Criteria for the progress of society table. Social progress: concept, forms, examples

Condorcet (like other French Enlighteners) considered the development of the mind to be the criterion of progress. Utopian socialists put forward a moral criterion for progress. Saint-Simon believed, for example, that society should adopt a form of organization that would lead to the implementation of the moral principle that all people should treat each other as brothers. A contemporary of the utopian socialists, the German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Schelling (1775-1854) wrote that the solution to the question of historical progress is complicated by the fact that supporters and opponents of the belief in the perfection of mankind are completely entangled 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 approach to legal device.

Another point of view on social progress belongs to G. Hegel. He saw the criterion of progress in the 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. Let's consider some of them.

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. It is argued that the direction of the historical process is due to the growth and improvement of the productive forces of society, including the means of labor, the degree to which man masters the forces of nature, the possibility of using them as the basis of human life. The origins of all human activity lie in social production. According to this criterion, those social relations are recognized as progressive, which. correspond to the level of productive forces and open up the greatest scope for their development, for the growth of labor productivity, for the development of man. Man is considered here as the main thing in the productive forces, therefore their development is understood from this point of view and as the development of the wealth of human nature.

This position is criticized from a different point of view. Just as it is impossible to find a universal criterion of progress only in social consciousness (in the development of reason, morality, consciousness of freedom), so it is impossible to find it only in the sphere of material production (technology, economic relations). History has given examples of countries where a high level of material production was combined with the degradation of spiritual culture. In order to overcome the one-sidedness of the criteria that reflect the state of only one sphere of social life, it is necessary to find a concept that would characterize the essence of human life and activity. In this capacity, philosophers propose the concept of freedom.

Freedom, as you already know, is characterized not only by knowledge (the absence of which makes a person subjectively not free), but also by the presence of conditions for its realization. It also requires a decision based on free choice. Finally, funds are also required, as well as actions aimed at implementing the decision taken. We also recall that the freedom of one person should not be achieved by infringing on the freedom of another person. Such restriction of freedom has a social and moral character.

The meaning of human life lies in self-realization, self-realization of the individual. So, freedom acts as a necessary condition for self-realization. In fact, self-realization is possible if a person has knowledge about his abilities, the opportunities that society gives him, about the ways of activity in which he can realize himself. The wider the opportunities created by society, the freer the person, the more options for activities in which his potential will be revealed. But in the process of multifaceted activity, there is also a multilateral development of the person himself, the spiritual wealth of the individual grows.

So, 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. This statement brings us to another view of social progress.

As we have seen, one cannot confine oneself to characterizing man as an active being. He is also a rational and social being. Only with this in mind can we talk about the human in a person, about humanity. But the development of human qualities depends on the conditions of people's lives. 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.

Humanity, the recognition of man as the highest value, is expressed by the word "humanism". From what has been said above, we can draw a conclusion about the universal criterion of social progress: progressive is that which contributes to the rise of humanism.

Criteria of social progress.

In the extensive literature on social progress, there is currently no single answer to the main question: what is the general sociological criterion of social progress?

A relatively small number of authors argue that the very formulation of the question of a single criterion of social progress is meaningless, since human society is a complex organism, the development of which is carried out along different lines, which makes it impossible to formulate a single criterion. The majority of authors consider it possible to formulate a single general sociological criterion of social progress. However, even with the very formulation of such a criterion, there are significant discrepancies ...

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 lowest to the highest, 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 Aleksandrovna

Social Progress - it is a global historical process of the development of society from the lowest to the highest, from a primitive, wild state to a higher, civilized one. This process is due to the development of scientific and technical, social and political, moral and cultural achievements.

First theory of progress described by the famous French publicist Abbé Saint-Pierre in his book "Remarks on the Continuous Progress of the General Reason" in 1737. According to his theory, progress is laid down by God in every person and this process is inevitable, like natural phenomena. Further progress study as a social phenomenon continued and deepened.

progress criteria.

Progress criteria are the main parameters of its characteristics:

• social;
• economic;
• spiritual;
• scientific and technical.

social criterion - is the level of social development. It implies the level of people's freedoms, the quality of life, the degree of difference between rich and poor, the presence of a middle class, etc. The main engines of social development are revolutions and reforms. That is, a radical complete change in all layers of social life and its gradual change, transformation. Different political schools evaluate these engines differently. For example, everyone knows that Lenin preferred revolution.

Economic criterion - this is the growth of GDP, trade and banking, and other parameters of economic development. The economic criterion is the most important, as it affects the rest. It is difficult to think about creativity or spiritual self-education when there is nothing to eat.

Spiritual criterion - moral development is one of the most controversial, since different models of society are evaluated differently. For example, unlike European countries, Arab countries do not consider tolerance towards sexual minorities a spiritual progress, and even vice versa - a regression. However, there are generally accepted parameters by which one can judge spiritual progress. For example, the condemnation of murder and violence is characteristic of all modern states.

Scientific and technical criterion - it is the presence of new products, scientific discoveries, inventions, advanced technologies, in short - innovations. Most often, progress means this criterion in the first place.

alternative theories.

Concept of progress has been criticized since the 19th century. A number of philosophers and historians deny progress as a social phenomenon completely. J. Vico considers the history of society as a cyclical development with ups and downs. A. Toynbee cites as an example the history of various civilizations, each of which has phases of emergence, growth, decline and decay (Maya, Roman Empire, etc.).

In my opinion, these disputes are connected with a different understanding of the definitions of progress as such, as well as with a different understanding of its social significance.

However, without social progress, we would not have society in its modern form with its achievements and mores.

Formational and civilizational approaches

3.2.1. Socio-economic formation- a historically defined type of society that arises on the basis of a certain mode of production of material goods

Marxism: change of formations primitive - communal, feudal, capitalist, communist (1930 socialism, communism)

Features and concepts of the formational approach

– basis ( production relations that develop between people in the process of production, distribution, exchange and consumption of material goods). Based on property relations

- superstructure - a set of legal, political, ideological, religious, cultural and other institutions and relations.

- production relations and productive forces ( people, tools) = mode of production

- social revolution- with the development of productive forces and the aging of the mode of production

Principles of the approach: universality, regularity in the change of socio-economic formations

3.2.2 Civilization- the level, stage of development of society, material and spiritual culture, following barbarism and savagery. Civilizations differ from each other: in a specific way of life, a system of values, ways of interconnection with the outside world.

Today, scientists distinguish: Western and Eastern civilizations.

Comparison of Western and Eastern civilization

Progress

3.3.1 Progress (moving forward) - the transition from the lower to the higher, from the simple to the complex, from the imperfect to the more perfect.

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.

Regression (moving backwards) - transition from higher to lower, degradation.

3.3.2..Types of social progress

Progress of science and technology (NTP, NTR)

Progress in the development of productive forces (industrial revolution)

Political progress (transition from totalitarianism to democracy)

Progress in the field of culture (recognition of a person as the highest value)

3.3.3. Criteria of social progress:

Criterion– indicator by which something can be evaluated

§ development of the human mind

§ development of science and technology

§ development of productive forces

§ increase in the standard of living, degree of social protection

§ improvement of people's morality (humanism)

§ the degree of freedom of the individual in society

Controversy of social progress

3.3.5. Indicators of the progressive development of society:

● average human life expectancy

● infant mortality

● state of health

● level and quality of education

● level of cultural development

● feeling of satisfaction with life

● degree of respect for human rights

● attitude to nature

Mankind as a whole has never regressed, but stopped in development for a while - stagnation

the progressive development and movement of society, characterizing the transition from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect. The concept of social progress applies not only to the system as a whole, but also to its individual elements. In philosophy, the idea of ​​social (social) progress arose by analogy with the idea of ​​the development of nature. In the history of mankind, the idea of ​​progress took shape in the 17th century, which was associated with the development of science and technology, accompanied by the recognition of the legislative power of reason. However, social progress was viewed and evaluated in different ways. Some thinkers recognized social progress, seeing its criterion in the growth of science and reason (J. Condorcet, K. Saint-Simon), rooting in society of the ideals of truth and justice (N.K. Mikhailovsky, P.L. Lavrov); others denied the idea of ​​progress, considering it false (F. Nietzsche, S.L. Frank).

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

Social Progress

progressive development of society from the lowest levels to the highest. O.p. manifests itself in the growth of the material possibilities of society, the humanization of social relations, the improvement of man. Idea O.p. was expressed for the first time in the 18th century by J. Condorcet, A. Turgot and became widespread in the European social thought of the 19th century in the conditions of the rapid development of capitalism. The progressive nature is inherent in the concepts of society of Hegel and Marx. The criteria of social progress characterize progressive processes in the main spheres of society: economic, political, social and spiritual. To the economic criteria of O.p. include the level of development of the productive forces of society and the degree to which production relations correspond to the needs of the development of the productive forces. Political criteria O.p. are the degree of involvement of the masses in historical transformations, the degree of participation of the masses in political life and the management of society, the degree of liberation of the masses from exploitation and social inequality, the degree of political protection of fundamental human rights. The social criterion of O.P. is the quality of life of people, which is characterized by the achieved level of material security, access to healthcare and education, environmental safety, social security, the degree of employment of the active population, the level of social justice and humanity of society. Spiritual criteria of O.P. are the level of education and culture of the masses and the degree of comprehensiveness and harmony in the development of the individual. It should be noted that among famous philosophers there are not only supporters, but also many critics of the idea of ​​progress: F. Nietzsche, O. Spengler, K. Popper and others.