ​​and norms, social institutions. It is associated with the increment, accumulation, complication of functions and structures social system. As a result of these processes, the system becomes more and more efficient. Its ability to satisfy the various needs of people is increasing. qualities of individuals is an important indicator and result of social development.

When defining this concept, it should be noted that it expresses a natural, directed and irreversible change in social processes or phenomena. As a result, they pass into a certain new qualitative state, that is, their structure or composition changes. Social as a concept is narrower than social change. Periods of crisis, chaos, war, totalitarianism, which negatively affect the life of society, cannot be called development.

Social revolution and social evolution

Two approaches to the consideration of social development are clearly visible in sociology. This is social revolution and social evolution. The latter usually refers to the stage-by-stage, smooth, gradual development of society. On the contrary, a social revolution is a radical transition to something new, a qualitative leap that changes all aspects of life.

Progress and regression

Changes in society do not always occur chaotically. They are characterized by a certain direction, denoted by such concepts as regression or progress. The concept of social progress serves to designate such a direction of development of society in which its progressive movement occurs from lower and simpler forms public life to ever higher and more complex, more perfect. In particular, these are changes that lead to growth and freedom, greater equality, and improved living conditions.

The course of history has not always been smooth and even. There were also kinks (zigzags) and turns. Crises, world wars, local conflicts, and the establishment of fascist regimes were accompanied by negative changes affecting the life of society. initially assessed as positive, in addition, could lead to negative consequences. For example, urbanization and industrialization have long been considered synonymous with progress. However, relatively recently, talk has begun about the negative effects of destruction and pollution environment, traffic jams on highways, overpopulated cities. Progress is spoken of when the sum of positive consequences from certain social changes exceeds the sum of negative ones. If there is an inverse relationship, we are talking about social regression.

The latter is the opposite of the first and represents a movement from complex to simple, from higher to lower, from whole to parts, and so on. However, in general, the line of historical development has a progressive, positive direction. Social development and social progress are global processes. Progress characterizes the movement of society forward throughout historical development. Whereas the regression is only local. It marks individual societies and time periods.

Reform and revolution

There are such types of social progress as abrupt and gradual. The gradual one is called reformist, and the spasmodic one is called revolutionary. Accordingly, the two forms of social progress are reform and revolution. The first represents partial improvement in some area of ​​life. These are gradual transformations that do not affect the foundations of the current social system. On the contrary, a revolution is a complex change in the majority of forces in all aspects of society, which affects the foundations of the current system. It has a spasmodic character. It is necessary to distinguish between two forms of social progress - reform and revolution.

Criteria for social progress

The value judgments themselves such as “progressive - reactionary”, “better - worse” are subjective. Social development and social progress cannot be unequivocally assessed in this sense. However, if such judgments also reflect the connections that objectively develop in society, then they are not only subjective in this sense, but also objective. Social development and social progress can be strictly assessed. Various criteria are used for this.

Different scientists have different criteria for social progress. The generally accepted ones in a generalized form are the following:

Level of knowledge, development of the human mind;

Improving morality;

Development including the person himself;

The nature and level of consumption and production;

Development of technology and science;

The degree of integration and differentiation of society;

Socio-political freedoms and individual rights;

The degree of her freedom from society and elemental forces nature;

Average life expectancy.

The higher these indicators, the higher the social progress and development of society.

Man is the goal and main criterion of social progress

The main indicator of the regressiveness or progressiveness of social changes is precisely the person, his physical, material, moral state, comprehensive and free development of the individual. That is, in the modern system of social and humanitarian knowledge there is a humanistic concept that determines social progress and development of society. Man is his goal and main criterion.

HDI

In 1990, UN specialists developed the HDI (Human Development Index). With its help, both social and economic components of quality of life can be taken into account. This integral indicator is calculated annually for comparison between countries and to measure the level of education, literacy, life and longevity of the studied territory. When comparing living standards different regions and countries this is a standard tool. The HDI is defined as the arithmetic average of the following three indicators:

Literacy level (average number of years spent in education), as well as expected duration of education;

Life expectancy;

Standard of living.

Countries, depending on the value of this index, are classified according to their level of development as follows: 42 countries - very high level development, 43 - high, 42 - average, 42 - low. The top five countries with the highest HDI include (in ascending order) Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Australia and Norway.

Declaration of Social Progress and Development

This document was adopted in 1969 by UN resolution. The main objectives of the policy of social development and progress, which all governments and states are obliged to pursue, are to ensure fair remuneration for work without any discrimination, the establishment by states of a minimum level of payment that would be high enough to ensure an acceptable standard of living, the elimination of poverty and hunger . The Declaration guides countries to improve people's living standards and ensure equal and fair distribution of income. Russia's social development is also carried out in accordance with this declaration.

Social progress leads to the fact that rare, even initially refined needs gradually turn into socially normal ones. This process is obvious even without scientific research; it is enough to compare the set and level of modern needs with what it was several decades ago.

Obstacles to social progress

There are only two obstacles to social progress - the state and religion. The monster state is propped up by the fiction of God. The origin of religion is connected with the fact that people endowed fictional gods with their own exaggerated abilities, powers and qualities.

All societies are in constant development, in the process of change and transition from one state to another. At the same time, sociologists distinguish two directions and three main forms of social movement. Let's look at the essence first progressive and regressive directions.

Progress(from Latin progressus – movement forward, success) means development with an upward tendency, movement from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect. It leads to positive changes in society and is manifested, for example, in the improvement of means of production and work force, in the development of the social division of labor and the growth of its productivity, in new achievements of science and culture, improvement of people's living conditions, their comprehensive development, etc.

Regression(from Latin regressus - reverse movement), on the contrary, implies development with a downward tendency, movement backward, transition from higher to lower, which leads to negative consequences. It can manifest itself, say, in a decrease in production efficiency and the level of people’s well-being, in the spread of smoking, drunkenness, drug addiction in society, deterioration in public health, an increase in mortality, a drop in the level of spirituality and morality of people, etc.

Which path is society taking: the path of progress or regression? People’s idea of ​​the future depends on what the answer to this question is: does it bring better life or does it not bode well?

Ancient Greek poet Hesiod (8th-7th centuries BC) wrote about five stages in the life of mankind.

The first stage was "golden age", when people lived easily and carelessly.

Second - "silver Age" - the beginning of the decline of morality and piety. Descending lower and lower, people found themselves in "Iron Age" when evil and violence reign everywhere, justice is trampled underfoot.

How did Hesiod see the path of humanity: progressive or regressive?

Unlike Hesiod, ancient philosophers

Plato and Aristotle viewed history as a cyclical cycle, repeating the same stages.

The development of the idea of ​​historical progress is associated with the achievements of science, crafts, arts, and the revitalization of public life during the Renaissance.

One of the first to put forward the theory of social progress was the French philosopher Anne Robbert Turgot (1727-1781).

His contemporary, French philosopher-enlightenment Jacques Antoine Condorcet (1743-1794) sees historical progress as a path of social progress, at the center of which is the upward development of the human mind.

K. Marx believed that humanity was moving toward greater mastery of nature, the development of production and man himself.

Let us recall the facts from the history of the 19th-20th centuries. Revolutions were often followed by counter-revolutions, reforms by counter-reforms, radical changes in the political system by the restoration of the old order.

Think about some examples from domestic or general history can illustrate this idea.

If we tried to depict the progress of mankind graphically, we would end up with not a straight line, but a broken line, reflecting ups and downs. In history different countries There were periods when reaction triumphed, when the progressive forces of society were persecuted. For example, what disasters did fascism bring to Europe: the death of millions, the enslavement of many peoples, the destruction of cultural centers, bonfires from the books of the greatest thinkers and artists, the cult of brute force.

Individual changes occurring in different areas of society can be multidirectional, i.e. progress in one area may be accompanied by regression in another.

Thus, throughout history, the progress of technology can be clearly traced: from stone tools to iron ones, from hand tools to machines, etc. But the progress of technology and the development of industry led to the destruction of nature.

Thus, progress in one area was accompanied by regression in another. The progress of science and technology has had mixed consequences. The use of computer technology has not only expanded the possibilities of work, but has led to new diseases associated with prolonged work at the display: visual impairment, etc.

The growth of large cities, the complication of production and the rhythms of everyday life have increased the load on human body, created stress. Modern history, just like the past, is perceived as the result of people’s creativity, where both progress and regression take place.

Further, scientists believe that an important sign of social progress is the growing tendency towards human liberation - liberation (a) from state suppression, (b) from the dictates of the collective, (c) from any exploitation, (d) from the enclosure of living space, (e) from fear for your safety and future. In other words, a trend towards expanding and increasingly effective protection of the civil rights and freedoms of people throughout the world.

In terms of the degree to which citizens' rights and freedoms are ensured, the modern world presents a very motley picture. Thus, according to the estimates of the American organization in support of democracy in the world community, Freedom House (English: Freedom House, founded in 1941), which annually publishes a “freedom map” of the world, from 191 countries of the planet in 1997.

– 79 were completely free;

– partially free (which includes Russia) – 59;

– not free – 53. Among the latter, the 17 most unfree states (the “worst of the worst” category) are highlighted – such as Afghanistan, Burma, Iraq, China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and others. The geography of the spread of freedom across to the globe: its main foci are concentrated in Western Europe And North America. At the same time, out of 53 African countries, only 9 are recognized as free, and among Arab countries - not a single one.

Progress can also be seen in human relationships themselves. More and more people understand that they must learn to live together and abide by the laws of society, must respect other people's living standards and be able to find compromises (compromise - from Latin compromissum - agreement based on mutual concessions), must suppress their own aggressiveness, appreciate and protect nature and everything that previous generations have created. These are encouraging signs that humanity is steadily moving towards relationships of solidarity, harmony and goodness.

Regression is more often local in nature, that is, it concerns either individual societies or life spheres, or individual periods. For example, while Norway, Finland and Japan (our neighbors) and other Western countries were confidently climbing the steps of progress and prosperity, the Soviet Union and its “comrades in socialist misfortune” [Bulgaria, East Germany, Poland, Romania , Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and others] regressed, sliding uncontrollably in the 1970s and 80s. into the abyss of collapse and crisis. Moreover, progress and regression are often intricately intertwined.

So, in Russia in the 1990s, both of them clearly take place. A decline in production, a break in previous economic ties between factories, a decline in the standard of living of many people and an increase in crime are obvious “marks” of regression. But there is also the opposite - signs of progress: the liberation of society from Soviet totalitarianism and the dictatorship of the CPSU, the beginning of the movement towards the market and democracy, the expansion of the rights and freedoms of citizens, significant freedom of funds mass media, the transition from the Cold War to peaceful cooperation with the West, etc.

Questions and tasks

1. Define progress and regression.

2. How was the path of humanity viewed in ancient times?

3. What changed about this during the Renaissance?

4. Given the ambiguity of change, is it possible to talk about social progress as a whole?

5. Think about the questions posed in one of the philosophical books: is it progress to replace an arrow with a firearm, or a flintlock with a machine gun? Can replacing red-hot tongs during torture be considered progress? electric shock? Justify your answer.

6. Which of the following can be attributed to the contradictions of social progress:

A) the development of technology leads to the emergence of both means of creation and means of destruction;

B) the development of production leads to changes social status worker;

C) the development of scientific knowledge leads to a change in a person’s ideas about the world;

D) human culture undergoes changes under the influence of production.

Progress and regression of society - (from the Latin progressus - movement forward), a direction of development, which is characterized by a transition from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect. The concept of progress is opposite to the concept of regression. Belief in progress is one of the basic values ​​of industrial society. Progress is directly related to freedom and can be considered as its steady historical realization. Progress can be defined as progressive development, in which all changes, especially qualitative ones, follow an ascending line, revealed as a transition from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect. On the cultural and value horizon of humanity, the idea of ​​progress appeared relatively late. Antiquity did not know it. The Middle Ages did not know it either. Truly faith in progress began to assert itself in the struggle against religious faith for the spiritual emancipation of man. The triumph of the idea of ​​progress, corresponding moods and expectations occurred in the 18th century, the century of enlightenment, reason, faith in the great liberating mission of science, objectively true knowledge. Faith in progress becomes something taken for granted, and in depth, inner conviction, readiness to serve, follow and obey - even akin to faith in God. An attribute is assigned to progress
historical immutability.

Progress and regression are dialectical opposites; development cannot be understood as only progress or only regression. In the evolution of living organisms and the development of society, progressive and regressive tendencies are combined and interact in complex ways. Moreover, the relationship between these trends in living matter and in society is not limited to connections of alternation or cyclicity (when development processes are thought of by analogy with the growth, flourishing and subsequent withering, aging of living organisms). Being dialectically opposed, progress and regression of society are inextricably linked and included in each other. “...Every progress in organic development,” Engels noted, “is at the same time a regression, because it consolidates one-sided development and excludes the possibility of development in many other directions”102.

In the twentieth century, progress was made ambiguously. The first to deal a noticeable blow to guaranteed progress was World War. She showed
the futility of hopes for a significant improvement in human nature. Subsequent events only strengthened this trend of disappointment in progress. In the conditions of post-industrial society, the realization has come that progress in itself is neither automatic nor guaranteed, but that we must fight for it. And that progress is ambiguous, that it brings with it negative social consequences. In relation to an individual, progress means belief in success, approval and encouragement productive activity. Success and personal achievements determine a person’s social status and his own progress. A success-oriented lifestyle is extremely creative and dynamic. It allows a person to be optimistic, not to lose heart in case of failure, to strive for something new and tirelessly create it, to easily part with the past
and be open to the future.

Progress and regression in the development of society

All societies are in constant development, in the process of change and transition from one state to another. At the same time, sociologists distinguish two directions and three main forms of movement of society. Let's look at the essence first progressive and regressive directions.

Progress(from Latin progressus - movement forward, us-infantry) means development with an upward tendency, movement from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect. It leads to positive changes in society and manifests itself, for example, in the improvement of the means of production and labor, in the development of the social division of labor and the growth of its productivity, in new achievements in science and culture, improvement in people’s living conditions, their comprehensive development and etc.

Regression(from Latin regressus - reverse movement), on the contrary, presupposes development with a downward tendency, movement backward, transition from higher to lower, which leads to negative consequences. It can manifest itself, say, in a decrease in production efficiency and the level of people’s well-being, in the spread of smoking, drunkenness, drug addiction in society, deterioration in public health, an increase in mortality, a drop in the level of spirituality and morality of people, etc.

Which path is society taking: the path of progress or regression? People's idea of ​​the future depends on the answer to this question: does it bring a better life or does it not promise anything good?

Ancient Greek poet Hesiod (8th-7th centuries BC) wrote about five stages in the life of mankind.

The first stage was "golden age", when people lived easily and carelessly.

Second - "silver Age"- the beginning of the decline of morality and piety. Descending lower and lower, people found themselves in "Iron Age" when evil and violence reign everywhere, justice is trampled underfoot.

How did Hesiod see the path of humanity: progressive or regressive?

Unlike Hesiod, ancient philosophers

Plato and Aristotle viewed history as a cyclical cycle, repeating the same stages.

The development of the idea of ​​historical progress is associated with the achievements of science, crafts, arts, and the revitalization of public life during the Renaissance.

One of the first to put forward the theory of social progress was the French philosopher Anne Robbert Turgot (1727-1781).

His contemporary, French philosopher-enlightenment Jacques Antoine Condorcet (1743-1794) sees historical progress as a path of social progress, at the center of which is the upward development of the human mind.

K. Marx believed that humanity was moving toward greater mastery of nature, the development of production and man himself.

Let us recall the facts from the history of the 19th-20th centuries. Revolutions were often followed by counter-revolutions, reforms by counter-reforms, radical changes in the political system by the restoration of the old order.

Think about what examples from national or world history can illustrate this idea.

If we tried to depict the progress of mankind graphically, we would end up with not a straight line, but a broken line, reflecting ups and downs. There have been periods in the history of different countries when reaction triumphed, when the progressive forces of society were persecuted. For example, what disasters did fascism bring to Europe: the death of millions, the enslavement of many peoples, the destruction of cultural centers, bonfires from the books of the greatest thinkers and artists, the cult of brute force.

Individual changes occurring in different areas of society can be multidirectional, i.e. progress in one area may be accompanied by regression in another.

Thus, throughout history, the progress of technology can be clearly traced: from stone tools to iron ones, from hand tools to machines, etc. But the progress of technology and the development of industry led to the destruction of nature.

Thus, progress in one area was accompanied by regression in another. The progress of science and technology has had mixed consequences. The use of computer technology has not only expanded the possibilities of work, but has led to new diseases associated with prolonged work at the display: visual impairment, etc.

The growth of large cities, the complication of production and the rhythms of everyday life have increased the load on the human body and created stress. Modern history, like the past, is perceived as the result of the creativity of people, where both progress and regression take place.

Humanity as a whole is characterized by upward development. Evidence of global social progress, in particular, can be not only an increase in material well-being and social security of people, but also a weakening of confrontation (confrontation – from Latin con – against + irons – front – confrontation, confrontation) between classes and peoples of different countries, the desire for peace and cooperation of an ever-increasing number of earthlings, the establishment of political democracy, the development of universal human morality and a genuine humanistic culture, of everything human in man, finally.

Further, scientists consider an important sign of social progress to be the growing tendency towards human liberation - liberation (a) from state suppression, (b) from the dictates of the collective, (c) from any exploitation, (d) from the isolation of life space, (e) from fear for their safety and future. In other words, a trend towards expanding and increasingly effective protection of civil rights and freedoms of people throughout the world.

In terms of the degree to which citizens' rights and freedoms are ensured, the modern world presents a very motley picture. Thus, according to estimates of the American organization in support of democracy in the world community, Freedom House, founded in 1941, which annually publishes a “freedom map” of the world, from 191 countries on the planet in 1997

– 79 were completely free;

– partially free (which includes Russia) – 59;

– unfree – 53. Among the latter, the 17 most unfree states (category “worst of the worst”) are highlighted – such as Afghanistan, Burma, Iraq, China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and others . The geography of the spread of freedom across the globe is curious: its main centers are concentrated in Western Europe and North America. At the same time, out of 53 African countries, only 9 are recognized as free, and among Arab countries - not a single one.

Progress can also be seen in human relationships themselves. More and more people understand that they must learn to live together and abide by the laws of society, must respect other people's living standards and be able to seek compromises (compromise - from Latin compromissum - agreement based on mutual concessions), must suppress their own aggressiveness, appreciate and protect nature and everything that previous generations have created. These are encouraging signs that humanity is steadily moving towards relationships of solidarity, harmony and goodness.

Regression is more often of a local nature, that is, it concerns either individual societies or spheres of life, or individual periods. For example, while Norway, Finland and Japan (our neighbors) and other Western countries were confidently climbing the steps of progress and prosperity, the Soviet Union and its “comrades in socialist misfortune” [Bulgaria, East Germany (East Germany) , Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and others] regressed, sliding uncontrollably in the 1970s and 80s. into the abyss of collapse and crisis. Moreover, progress and regression are often intricately intertwined.

So, in Russia in the 1990s, both of them clearly take place. The decline in production, the severance of previous economic ties between factories, the decline in the standard of living of many people and the increase in crime are obvious “marks” of regression. But there is also the opposite - signs of progress: the liberation of society from Soviet totalitarianism and the dictatorship of the CPSU, the beginning of the movement towards the market and democracy, the expansion of the rights and freedoms of citizens, significant freedom of the media, the transition from the Cold War to peaceful cooperation with the West, etc.

Questions and tasks

1. Define progress and regression.

2. How was the path of humanity viewed in ancient times?

What changed about this during the Renaissance?

4. Given the ambiguity of change, is it possible to talk about social progress as a whole?

5. Think about the questions posed in one of the philosophical books: is it progress to replace an arrow with a firearm, or a flintlock with a machine gun? Can the replacement of hot tongs with electric current be considered progress? Justify your answer.

6. Which of the following can be attributed to the contradictions of social progress:

A) the development of technology leads to the emergence of both means of creation and means of destruction;

B) the development of production leads to a change in the social status of the worker;

C) the development of scientific knowledge leads to a change in a person’s ideas about the world;

D) human culture undergoes changes under the influence of production.

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Unified State Exam. Society. Topic 6. Progress. Regression

Any development is a movement forward or backward. Likewise, society can develop either progressively or regressively, and sometimes both of these processes are characteristic of society, only in different spheres of life. What is progress and regression?

Progress

Progress - from from lat. progressus - movement forward, This is a direction in the development of society, which is characterized by movement from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect, this is a progressive movement forward, to the better.

Social progress is a world-historical process, which is characterized by the ascent of humanity from primitiveness (savagery) to civilization, which is based on scientific, technical, political, legal, moral and ethical achievements.

Types of progress in society

Progress criteria

The question of the criteria of progress (that is, the signs, grounds that allow us to judge phenomena as progressive) has always evoked ambiguous answers in different historical eras. I will give some points of view regarding the criteria for progress.

Modern criteria for progress are not so clear. There are many of them, together they testify to the progressive development of society.

Criteria for social progress of modern scientists:

• Development of production, the economy as a whole, increase in human freedom in relation to nature, living standards of people, growth of people's well-being, quality of life.
• Level of democratization of society.
• The level of freedom enshrined in law, the opportunities provided for the comprehensive development and self-realization of the individual, the reasonable use of freedom.
• Moral improvement of society.
• The development of enlightenment, science, education, the increase in human needs for scientific, philosophical, aesthetic knowledge of the world.
• Life expectancy of people.
• Increasing human happiness and goodness.

However, progress is not only a positive thing. Unfortunately, humanity both creates and destroys. Skillful, conscious use of the achievements of the human mind is also one of the criteria for the progress of society.

The contradictions of social progress

To summarize, I would like to note that humanity has a characteristic desire to move forward, opening up new and new opportunities. However, we need to remember, and scientists first of all, what the consequences of such a progressive movement will be, whether it will turn into a disaster for people. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the negative consequences of progress to a minimum.

Regression

The opposite path of social development to progress is regression (from the Latin regressus, that is, movement in reverse side, return back) - movement from more perfect to less perfect, from higher forms of development to lower ones, movement back, changes for the worse.

Signs of regression in society

• Deterioration in people's quality of life
• Decline in the economy, crisis phenomena
• Increase in human mortality, decrease in average standard of living
• Deteriorating demographic situation, declining birth rate
• An increase in the incidence of people, epidemics, a large percentage of the population having

Chronic diseases.

• The decline in morality, education, and culture of society as a whole.
• Resolving issues using forceful, declarative methods and methods.
• Reducing the level of freedom in society, its violent suppression.
• Weakening of the country as a whole and its international position.

Solving problems associated with the regressive processes of society is one of the tasks of the government and the country's leadership. In a democratic state following the path of civil society, which is Russia, great importance I have public organizations, the opinion of the people. Problems need to be solved, and solved together - by the authorities and the people.

Material prepared by: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna

Concept of social progress

When starting a new business, a person believes that it will be successfully completed. We believe in the best and hope for the best. Our grandfathers and fathers, enduring all the hardships of life, the hard times of war, working tirelessly, were convinced that we, their children, would get happy life, easier than the one they lived through. And it has always been like this.

During the 16th – 17th centuries, when Europeans expanded the expanses of the Oikumene (the Promised Land) by discovering the New World, when new branches of science began to emerge, the word “ progress».

This concept is based on the Latin word “progressus” - “moving forward”.

In the modern scientific dictionary under social progress began to understand the totality of all progressive changes in society, its development from simple to complex, the transition from a lower level to a higher one.

However, even inveterate optimists, convinced that the future must inevitably be better than the present, realized that the process of renewal does not always proceed smoothly and progressively. Sometimes, forward movement is followed by a rollback - a backward movement, when society can slide into more primitive stages of development. This process was named " regression" Regression is opposed to progress.

Also in the development of society, we can distinguish periods when there is no obvious improvement, forward dynamics, but there is no movement back. This state began to be called the word “ Withstagnation" or "stagnation". Stagnation is extremely dangerous phenomenon. It means that “inhibition mechanisms” have turned on in society, that it is not able to perceive the new, advanced. A society in a state of stagnation rejects this new, striving at all costs to preserve old, outdated structures, and resists renewal. Even the ancient Romans emphasized: “If you don’t move forward, you move backward.”

Progress, regression and stagnation do not exist separately in human history. They are intricately intertwined, replacing each other, complementing the picture of social development. Often, when studying historical events, for example, reforms or revolutions, you have come across such concepts as “counter-reforms”, “reactionary turn”. For example, when considering the “great reforms” of Alexander II, which affected all spheres of Russian society, led to the overthrow of serfdom, the creation of classless bodies local government(zemstvos and city dumas”, independent judiciary), we cannot help but note the reaction that followed them - the “counter-reforms” of Alexander III. This usually happens when innovations are too significant and fast and the social system does not have time to successfully adapt to them. A correction of these changes, a kind of “shrinkage” and “dwindling”, is inevitable. The famous Russian publicist M.N. Katkov, a contemporary of the “great reforms,” wrote that Russia had moved too far along the path of liberal reforms, that it was time to stop, look back, and understand how these changes relate to Russian reality. And, of course, make amendments. As you know from history lessons, it was in the 1880s and early 1890s that the powers of jury courts were limited and stricter control over the activities of zemstvos was established by the state.

The reforms of Peter I, in the words of A.S. Pushkin, “raised Russia on its hind legs,” caused significant shocks for our country. And to a certain extent, as the modern Russian historian A. Yanov, it was necessary to “de-Petrovize” the country after the death of Tsar Peter.

However, the reaction should not be viewed only in a negative way. Although most often, in history lessons we talk about its negative side. A reactionary period is always a curtailment of reforms and an attack on the rights of citizens. “Arakcheevshchina”, “Nikolaev reaction”, “dark seven years” - these are examples of such an approach.

But the reaction is different. It can be a response to both liberal reforms and conservative transformations.

So, we noted that social progress is a complex and ambiguous concept. In its development, society does not always follow the path of improvement. Progress can be complemented by regressive periods and stagnation. Let us consider another side of social progress, which convinces us of the contradictory nature of this phenomenon.

Progress in one area of ​​social life, for example, in science and technology, does not necessarily have to be complemented by progress in other areas. Moreover, even what we consider progressive today can turn into a disaster tomorrow or in the foreseeable future. Let's give an example. Many great discoveries of scientists, for example, the discovery of X-rays or the phenomenon of nuclear fission of uranium, gave rise to new types of terrible weapons - weapons of mass destruction.

Further, progress in one country does not necessarily entail progressive changes in other countries and regions. History gives us many similar examples. The Central Asian commander Tamerlane contributed to the significant prosperity of his country, the cultural and economic rise of its cities, but at what expense? Due to the robbery and ruin of other lands. Colonization of Asia and Africa by Europeans contributed to the growth of wealth and living standards of the peoples of Europe, but in a number of cases preserved archaic forms of social life in the countries of the East. Let's touch on another problem that touches on the topic of social progress. When we talk about “better” or “worst,” “high” or “low,” “primitive” or “complex,” we always mean the subjective characteristics inherent in people. What is progressive for one person may not be progressive for another. It is difficult to talk about progress when we mean the phenomena of spiritual culture and creative activity of people.

Social development will be influenced by objective factors independent of the will and desires of people ( natural phenomena, cataclysms), and subjective, determined by the activities of people, their interests, aspirations, and capabilities. It is the action of the subjective factor in history (man) that makes the concept of social progress so complex and contradictory.

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Progress is the progressive movement of humanity towards one highest reasonable goal, towards the ideal of good worthy of universal desire.

The idea of ​​social progress is a product of the New Age. This means that it was at this time that the idea of ​​the progressive, upward development of society took root in people’s minds and began to shape their worldview. There was no such idea in antiquity. The ancient worldview, as is known, was cosmocentric in nature. This means that the man of antiquity was coordinated in relation to nature and the cosmos. And man had to find his place in this eternal cosmos, and not in history.

The idea of ​​social progress was established during the Enlightenment. This era raises the shield of reason, knowledge, science, human freedom and from this angle evaluates history, contrasting itself with previous eras, where, in the opinion of the enlighteners, ignorance and despotism prevailed. The Enlightenmentists in a certain way understood the era of their time (as the era of “enlightenment”), its role and significance for man, and through the prism of so-understood modernity they viewed the past of mankind. The contrast between modernity, interpreted as the advent of the era of reason, and the past of humanity contained, of course, a gap between the present and the past, but as soon as an attempt was made to restore between them historical connection based on reason and knowledge, the idea of ​​an upward movement in history, of progress, immediately arose. The development and dissemination of knowledge was considered as a gradual and cumulative process. The accumulation of the Enlightenment served as an indisputable model for such a reconstruction of the historical process. scientific knowledge that took place in modern times. The mental formation and development of an individual, an individual, also served as a model for them: when transferred to humanity as a whole, it gave the historical progress of the human mind.

Progress (from the Latin progressus - movement forward) is a direction of development that is characterized by a transition from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect. The credit for putting forward the idea and developing the theory of social progress belongs to the philosophers of the second half of the 18th century, and the socio-economic basis for the very emergence of the idea of ​​social progress was the formation of capitalism and the maturation of European bourgeois revolutions. By the way, both creators of the original concepts of social progress - TURGO And CONDORCE - were active public figures in pre-revolutionary and revolutionary France. And this is quite understandable: the idea of ​​social progress, the recognition of the fact that humanity as a whole, in the main, is moving forward, is an expression of historical optimism characteristic of advanced social forces.

Three characteristic features distinguished the original progressivist concepts.

FIRSTLY, this is idealism, i.e. an attempt to find the reasons for the progressive development of history in the spiritual beginning - in the endless ability to improve the human intellect (the same Turgot and Condorcet) or in the spontaneous self-development of the absolute spirit (Hegel). Accordingly, the criterion of progress was also seen in phenomena of a spiritual order, in the level of development of one or another form of social consciousness: science, morality, law, religion. By the way, progress was noticed primarily in the area scientific knowledge(Bacon, Descartes), and then the corresponding idea was extended to social relations generally.

SECONDLY, a significant shortcoming of many early concepts of social progress was the non-dialectical consideration of social life. In such cases, social progress is understood as a smooth evolutionary development, without revolutionary leaps, without backward movements, as a continuous ascent in a straight line (Comte, Spencer).

THIRD, upward development in form was limited to the achievement of any one favored social system. This rejection of the idea of ​​unlimited progress was very clearly reflected in Hegel’s statements. He proclaimed the Christian-German world, which affirmed freedom and equality in their traditional interpretation, as the pinnacle and completion of world progress.

If you try in general view define REASONS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS, then they will be the needs of man, which are the generation and expression of his nature as a living and, no less, as a social being. These needs are diverse in nature, character, duration of action, but in any case they determine the motives of human activity. In the process of real life, people are driven by needs generated by their biological and social nature; and in the course of realizing their vital needs, people change the conditions of their existence and themselves, for each satisfied need gives rise to a new one, and its satisfaction, in turn, requires new actions, the consequence of which is the development of society.

PROGRESS CRITERIA

The direction of development, which is characterized by a transition from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect, is called in science PROGRESS(a word of Latin origin meaning literally moving forward). The concept of progress is opposite to the concept REGRESSION. Regression is characterized by movement from higher to lower, processes of degradation, and a return to obsolete forms and structures.

Condorcet(like other French enlighteners) considered the criterion of progress development of the mind. Utopian socialists put forward moral criterion progress. Saint-Simon believed, for example, that society should adopt a form of organization that would lead to the implementation moral principle : All people should treat each other as brothers. A contemporary of the utopian socialists, the German philosopher Friedrich WILHELM SCHELLING wrote that the solution to the survey on historical progress is complicated by the fact that supporters and opponents of the belief in the perfectibility of mankind are completely entangled in disputes about the criteria of progress. Some talk about the progress of mankind in the field of morality, others - about the progress of science and technology, which, as Schelling wrote, from a historical point of view is rather a regression, and proposed his solution to the problem: the criterion for establishing the historical progress of the human race can only be gradual approach To legal structure. Another point of view on social progress belongs to Hegel. He saw the criterion of progress in consciousness of freedom. As the consciousness of freedom grows, society develops progressively.

As we see, the question of the criterion of progress occupied the great minds of modern times, but they did not find a solution. The disadvantage of all attempts to overcome this task was that in all cases only one line (or one side, or one sphere) of social development was considered as a criterion. Reason, morality, science, technology, legal order, and the consciousness of freedom - all these are very important indicators, but not universal, not covering human life and society as a whole.

In our time, philosophers also hold different views on the criterion of social progress. One of the existing points of view is that the highest and universal objective criterion of social progress is the development of productive forces, including the development of man himself. Conclusion about the universal criterion of social progress: what contributes to the rise of humanism is progressive.

The most important criterion for progress is the level of humanism of society, i.e. the position of the individual in it: the degree of his economic, political and social liberation; the level of satisfaction of her material and spiritual needs; the state of her psychophysical and social health. According to this point of view, the criterion of social progress is the measure of freedom that society is able to provide to the individual, the degree of individual freedom guaranteed by society. The free development of a person in a free society also means the revelation of his truly human qualities - intellectual, creative, moral. The development of human qualities depends on people's living conditions. The more fully the various human needs for food, clothing, housing, transport services, his needs in the spiritual field, the more moral relations between people become, the more accessible to a person the most diverse types of economic and political, spiritual and material activities become. The more favorable the conditions for the development of a person’s physical, intellectual, mental strength, his moral principles, the wider the scope for the development of individual qualities inherent in each individual person. In short, the more humane the living conditions, the more opportunities there are for the development of humanity in a person: reason, morality, creative powers.