Formational approach

To study the development of society and the state there are 2 main approaches - civilizational and formational. The first is based on the fact that the criterion of typology is the level of civilization achieved by different countries.

Formational approach to the study of society suggests that throughout history, in its development, humanity passes through certain stages (formations), differing from one another in the basis and superstructure. The bright representatives of the second approach are K.Marks and F.Engels.

Formation - a historically formed type of society, the basis of which is a certain way of material production. The basis of all social relations, based on the above, are production.

Formational approach includes such concepts as superstructure and basis. The latter means a set of relations in the sphere of the economy that are formed in the production, exchange, distribution and consumption of material goods. At the same time, the nature of production relations does not depend on consciousness and will, it is influenced by the level achieved and the needs of the material or productive forces of these relations. Under the superstructure is understood the totality of legal, religious, political and other views and relations. The structure of the superstructure is social relations in society, certain forms of family, way of life and lifestyle.

The meaning of the conceptual conception is that as a result of the development of the forces of production, appropriate production relations are created for them , which replace the existing relations and determine the emergence of a new formation.

For each of them, there are certain basic forms of ownership and leading classes both in politics and in the economy. Agrarian civilization corresponds to the stage of primitive, slave-owning, feudal society. Capitalistic - industrial civilization. The highest formation was the communist one, which from the Marxist point of view is built on the best, economically more developed basis.

Sam K.Marks distinguished three formations - primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary was the primitive (archaic), the secondary - the economic, which included the ancient, Asian, feudal and capitalist (bourgeois) modes of production, the tertiary - the communist. That is, according to this theory, the formation was a certain stage of historical progress, each of which progressively and naturally brought society closer to communism.

Formational development approach implies a constant, steady and progressive transformation of society from the lower to the higher types in connection with the changes and development of production relations. The central point of the theory is that the change of formations occurs through class struggle and social revolution, which resolves by political means the contradictions that arise between the basis and the superstructure.

The formational approach to the typology of the state is also based on the Marxist doctrine of changes in socio-economic formations. The historical types of the state (slave-owning, feudal, then capitalistic, socialist) are distinguished by each of them.

Formational approach has a number of shortcomings:

• The role of the economy in public life is exaggerated;
• The role of spiritual and other superstructural factors is underestimated;
• Predetermined development of historical processes ;
• Historical development occurs unilinearly;
• Attachment to a materialistic view.

Currently, the formation approach is treated more widely. The history of the development of mankind is viewed from the standpoint of constant progress because of the development of the productive forces.