Try to evaluate from the standpoint of a universal criterion of progress. Variety of ways and forms of social development

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Social progress created in the XVIII-XIX centuries. In the works of J. Condorcet, G. Hegel, K. Marx and other philosophers, it was understood as a natural movement along a single main path for all mankind. On the contrary, in the concept of local civilizations, progress is seen as going in different civilizations in different ways. If you mentally take a look at the course of world history, then you will notice a lot in common in the development of different countries and peoples. Primitive society has everywhere been replaced by a society controlled by the state. Feudal fragmentation was replaced by centralized monarchies. Bourgeois revolutions took place in many countries. Colonial empires collapsed and dozens of independent states arose in their place. You yourself could continue listing similar events and processes that took place in different countries, on different continents. This similarity reveals the unity of the historical process, a certain identity of successive orders, the common destinies of various countries and peoples. At the same time, the specific ways of development of individual countries and peoples are diverse. There are no peoples, countries, states with the same history. The diversity of concrete historical processes is caused by the difference in natural conditions, the specifics of the economy, the uniqueness of spiritual culture, the peculiarities of the way of life, and many other factors. Does this mean that each country is predetermined by its own development option and it is the only possible one? Historical experience shows that under certain conditions, various options for solving urgent problems are possible, it is possible to choose methods, forms, ways of further development, that is, a historical alternative. Alternative options are often offered by certain groups of society, various political forces. Let us recall that during the preparation of the Peasant Reform carried out in Russia in 1861, different social forces proposed different forms of implementing changes in the life of the country. Some defended the revolutionary path, others - the reformist one. But among the latter there was no unity. Several reform options have been proposed. And in 1917-1918. Russia faced a new alternative: either a democratic republic, one of the symbols of which was a popularly elected Constituent Assembly, or a republic of Soviets headed by the Bolsheviks. In each case, a choice has been made. Such a choice is made by statesmen, ruling elites, the masses, depending on the balance of power and influence of each of the subjects of history. Any country, any nation at certain moments in history faces a fateful choice, and its history is carried out in the process of implementing this choice. The versatility of ways and forms of social development is not limitless. It is included in the framework of certain trends in historical development. Thus, for example, we have seen that the elimination of obsolete serfdom was possible both in the form of a revolution and in the form of reforms carried out by the state. And the urgent need to accelerate economic growth in different countries was carried out either by attracting more and more natural resources, i.e., in an extensive way, or by introducing new equipment and technology, improving the skills of workers, based on the growth of labor productivity, i.e., in an intensive way. In different countries or in the same country, different options for implementing the same type of changes can be used. Thus, the historical process, in which common trends are manifested - the unity of diverse social development, creates the possibility of choice, on which the originality of the ways and forms of the further movement of a given country depends. This speaks of the historical responsibility of those who make this choice. Basic concepts: social progress, regression, multivariance of social development. Terms: historical alternative, criterion of progress.

1. Try to evaluate the reforms of the 1960s and 1970s from the standpoint of a universal criterion of progress. 19th century in Russia. Can they be called progressive? And the politics of the 80s? Argument your position. 2. Think about whether the activities of Peter I, Napoleon Bonaparte, P. A. Stolypin are progressive. Justify your assessment. 3. Which of the points of view on progress presented in the paragraph refers to the position of the Florentine historian F. Guicciardini (1483-1540): “The deeds of the past illuminate the future, for the world has always been the same: everything that is and will be was already at another time, the former returns, only under different names and in a different color; but not everyone recognizes it, but only the wise, who carefully observes and ponders it”? 4. Consider whether the attitude of the two Russian philosophers cited below differs towards the idea of progress. A. I. Herzen (1812-1870): “All our great significance ... lies in the fact that while we are alive ... we are still ourselves, and not dolls, appointed to suffer progress or embody some crazy idea. We should be proud that we are not threads and needles in the hands of fate, sewing the motley fabric of history. G. V. Plekhanov (1856-1918): “People make their history not at all in order to march along a predetermined path of progress, and not because they must obey the laws of some abstract evolution. They do it to meet their needs." Compare these statements with the material presented in the text of the paragraph and, based on historical knowledge, express your point of view. 5. Some scholars of contemporary social development have drawn attention to phenomena which they have called the "barbarization" of society. They attributed to them the decline in the level of culture, in particular the language, the weakening of moral regulators, legal nihilism, the growth of crime, drug addiction and other similar processes. How would you rate these phenomena? What is their impact on society? Do these trends determine the nature of the development of society in the foreseeable future? Justify your answer. 6. The Soviet philosopher M. Mamardashvili (1930-1990) wrote: “The ultimate meaning of the universe or the ultimate meaning of history is part of human destiny. And the human destiny is the following: to be fulfilled as a Human. Become Human. How is this thought of the philosopher connected with the idea of progress?

Let's work with the source

Russian philosopher N. A. Berdyaev about progress.

Progress turns every human generation, every human face, every epoch of history into a means and instrument for the ultimate goal - the perfection, power and bliss of the coming humanity, in which none of us will have a share. The positive idea of progress is internally unacceptable, religiously and morally unacceptable, because the nature of this idea is such that it makes it impossible to resolve the pain of life, the resolution of tragic contradictions and conflicts for the entire human race, for all human generations, for all times, for all people who have ever lived with their suffering fate. This teaching deliberately and consciously affirms that for a huge mass, an infinite mass of human generations and for an infinite series of times and epochs, there is only death and the grave. They lived in an imperfect, suffering state, full of contradictions, and only somewhere at the peak of historical life does finally appear, on the decayed bones of all previous generations, such a generation of happy people who will climb to the top and for whom the highest fullness of life, the highest bliss and perfection will be possible. All generations are only a means for the fulfillment of this blissful life of this happy generation of the chosen ones, which must appear in some future unknown and alien to us. Questions and tasks: 1) What is the difference between the views on progress presented in this paper and those presented in the paragraph? 2) What is your attitude to the thoughts of N. A. Berdyaev? 3) Which of all points of view on progress presented in the materials of the paragraph is the most attractive to you? 4) Why does the title of this paragraph begin with the word “problem”?

They argue about it

Is it possible to achieve simultaneous progress in various areas of society? Sometimes they point to the incompatibility of some changes, each of which is recognized as progressive. For example, the growth of production, on which the material well-being of the population depends, and the improvement of the environmental situation, on which the health of people depends. Or the increasing environment of a person with various technical devices that facilitate his work and life, and at the same time - the enrichment of spiritual life, which requires the rise of humanitarian culture. The experience of the past century has shown that these, like many other progressive changes in the field of science, technology, economics, social relations, education, etc., cannot be implemented together. How to be?

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Class: 10

Thinkers from ancient times have thought about the question in which direction society develops. In this lesson, an attempt was made to analyze the basic concepts of “social progress”, “regression”, “multivariance of social development”, “criteria of progress”, etc. through the broader concept of “movement”.

Which path is humanity following: the path of progress or regression? What the answer to this question will be depends on how people think about the future: whether it brings people a better life or does not bode well.

In historical development, the unity of the historical process is traced. But at the same time, the specific ways of development of individual countries and peoples are diverse. The path of denying the unity of history can lead to complete isolation, separation from the outside world. The diversity of development cannot be denied either. Every nation has its own history, its own language, its own culture.

The progress of mankind does not look like an ascending line, but like a broken curve: ups and downs followed recessions, flourishing into decline, reforms were followed by counter-reforms. Progressive shifts in one area or another can have both positive and negative consequences for society.

To evaluate these contradictory processes, criteria of social progress are needed. This is an increase in human freedom in relation to nature, and the level of real opportunities for the comprehensive development of man, and an increase in human happiness and goodness.

The lesson was held in the 10th grade.

The purpose of the lesson: in accordance with the standards of the second generation, the content of the lesson becomes personally significant only if it is perceived by the student through his subjective image. In this lesson, an attempt was made to analyze the basic concepts of “social progress”, “regression”, “multivariance of social development”, “criteria of progress”, etc. through the broader concept of “movement”.

Lesson objectives: to explain the concepts and terms: “social progress”, “regression”, “multivariance of social development”, “historical alternative”, “progress criterion” in terms of. your subjective experience; show the diversity and unevenness of the processes of social development; emphasize the inconsistency of social progress; to develop in students the ability to find the necessary information on the topic, analyze it, draw conclusions, rationally solve cognitive and problem tasks; contribute to the development of the civic position of students.

Type of lesson: lesson-problem.

Lesson plan.

The concept of "movement".
Organizational moment (motivation, setting for the lesson).
Variety of ways and forms of social development (identification of subjective experience).
Thinkers of the past and present on understanding progress and regress (actualization of knowledge).
Progress inconsistency.
Criteria of social progress.

During the classes

1.What meaning do you put in the concept of "movement"?

Give examples:

movement of celestial bodies
movement of particles, movement of ions in an electric field,
River flow,
train movement,
evolution,
development of science and technology,
social movement,
change of socio-economic formations,
development of civilizations
social progress.

We give a general concept: movement is a change in something.

Look in the philosophical dictionary: movement is a philosophical category that reflects any changes in the world. Movement is the mode of existence of matter. There is no immobile matter, invariably remaining in absolute rest.

2.What are we going to talk about in class today?- About movement.

About what movement? – On the development of society, i.e. Let's analyze the course of historical development.

How is society developing?

This question has interested mankind since ancient times.

For analysis, the teacher offers the views of some ancient thinkers.

The ancient Greek poet Hesiod (VIII-VII centuries BC) wrote that humanity moved from the best “golden” age first to the “silver” age, and then to the “iron” age, which brought wars, where evil, violence reign everywhere, justice is trampled.
The ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle viewed history as a cyclic cycle repeating the same stages.
The representative of the optimistic approach was Democritus, who divided history into qualitatively different periods: past, present and future. The transition from one period to another, in his opinion, is characterized by the growth of culture and the improvement of people's lives.

Analyzing the statements of ancient thinkers, students say that one can agree with the views of all philosophers presented. Indeed, there have been times in history when empires collapsed, civilizations perished. At the same time, arguments were made that the histories of local civilizations to some extent repeat each other. They also agree with t.zr. Democritus, that since ancient times there has been a development of culture, the conditions of human life are improving.

How can we understand the movement of the historical process?

For this, there is the concept of “social progress”.

What do you know about social progress?

Tenth graders, based on their subjective experience, note that social progress is a direction of development, which is characterized by a transition from lower to higher, from simple to complex. And, on the contrary, regression is characterized by a backward movement, a return to obsolete forms and structures, degradation.

The students then give examples from history. They pay attention to the fact that mankind initially lived in a primitive society, then states with their own laws, the Middle Ages, Modern Times, etc., gradually form. It turns out that humanity goes through the same stages of economic, social and cultural development. Despite the difference, peoples are united in their desire for happiness and a better life. Only the speed of development among peoples is different. There are countries that have pulled ahead, and there are backward countries that are catching up with more developed countries. History acts as a single process of continuous development. This similarity is seen unity of the historical process.

But at the same time, some students give examples that there is no unity in the historical process, and the history of different states breaks up into many of their own development paths, not similar to other countries. Russians, Chinese, British, French go their own way.... Each nation has its own history, culture, language, and its own natural conditions. In these examples, we see diversity of historical development.

This means that historical development combines unity and diversity at the same time. But diversity is carried out within the framework of a universal and unified historical process. Consequently, various options for solving urgent problems are possible, i.e. there is a historical alternative.

Comment on what are the ways of denying the unity of history and the diversity of development. What are the consequences for a country that has chosen one of these paths?

So, community development includes:

the unity of the historical process,
variety of ways and forms of human development,
features of historical development,
features of cultural development,
uneven development.

Does this mean that each country has its own version of development and is it the only one possible?

– No, there are different options for solving problems (historical alternative). For example, in 1917-1918. Russia faced an alternative: either a democratic republic or a republic of Soviets led by the Bolsheviks.

Thus, the historical process, in which general trends are manifested - the unity of diverse social development, creates the possibility of choice, on which the originality of the ways and forms of the further movement of a given country depends.

Who makes the choice?

– Depending on historical conditions, these can be statesmen, elites, and the masses.

After identifying the subjective experience, we proceed directly to the actualization of knowledge.

Is there progressive development?

Students are offered a presentation prepared in advance by a class student. You need to look at it carefully and make a table during the presentation. After answering the question: Which thinker do you agree with and why?

Thinkers past and present on understanding progress and regression.

When discussing the views of scientists, students are encouraged to represent the course of history graphically. There are different diagrams on the board.

For each of these graphs, examples from historical development are given.

Questions for diagrams.

What conclusions did you draw from these graphs?

Show specific examples of the pros and cons of the social process.

You have seen that social progress is an extremely complex and contradictory phenomenon. It is easy to see that almost any phenomenon in the life of society has a downside and can be ambiguously assessed from the standpoint of social progress.

Is it possible to talk about social progress in general with such ambiguity of changes?

6. To do this, you need to establish what is the general criterion of social progress. What changes in society should be considered progressive, and what - not.

The question of the criteria for progress has occupied the great minds of scientists and philosophers of different eras.

A. Condorcet and other enlighteners considered the development of the human mind as the criterion of progress.
Utopian socialists - the principle of the brotherhood of man.
F. Schelling talked about the gradual approach of humanity to the legal state system.
G. Hegel considered the consciousness of freedom to be the criterion of progress.
A. Voznesensky noted that "all progress is reactionary if a person collapses."

Now that we have outlined the different views on the criteria for historical progress, consider which point of view gives you a more reliable way to evaluate the changes taking place in society.

Ultimately, students come to the conclusion that progressive development can be considered such living conditions that create as many opportunities as possible for the development of the person himself: freedom, reason, morality, creativity.

Man, his life, freedom are recognized as the highest value. In this case, we are talking about the universal criterion of social progress: what is progressive is that which contributes to the elevation of humanity, humanism.

Annex 1, last slide.

Try to evaluate the reforms of 60-70 years from the standpoint of the universal criterion of progress. 19th century in Russia. Can they be called progressive? And the politics of the 80s. 20th century? Argument your position.
Think about whether the activities of Peter I, Napoleon Bonaparte, P.A. Stolypin are progressive. Justify your assessment.
Which of the points of view on progress presented in the document refers to the position of the Florentine historian Guicciardini (1483–1540): “The deeds of the past illuminate the future, for the world has always been the same: everything that is and will be was already in another time, the former returns, only under different names and in a different color; but not everyone recognizes it, but only the wise, who carefully observes and ponders it”?
Some scholars of contemporary social development have drawn attention to what they have called the "barbarization" of society. They attributed to them the decline in the level of culture, in particular the language, the weakening of moral regulators, legal nihilism, the growth of crime, drug addiction and other similar processes. How would you rate these events? What is their impact on society? Do these trends determine the nature of the development of society in the foreseeable future? Justify your answer.
The Soviet philosopher M. Mamardashvili (1930–1990) wrote: “The final meaning of the universe or the final meaning of history is part of human destiny. And the human destiny is the following: to be fulfilled as a Human. Become Human." How is this thought of the philosopher connected with the ideas of progress?

Homework: Social science. Textbook for students in grade 10, basic level, pp. 328–341, in a notebook work with a document pp. 340–341.

Topic: Progress and its criteria.

Society is dynamic, which way is mankind going: along the way of progress or regression? What the answer to this question will be depends on how people think about the future: whether it brings people a better life or does not bode well.

How is society developing?

This question has interested mankind since ancient times.

For analysis, the teacher offers the views of someancient thinkers.

The ancient Greek poet Hesiod (VIII-VII centuries BC) wrote that humanity moved from the best “golden” age first to the “silver” age, and then to the “iron” age, which brought wars, where evil, violence reign everywhere, justice is trampled.
The ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle viewed history as a cyclic cycle repeating the same stages.
The representative of the optimistic approach was Democritus, who divided history into qualitatively different periods: past, present and future. The transition from one period to another, in his opinion, is characterized by the growth of culture and the improvement of people's lives.

Analyzing the statements of ancient thinkers, students say that one can agree with the views of all philosophers presented. Indeed, there have been times in history when empires collapsed, civilizations perished. At the same time, arguments were made that the histories of local civilizations to some extent repeat each other. They also agree with the so-called. Democritus, that since ancient times there has been a development of culture, the conditions of human life are improving.

How to understand the movement of the historical process?

For this, there is the concept of “social progress”.

What do you know about social progress?

Students, based on their experience, note thatsocial progress is a direction of development, which is characterized by a transition from lower to higher, from simple to complex. And, on the contrary, regression is characterized by a backward movement, a return to obsolete forms and structures, degradation.

The students then give examples from history. They pay attention to the fact that mankind initially lived in a primitive society, then states with their own laws, the Middle Ages, Modern Times, etc., gradually form. It turns out that humanity goes through the same stages of economic, social and cultural development. Despite the difference, peoples are united in their desire for happiness and a better life. Only the speed of development among peoples is different. There are countries that have pulled ahead, and there are backward countries that are catching up with more developed countries.History acts as a single process of continuous development.This similarity is seenunity of the historical process.

Comment on what are the ways of denying the unity of history and the diversity of development. What are the consequences for a country that has chosen one of these paths?

So, community development includes:

the unity of the historical process,
variety of ways and forms of human development,
features of historical development,
features of cultural development,
uneven development.

Does this mean that each country has its own version of development and is it the only one possible?

Who makes the choice on which country will develop?

– Depending on historical conditions, these can be statesmen, elites, and the masses.

After identifying the subjective experience, we proceed directly to the actualization of knowledge.

Is there progressive development?

Thinkers past and present on understanding progress and regression.

When discussing the views of scientists, students are encouraged to represent the course of history graphically. There are different diagrams on the board.

For each of these graphs, examples from historical development are given.

Questions for diagrams.

What conclusions did you draw from these graphs?
Show specific examples of the pros and cons of the social process.

You have seen that social progress is a complex and contradictory phenomenon. It is easy to see that almost any phenomenon in the life of society has a downside and can be ambiguously assessed from the standpoint of social progress.

Is it possible to talk about social progress in general with such ambiguity of changes?

6. To do this, you need to establish what is the general criterion of social progress. What changes in society should be considered progressive, and what - not.

The question of the criteria for progress has occupied the great minds of scientists and philosophers of different eras.

A. Condorcet and other enlighteners considered the development of the human mind as the criterion of progress.
Utopian socialists - the principle of the brotherhood of man.
F. Schelling talked about the gradual approach of humanity to the legal state system.
G. Hegel considered the consciousness of freedom to be the criterion of progress.
A. Voznesensky noted that "all progress is reactionary if a person collapses."

Now that we have outlined the different views on the criteria for historical progress, considerwhich point of view gives you a more reliable way to evaluate the changes taking place in society.

Man, his life, freedom are recognized as the highest value. In this case, we are talking about a universal criterionsocial progress: progressive is that which contributes to the elevation of humanity, humanism.

Appendix 3, last slide.

Tasks.

Try to evaluate the reforms of 60-70 years from the standpoint of the universal criterion of progress. 19th century in Russia. Can they be called progressive? And the politics of the 80s. 20th century? Argument your position.
Think about whether the activities of Peter I, Napoleon Bonaparte, P.A. Stolypin are progressive. Justify your assessment.
Which of the points of view on progress presented in the document refers to the position of the Florentine historian Guicciardini (1483–1540): “The deeds of the past illuminate the future, for the world has always been the same: everything that is and will be was already in another time, the former returns, only under different names and in a different color; but not everyone recognizes it, but only the wise, who carefully observes and ponders it”?
Some scholars of contemporary social development have drawn attention to what they have called the "barbarization" of society. They attributed to them the decline in the level of culture, in particular the language, the weakening of moral regulators, legal nihilism, the growth of crime, drug addiction and other similar processes. How would you rate these phenomena? What is their impact on society? Do these trends determine the nature of the development of society in the foreseeable future? Justify your answer.
The Soviet philosopher M. Mamardashvili (1930–1990) wrote: “The final meaning of the universe or the final meaning of history is part of human destiny. And the human destiny is the following: to be fulfilled as a Human. Become Human." How is this thought of the philosopher connected with the ideas of progress?
We carry out the task C5 . What is the meaning of social scientists in the concept of "criterion of progress"? Drawing on the knowledge of the social science course, make two sentences: one sentence revealing the features of progress, and one sentence containing information about the criteria (s) for determining progress.

To begin with, do not make the most common mistake associated with this assignment. We are required not two sentences, but a CONCEPT and 2 SENTENCES (three in total!). So, we remembered the concept of progress - the progressive development of society, its movement forward. Let's choose a synonym for the wordcriterion - measure, yardstick. Respectively:

Further, let us recall that progress and regress for each society manifest themselves in different ways, contradictory. We answer the first question, save the beginning of its formulation (we write what they want to see from us!):

1. A feature of progress is its inconsistency, all criteria for progress are subjective.

And remember that although the degree of development of society can be measured in different ways (there are many approaches - the level of development of science, technology and technology, the degree of democracy, a generally accepted single criterion - the humanity of society. So:

2. The universal criterion for determining progress is the degree of humaneness of society, the ability to provide maximum conditions for the development of each person.

So here's what our answer looks like:

C5. "The criterion of progress" is a measure by which the degree of development of a society is judged.

A feature of progress is its inconsistency, all criteria of progress are subjective.

The universal criterion for determining progress is the degree of humanity of society, the ability to provide the maximum conditions for the development of each person.

Detailed solution paragraph § 3 on social science for students in grade 10, authors L.N. Bogolyubov, Yu.I. Averyanov, A.V. Belyavsky 2015

SELF-CHECK QUESTIONS

1. What explains the diversity of ways and forms of social development?

The variety of ways and forms of social development is explained by the fact that with the development of society, new ways and forms of social development appear. The primitive era was replaced by the state. Feudal fragmentation in many countries was replaced by centralized monarchies. Bourgeois revolutions took place in a number of countries. All colonial empires collapsed, and dozens of independent states arose in their place. The variety of ways and forms of social development is not unlimited. It is included in the framework of certain trends in historical development.

2. What is the process of globalization?

Globalization is the process of worldwide economic, political, cultural and religious integration (the process of combining parts into a whole) and unification (bringing to a uniform system or forms).

Globalization is a process of changing the structure of the world economy, most recently understood as a set of national economies connected to each other by a system of international division of labor, economic and political relations, inclusion in the world market and a close interweaving of economies based on transnationalization and regionalization. On this basis, the formation of a unified world network market economy - geo-economics and its infrastructure, the destruction of the national sovereignty of states that have been the main actors in international relations for many centuries. The process of globalization is a consequence of the evolution of state-formed market systems. Globalization brings states closer, makes them take into account each other's interests to a greater extent, warns against extreme actions in politics and the economy (otherwise, the international community can use various kinds of sanctions: restrict trade, stop international aid, freeze loans, etc.).

3. What are the manifestations of globalization in the economic sphere? What helps her?

Cooperation between the national economies of different countries, the convergence of the markets of each of the individual countries in order to form a single market, the elimination of barriers to the movement of goods, services, capital, labor between countries.

4. What is the contradictory nature of the globalization process expressed in?

The inconsistency of the globalization process lies in the impossibility of the state to regulate the economy at the national level in isolation from world economic processes.

5. What are the main global problems of our time? What caused their appearance?

The main global problems of our time include:

Raw materials (deforestation, lack of water, depletion of oil resources, etc.) Earth's resources are exhaustible;

Environmental (water and air pollution, ozone holes);

Problems of war (the presence of atomic weapons in some countries);

North-South problem: rich North, poor South;

Diseases (AIDS, HIV, cancer, addiction, flu);

Terrorism;

Population (overpopulation in China and India, and demographic crisis in Europe and Russia).

6. What views on the issue of progress have been expressed by philosophers in the past and in our time?

There are many points of view of philosophers on the issue of progress in the past and in our time: the ancient Greek poet Hesiod (VIII-VII centuries BC) wrote about the main stages in the development of mankind. The first stage was the golden age, when people lived easily and carelessly, the second - the silver age, when morality and piety began to decline. So, sinking lower and lower, people found themselves in the Iron Age, when evil and violence reigned everywhere, justice was trampled on. Think about how Hesiod saw the path of mankind: progressive or regressive.

Unlike Hesiod, the ancient Greek philosophers Plato (c. 427-347 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC) viewed history as a cyclic cycle repeating the same stages.

The development of the idea of historical progress is connected with the achievements of science, technology, culture, the revival of social life in the era of modern times. One of the first to put forward the theory of social progress was the French philosopher A. R. Turgot (1727 - 1781). His contemporary, the French philosopher-educator J. A. Condorcet (1743 - 1794), believed that history is a picture of continuous changes, the progress of the human mind. He wrote: “Observation of this historical picture shows in the modifications of the human race, in its continuous renewal, in the infinity of ages, the path that he followed, the steps that he took, striving for truth or happiness. Observations of what man was, and of what he has now become, will help us to find the means to secure and hasten the new advances that his nature allows him to hope for."

So, Condorcet sees the historical process as a path of social progress, in the center of which is the upward development of the human mind. The German philosopher G. Hegel (1770 - 1831) considered progress not only the principle of reason, but also the principle of world events. This belief in progress was also accepted by another German philosopher, K. Marx (1818 - 1883), who believed that humanity is moving towards an ever greater mastery of nature, the development of production and of man himself.

The 19th and 20th centuries were marked by turbulent events that provided new information for reflection on progress and regression in the life of society. In the XX century. Sociological theories appeared, the authors of which abandoned the optimistic view of the development of society, characteristic of the ideas of progress. Instead, they offer theories of cyclical circulation, pessimistic ideas of the "end of history", global environmental, energy and nuclear disasters.

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

7. What is the contradictory nature of progress?

The contradictory nature of "progress" lies in the fact that all countries in the world, each understands "progress" in its own way. The world is changing and world values are changing, much of what seemed to be a blessing became, if not evil, then a problem: today it is unlikely that anyone will claim "their portion of radium." For some, "progress" is the availability of economic benefits, for others, the achievement of political stability.

8. What criteria of progress were proposed by thinkers of different eras? What are their pros and cons?

The German philosopher F. W. Schelling (1775-1854) wrote that the solution of the question of historical progress is complicated by the fact that supporters and opponents of the belief in the improvement of mankind are completely confused 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, is rather a regression from a historical point of view. Schelling proposed his own solution to the problem: the criterion for establishing the historical progress of the human race can only be a gradual approach to the legal order.

The question of the criteria for progress occupied many of the great minds of modern times, but the solution was never found. The disadvantage of trying to solve 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 criteria for 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. This position is argued by the fact 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.

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.

However, this position has been criticized. Just as it is impossible to find a universal criterion of progress only in the 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 knows examples of countries where a high level of material production was combined with the degradation of spiritual culture. To overcome the one-sidedness of the criteria, 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".

According to the point of view of these scientists, 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 point of view on social progress.

Humanity, the recognition of man as the highest value, is expressed by the concept of "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.

Now that we have outlined the different views on the criteria for historical progress, consider which viewpoint gives you a more reliable way to evaluate the changes taking place in society.

9. Why can the humanistic criterion of progress be considered complex, overcoming the one-sided approach of other criteria?

Humanity, the recognition of a person as the highest value, is expressed by the concept of "humanism", therefore the humanistic criterion of progress can be considered complex, overcoming the one-sided approach of other criteria. Universality lies in the fact that progressive is that which contributes to the rise of humanism.

As we have seen, one cannot confine oneself to characterizing man only 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 the most diverse types of economic and political, spiritual and material activities become for a person. The more favorable the conditions for the development of the physical, intellectual powers 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.

TASKS

1. Scientists note that biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, robotics, new nature management, large-scale virtual reality systems come to the fore in highly developed countries. Think about how society will change with these positions.

Industrial production and the economy will be based on discoveries in biotechnology, nanotechnology, in the field of new materials, information and communication, cognitive, membrane, quantum technologies, photonics, micromechanics, robotics, genetic engineering, virtual reality technologies, and thermonuclear energy.

The synthesis of achievements in these areas can lead to the creation of, for example, artificial intelligence and other innovations that can provide access to a fundamentally new level in the control systems of the state, the armed forces, the economy and society as a whole.

2. The American philosopher E. Wallerstein developed the theory of the world system. This system, which began to take shape as early as the 16th century, includes the core (the industrial countries of the West), the semi-periphery (Wallerstein included the states in southern Europe, such as Spain), the periphery (the countries of Eastern Europe) and the external arena (the states of Asia and Africa, involved in the world economy only as raw material appendages). At the same time, the philosopher argued that the countries included in the core organize the world economic system in such a way that it primarily meets their interests.

Consider the provisions of this theory. What do you think is true, and what is difficult to agree with? If you follow the author's logic, which countries today form the core of the system, make up the semi-periphery and periphery? Has the outer arena survived?

The theory is formulated correctly and remains relevant today, when the countries that are part of the core of the world economic system dictate the rules of the game for all other countries in such a way that the economy meets their interests. In modern society, the list of states that leave the periphery and semi-periphery has changed a bit. Africa is the periphery. Africa is little involved in the world economy, one can agree with this. Among the peripheral countries include England, France. The core of the system is formed by China, Japan, and the USA.

3. Try to evaluate the reforms of the 1860s-1870s from the standpoint of the universal criterion of progress. in Russia.

Reforms of 1860 - 1870s in Russia, conducted by Alexander II were really aimed at progress. The peasant reform, carried out within the framework of these reforms, marked the beginning of the abolition of centuries-old serfdom in Russia. The judicial reform of 1864 introduced a jury, publicity, openness and competitiveness of the trial. Zemstvo reform introduced zemstvo councils and assemblies. Military reform shortened the service life. All these reforms were aimed at progress in economic, social and political terms.

4. Domestic philosopher M. Mamardashvili wrote: “The ultimate meaning of the universe or the ultimate meaning of history is part of human destiny. And the human destiny is the following: to be fulfilled as a Human. Become Human. How is this thought of the philosopher connected with the idea of progress?

In order to reach the top of the universe, as well as comprehend the truth, a person must constantly improve, seek his destiny and the meaning of his life, which means becoming a full-fledged person, revealing unprecedented talents in himself. In pursuit of perfection, man studies, observes, invents. This is the idea of progress.