Criteria for social progress: the definition of an ambiguous phenomenon

Social progress is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon. For the first time seriously about him began talking in the second half of the XVIII century. The initial development of the concept of social progress belongs to the French researchers Turgot and Condorcet. They were the first to try to single out the criteria for social progress. The definition of these criteria, however, is a rather complex task.

The concept and structure of social progress

Progress is primarily a development that is characterized by a transition from less perfect forms to more perfect forms, from the lower to the higher. World history is characterized by this forward movement .

The concept of social progress includes one important feature. It consists in the fact that changes in the society are characterized not so much by quantitative, as by qualitative changes. In addition, changes in society take place in a variety of ways, which determines the criteria for social progress. The determination of the moment at which a qualitative leap in the development of society is to take place is prepared by the entire preceding course of history.

The structure of social progress includes subjective and objective elements. The objective component represents the material relations of people, production forces and relations. The subjective element is people's activity aimed at achieving consciously set goals.

Approaches to the definition of criteria for social progress

How to determine the criteria for social progress? This is the least unequivocal question in social philosophy. This situation is determined, first of all, by the complexity of society. There were and are different points of view as to what constitutes the criteria for social progress. The definition was tried to give Hegel, who identified progress with the development of consciousness and freedom. The whole story, in his opinion, is a progressive, progressive development of the society.

Another point of view belongs to Karl Marx, who brought to the fore the objective element of social progress, that is, the growth of the productive forces of society, labor productivity. In contrast to this view, NA. Berdyaev considered the criteria of the progress of society religious aspects. Progress, in his opinion, occurs in higher spheres and is peculiar only to human society, in nature only evolution takes place.

Modern look

To date, there are several basic criteria for social progress, depending on the scientific approach. First of all, the development of material production is included in the criteria of social progress. The definition of this aspect characterizes changes in all other areas of society. But there is another approach, according to which the personality and its position in society are put at the forefront. The progress of society, therefore, is determined by the degree of economic, social and political liberation of man. This includes the satisfaction of the individual with his material situation, the state of physical and social health. One of the most revealing indicators of the progress of society is the average life expectancy of a person. And, finally, the criterion of the progress of society is also called the degree of social freedom, that is, satisfaction with legal norms.