Social progress social science. Social progress: concept, criteria

The idea of ​​progressive development entered science as a secularized (worldly) version of the Christian faith in providence. The image of the future in the biblical stories was an irreversible, predetermined and sacred process of the development of people, led by the divine will. However, the origins of this idea are found much earlier. Next, we will analyze what progress is, what is its purpose and significance.

First mentions

Before saying what progress is, a brief historical description of the emergence and spread of this idea should be given. In particular, in the ancient Greek philosophical tradition there are arguments about the improvement of the existing socio-political structure that developed from the primitive community and family to the ancient policy, i.e., the city-state (Aristotle "Politics", Plato "Laws"). A little later, during the Middle Ages, Bacon tried to apply the concept and notion of progress in the ideological field. In his opinion, the knowledge accumulated over time is increasingly enriched and improved. Thus, each successive generation is able to see further and better than its predecessors.

What is progress?

This word has Latin roots and in translation means "success", "moving forward". Progress is a direction of development of a progressive nature. This process is characterized by the transition to the higher from the lower, from less to more perfect. The progress of society is a global, world-historical phenomenon. This process involves the ascent of human associations from savagery, primitive states to the heights of civilization. This transition is based on political and legal, moral and ethical, scientific and technical achievements.

Main Components

The above describes what progress is and when they first began to talk about this concept. Let's take a look at its components. In the course of improvement, the following aspects are developed:

• Material. In this case, we are talking about the most complete satisfaction of the benefits of all people and the elimination of any technical restrictions for this.
• social component. Here we are talking about the process of bringing society closer to justice and freedom.
• Scientific. This component reflects the process of continuous, deepening and expanding knowledge of the surrounding world, its development both in the micro and macro spheres; liberation of knowledge from the boundaries of economic expediency.

new time

During this period began to see progress in natural science. G. Spencer expressed his point of view on the process. In his opinion, progress - both in nature and in society - was subject to the general evolutionary increasing complexity of internal functioning and organization. Over time, the forms of progress began to be seen in literature, general history. Art has not been neglected either. In different civilizations there was a variety of social. orders, which, in turn, led to different types of progress. The so-called "ladder" was formed. At its peak were the most developed and civilized societies of the West. Further, at various stages, other cultures stood. The distribution depended on the level of development. There was a "westernization" of the concept. As a result, such types of progress as "americocentrism" and "Eurocentrism" appeared.

Newest time

During this period, a decisive role was assigned to man. Weber emphasized the trend towards rationalization of a universal character in the management of various types. Durkheim cited other examples of progress. He spoke of the trend of social integration through "organic solidarity". It was based on the complementary and mutually beneficial contribution of all participants in society.

Classic concept

The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is called the "triumph of the idea of ​​development." At that time, the general belief that scientific and technological progress could guarantee the continuous improvement of life was accompanied by a spirit of romantic optimism. In general, there was a classical concept in society. It was an optimistic idea about the gradual liberation of mankind from fear and ignorance on the way to ever more refined and higher levels of civilization. The classical concept was based on the concept of linear irreversible time. Here progress was a positively characterized difference between present and future, or past and present.

Targets and goals

It was assumed that the described movement would continue uninterruptedly not only in the present, but also in the future, despite random deviations. The belief was quite widespread among the masses that progress could be maintained at all stages, in every basic structure of society. As a result, everyone was to achieve full prosperity.

Main criteria

Among them, the most common were:

• Religious perfection (J. Buse, Augustine).
• The increase in scientific knowledge (O. Comte, J. A. Condorcet).
• Equality and justice (K. Marx, T. More).
• Expansion of individual freedom in combination with the development of morality (E. Durkheim, I. Kant).
• Urbanization, industrialization, improvement of technology (K. A. Saint-Simon).
• Dominance over natural forces (G. Spencer).

Controversy of progress

The first doubts about the correctness of the concept began to be expressed after the First World War. The inconsistency of progress consisted in the emergence of ideas about negative side effects in the development of society. F. Tennis was one of the very first to criticize. He believed that social development from traditional to modern, industrial, not only did not improve, but, on the contrary, worsened the living conditions of people. The primary, direct, personal social connections of traditional human interaction have been replaced by indirect, impersonal, secondary, exclusively instrumental contacts inherent in the modern world. This, according to Tennis, was the main problem of progress.

Reinforcement of criticism

After the Second World War, it became obvious to many that development in one area entails negative consequences in another. Industrialization, urbanization, scientific and technological progress were accompanied by environmental pollution. Which, in turn, provoked a new theory. The belief that humanity needs continuous economic progress has been replaced by an alternative idea of ​​"limits to growth."

Forecast

The researchers calculated that when the consumption levels of different countries approach Western standards, the planet could explode from environmental overload. The concept of the "golden billion", according to which only 1 billion people from wealthy countries can get a secure existence on Earth, completely undermined the main postulate on which the classical idea of ​​progress was based - orientation towards a better future for all living without exception. The belief in the superiority of the direction of development along which the civilization of the West proceeded, which dominated for a long period of time, was replaced by disappointment.

Utopian vision

This thinking reflected highly idealized ideas of the best society. This utopian thinking, it must be assumed, also received a powerful blow. The last of the attempts to implement this type of vision of the world was the world socialist system. At the same time, humanity at this stage does not have in reserve projects "capable of mobilizing collective, universal actions, capturing the human imagination", which could orient society towards a brighter future (this role was very effectively played by the ideas of socialism). Instead, there are either simple extrapolations of current trends or catastrophic prophecies today.

Reflections on the future

The development of ideas about upcoming events is currently going in two directions. In the first case, the prevailing pessimism is defined, in which gloomy images of decline, destruction and degeneration are visible. Due to disillusionment with scientific and technical rationalism, mysticism and irrationalism began to spread. Emotions, intuition, subconscious perception are increasingly opposed to reason and logic in one area or another. According to the statements of radical postmodern theories, reliable criteria have disappeared in modern culture, according to which the myth differed from reality, the ugly from the beautiful, virtue from vice. All this indicates that the era of "higher freedom" from morality, traditions, progress, after all, has begun. In the second direction, there is an active search for new concepts of development that can give people positive guidelines for the coming periods, save humanity from unfounded illusions. Postmodern ideas have mostly rejected the traditional version of developmental theory with finalism, fatalism and determinism. Most of them preferred other examples of progress - other probabilistic approaches to the development of society and culture. Some theorists (Buckley, Archer, Etzioni, Wallerstein, Nisbet) in their concepts interpret the idea as a possible chance for improvement, which may occur with a certain degree of probability, or may go unnoticed.

The principle of constructivism

Of all the variety of approaches, it was this concept that served as the theoretical foundation for postmodernism. The task is to find the driving forces of progress in the daily normal life of people. According to K. Lash, the solution to the riddle is provided by the certainty that improvements can occur solely due to human efforts. Otherwise, the task is simply unsolvable.

Alternative concepts

All of them, which have arisen within the framework of the theory of activity, are very abstract. Alternative concepts appeal to the "man as a whole" without showing any particular interest in cultural and civilizational differences. In this case, in fact, a new type of social utopia is visible. It is a cybernetic simulation of social cultures of an ideal order, viewed through the prism of human activity. These concepts return positive guidelines, a certain faith in a probable progressive development. Moreover, they name (albeit at a highly theoretical level) the sources and conditions of growth. Meanwhile, alternative concepts do not answer the main question: why does humanity, “free from” and “free for”, in some cases choose progress and strive for a “new, active society”, but often decadence and destruction serve as a guide for it, which , in turn, leads to stagnation and regression. Based on that, it can hardly be argued that society needs progress. This is explained by the fact that it is impossible to prove whether humanity will want to realize its creative ability in the future. There are no answers to these questions in cybernetics and systems theory either. However, they were analyzed in detail by religion and culture. In this regard, as an alternative to constructivist modernism in the theory of progress, socio-cultural ethicocentrism can act today.

Finally

Modern Russian philosophers are increasingly returning to the "Silver Age". Turning to this heritage, they try again to hear the originality of the rhythms of the national culture, to translate them into a strict scientific language. According to Panarin, the biomorphic structure of cognition shows a person the image of the cosmos as a living, organic whole. Its space awakens in people a motivation of a higher order, incompatible with irresponsible consumer egoism. Today it is clear that modern social science requires a serious revision of the existing basic principles, priorities and values. It can suggest new directions to a person, if he, in turn, finds in himself enough strength to use them.

Any development is a movement forward or backward. So 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 the lower to the higher, from the less perfect to the more perfect, this is a progressive movement forward, to the better.

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

Types of progress in society

Progress Criteria

Question about progress criteria(that is signs, grounds, allowing to judge the phenomena as progressive) has always caused ambiguous answers in different historical eras. I will give some points of view on the criteria for progress.

Modern criteria for progress are not so unambiguous. There are many of them, in a complex they testify to the progressive development of society.

Criteria of social progress of modern scientists:

• The development of production, the economy as a whole, the increase in human freedom in relation to nature, the living standards of people, the growth of people's well-being, the quality of life.
• The 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.
• The lifespan of people.
• Increasing human happiness and goodness.

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

Controversy of social progress

Summarizing, I would like to note that humanity is characterized by the desire to move forward, opening up new and new opportunities. However, it must be remembered, and scientists in the first place, what would be the consequences of such a progressive movement whether it will turn out to be a disaster for people. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the negative consequences of progress.

Regression

The path of social development opposite to progress is regression(from lat. regressus, that is, movement in the opposite direction, 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 of the quality of life of people
• Decline in the economy, crisis phenomena
• Rise in human mortality, decline in the average standard of living
• Deterioration of the demographic situation, decline in the birth rate
• Increasing incidence of people, epidemics., A large percentage of the population with

Chronic diseases.

• The fall of morality, education, culture of society as a whole.
• Solving issues by forceful, declarative methods and ways.
• Reducing the level of freedom in society, its violent suppression.
• The weakening of the country as a whole and its international position.

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

Material prepared: Melnikova Vera Alexandrovna

Social Progress- this is the direction of development of human society, which is characterized by its irreversible changes in all aspects of life, resulting in a transition from a lower to a higher, to a more perfect state of society.

The desire of the bulk of people for progress is due to the nature of material production and the laws of social development determined by it.

Criteria of social progress. Determining the basis of social progress makes it possible to solve scientifically the question of the criterion of social progress. Since economic relations form the foundation of any form of social structure (society) and ultimately determine all aspects of social life, it means that the general criterion of progress must be sought primarily in the sphere of material production. The development and change in the modes of production as a unity of productive forces and production relations made it possible to consider the entire history of society as a process of natural history and thereby reveal the laws of social progress.

What is the progress in the development of productive forces? First of all, in the continuous modification and improvement of the technology of means of labor, which ensures a constant and steady increase in its productivity. The improvement of the means of labor and production processes entails the improvement of the main element of the productive forces - the labor force. New means of labor give rise to new production skills and constantly revolutionize the existing social division of labor and lead to an increase in social wealth.

Along with the progress of technology, the improvement of technology and the organization of production, science is developing as the spiritual potentiality of production. This, in turn, increases the human impact on nature. Finally, the growth of labor productivity means an increase in the amount of surplus product. At the same time, the nature of consumption, lifestyle, culture and way of life inevitably change.

This means that we are seeing undoubted progress not only in material production, but also in social relations.

We see the same dialectic in the sphere of spiritual life, which is a reflection of real social relations. Certain social relations give rise to certain forms of culture, art, ideology, which cannot be arbitrarily replaced by others and evaluated according to modern laws.

The progressive development of society is determined not only by the development of the mode of production, but also by the development of man himself.

The mode of production and the social structure conditioned by it constitute the basis and criterion of social progress. This criterion is objective, because it is based on a real natural process of development and change of socio-economic formations. It includes:

a) the level of development of the productive forces of society;

b) the type of production relations that have developed on the basis of the database of productive forces;

c) the social structure that determines the political structure of society;

d) stage and level of development of individual freedom.

None of these signs, taken separately, can be an unconditional criterion of social progress. Only their unity, embodied in a given formation, can be such a criterion. At the same time, it is necessary to keep in mind the fact that there is no complete correspondence in the development of different aspects of social life.

The irreversibility of social progress- regularity of the real historical process.

Another pattern of social progress is the acceleration of its pace.

Social progress is closely related to the so-called global problems. Global problems are understood as a complex of universal human problems of our time, affecting both the world as a whole and its individual regions or states. These include: 1) the prevention of a world thermonuclear war; 2) social development and economic growth in the world; 3) elimination on Earth of flagrant manifestations of social injustice - hunger and poverty, epidemics, illiteracy, racism, etc.; 4) rational and integrated use of nature (environmental problem).

The formation of the above problems as global, which are of a worldwide nature, is associated with the internationalization of production, of all social life.

This is a peculiar type of development, in the process of which a transition is made to more complex, higher, perfect structures. This concept was not left alone by modern society, therefore, in the article we will consider the main criteria for social progress.

Social progress is...

Social progress is understood as the direction of development of society, which is characterized by irreversible changes taking place in all spheres of human life. As a result, society turns into a more perfect substance.

Progress has two main features. Firstly, this concept is relative, since it cannot be applied to such areas as art. Secondly, this process is very contradictory: what is favorable for one area of ​​activity may adversely affect another. For example, the development of industry has a negative impact on the ecology of the environment.

In sociology, the criteria for social progress are considered to be such concepts:

• Development of the human mind.
• Improvement of morality.
• Increasing the degree of freedom of the individual.
• Scientific and technical progress.
• Development of production.

Processes of social dynamics

A. Todd, in his book on theories of social progress, noted that this concept is so human that everyone thinks it in his own way. And yet there are four main ways of development of society. It is better to consider these criteria of social progress in the table.

subjectivity factor

Some philosophers and sociologists believe that the highest criterion of social progress is not a measure of an objective nature. They insist that the concept of progress has purely subjective characteristics, because its study directly depends on the criterion that the scientist is going to investigate. And he chooses this criterion according to his own scale of values ​​based on his views, sympathies, ideals.

By choosing one criterion, one can speak of significant progress, but it is worth choosing some other - and the decline of mankind is obvious.

But if you look, for example, at the criteria of social progress from the point of view of materialism, it becomes clear that there is a certain pattern in society that can be studied from a scientific point of view.

patterns

Due to nature-conditioned material production, the bulk of people strive for progress. It is in material production that one should look for the general criterion of social progress. It is quite simple to give an example: throughout the entire existence of mankind, various methods of production have developed and changed. This makes it possible to reveal patterns, considering the whole history as a natural-historical process.

Development of productive forces

Some researchers believe that the highest criterion of social progress is the process of development of productive forces. It lies in the constant change and improvement of technologies that provide a constant increase in productivity. In turn, the improvement of the means of labor leads to the improvement of the labor force. New equipment requires a person to develop new skills, and where there is progress in technology, science is also improved. Along with this, the human impact on the environment increases, plus, the amount of surplus product increases and, as a result, the nature of consumption, lifestyle, way of life and culture of society inevitably change. This is the highest criterion of social progress.

A similar dialectic can be traced in the segment of the spiritual development of mankind. Each social relation gives rise to its own cultural form. Together with it, its own art and ideology arises, which cannot be subjected to arbitrary replacement. Another supreme criterion of social progress is the development of man himself. It is possible to talk about progress only when the society is not in a state of stagnation - "stagnant water". Thus, the basis and criteria for social progress are the mode of production and the social order determined by it.

Constituent elements

From the point of view of materialism, social progress consists of four main components:

1. The productive forces of society and the level of their development.
2. Production relations that have developed on the basis of productive forces functioning in society.
3. The social structure that determines the political structure of the state.
4. The level of personality development.

It is worth noting that none of the signs can be an unconditional separate criterion of social progress. Social progress is the unity and development of all. Unfortunately, these areas can be scientifically substantiated only from the point of view of materialism, but this does not mean at all that such an integrative criterion as humanization or morality does not participate in progress.

Pyramid of progressive characteristics

To understand the importance and complexity of the process of social dynamics, it is worth explaining at least a few criteria for social progress. In a table, such information is perceived better.

In addition to these criteria, each of the thinkers of the past defended his point of view, considering the process of social progress. So, J. Condorcet said that the development of the human mind is important for society. Only enlightenment and the triumph of thought are capable of advancing social and social progress. insisted that progress is possible only where there is good legislation. If the law protects human rights, then the individual, feeling safe, is able to improve and improve the world around him. Saint-Simon and Owen noted that in a progressive society there should be no exploitation of one person by another, and Karl Marx zealously defended his idea of ​​the development of production.

Social development is a complex and multifaceted process that can be viewed from different points of view. Scientists say that in recent years, studies have shifted to the humanitarian side. But it is most correct to consider progress in the context of the production of goods and their distribution among social groups, because the highest criterion of social progress is precisely the symbiosis of these two concepts.

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Progress is the progressive movement of mankind towards one higher rational goal, towards the ideal of the good, worthy of universal desire.

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

The idea of ​​social progress is established in the Age of Enlightenment. This era raises the mind, knowledge, science, human freedom to the shield and evaluates history from this angle, opposing itself to previous eras, where, in the opinion of the enlighteners, ignorance and despotism prevailed. The Enlighteners 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 the modernity understood in this way, they considered the past of mankind. The opposition of modernity, interpreted as the advent of the era of reason, to the past of mankind, contained, of course, a gap between the present and the past, but as soon as an attempt was made to restore the historical connection between them on the basis of reason and knowledge, the idea of ​​an upward movement in history immediately arose, about progress. The development and dissemination of knowledge was seen as a gradual and cumulative process. An indisputable model for such a reconstruction of the historical process was the accumulation of scientific knowledge that took place in modern times. The mental formation and development of the individual, the individual, also served as a model for them: being transferred to humanity as a whole, it gave the historical progress of the human mind.

Progress (from lat. progressus - moving forward) is such a direction of development, which 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 formation of capitalism and the maturation of European bourgeois revolutions served as the socio-economic basis for the very emergence of the idea of ​​social progress. By the way, both creators of the initial concepts of social progress - TURGO and CONDORCE - were active public figures of 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 the historical optimism inherent in progressive social forces.

Three characteristic features distinguished the original progressive 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 infinite 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 the 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 noted primarily in the field of scientific knowledge (Bacon, Descartes), and then the corresponding idea was extended to social relations in general.

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

If we try to define in general terms CAUSES OF PUBLIC PROGRESS, then they will be the needs of man, which are the product and expression of his nature as a living and no less as a social being. These needs are diverse in nature, nature, 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, because 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.

CRITERIA FOR PROGRESS

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 opposed to the concept REGRESS. Regression is characterized by movement from higher to lower, degradation processes, return to obsolete forms and structures.

Condorcet(like other French enlighteners) considered the criterion of progress mind development. 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 like brothers. A contemporary of the utopian socialists, the German philosopher Friedrich WILHELM SHELLING wrote that the decision of the survey on historical progress is complicated by the fact that supporters and opponents of faith in the perfection of mankind are completely confused in disputes about the criteria for 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 offered his own solution to the problem: the criterion in establishing the historical progress of the human race can only be a gradual approximation to legal device. 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, the progressive development of society takes place.

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

In our time, philosophers also hold different views on the criterion of social progress. One of the current 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: progressive is that which contributes to the rise of humanism.

The most important criterion of progress is the level of humanism of the society, i.e. the position of the individual in it: the degree of its economic, political and social liberation; the level of satisfaction of its 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 disclosure of his truly human qualities - intellectual, creative, moral. The development of human qualities depends on the living conditions of people. The more fully the various needs of a person in food, clothing, housing, transport services, his requests in the spiritual field are satisfied, the more moral relations between people become, the more accessible for a person are the most diverse types of economic and political, spiritual and material activities. The more favorable the conditions for the development of the physical, intellectual, mental forces of a person, his moral principles, the wider the scope for the development of individual qualities inherent in each individual person. In short, the more humane the conditions of life, the more opportunities for the development of the human in a person: reason, morality, creative forces.