Society in philosophy is what?

The view of philosophy on society can not be separated from the philosophy of man, although it does not boil down directly to this topic. At any stage of its development, society is a complex, multifaceted entity that has diverse, intertwined bonds, including human relations. The life of a society is not limited only to the life of the people who enter it. Society is creative and forms various spiritual, material values that are not created by individuals. For example, technology, art, all kinds of institutions, science and languages, law, morality and politics, philosophy at last ... It is this complex and contradictory combination of human actions, results and relationships that is an integral part of society as a whole organism.

Philosophical definition

It is interesting that society in philosophy is an abstract concept. It is purely theoretical. In reality, there are quite specific types of society with different historical roots and forms: ancient tribes, feudal lords, Asian monarchies, etc. If it is a question of a specific organization of people, then there must necessarily be an indication of the formal characteristics of this group. Everyone knows such a notion as "the family is an elementary unit of society". There are also various social, age, ethnic associations of people. In addition, the concept of "society" in philosophy is an identification with the state. It is also compared with the global concept of the "world community".

Philosophy and everyday consciousness

While a person does not think about what a society is, it seems to him that this concept is well known to him. In the ordinary consciousness of people, society is all the surrounding people with whom we communicate and those that are far from us, but also are members of a single society. The quality of our life depends on the society in which we live. Modern society in philosophy is a concept that was formed approximately in the XVII-XVIII centuries due to the development of European culture. And the etymological meaning of the socium in most languages is a word that characterizes not an isolated person, but a certain unified set of individuals.

Types of society

Modern society has passed two stages of formation: industrial and postindustrial. Already at the end of the 18th century, the concept of civil society appeared, which included the customs and customs of the whole people. самодеятельностью, самоуправлением населения, участием в политической жизни простых людей . It was believed that such a society was not directed by the state, but differed in self-activity, self-government of the population, participation in the political life of ordinary people .

It is interesting that then commoners were not considered members of society. Consequently, by definition of that time, society in philosophy is an aristocracy in whose hands power and wealth were concentrated. Today, this smaller part of society is called the supreme light, the elite.

Traditions

Even Plato and Aristotle singled out society as part of the state, which includes only free citizens. Slaves could not be considered its members. But even then, in antiquity, society was in the minority. After the Great French Revolution, the political appearance of Europe has changed, and the concept of "society" is used in a broad sense. Now it began to reflect the common self-awareness of people, their desire to participate in politics and the lives of ordinary people, the majority of the population.

What is the role of philosophy in society and the system of knowledge

As a science, philosophy is always aimed at the scientific knowledge of the world, but at the same time it maximally expresses the interests of certain classes and subjects of society. This science, as an integral system of ideas about the world, includes the ideology and policy of class societies. As a result, confrontation between certain branches of philosophy intensified. Since the role of philosophy in society influences its ideology, it is an important part of studying the political sciences in the knowledge system.

A significant part of philosophical knowledge is aesthetics. Creating a philosophical picture of the world, its creators should be endowed with a sense of beauty and harmony. Philosophical science is related to art, as evidenced by the works of Camus, Roerich, Ciurlionis, Tagore, Goethe and other authors.

The process of spreading the notion of "society"

A rather long and contradictory way of formation passed humanity, before taking shape in modern society. Philosophy has always been aimed at studying the laws of being and identifying mechanisms for regulating relations in society. The process of forming the concept of "society" was long, controversial and complex. There are still some countries where women do not have the right to vote. Also there are states where whole social strata are excluded from the framework of the society.

As mentioned above, it was the 18th century that was considered a frontier that changed the economic side of Europe. This was due to the industrial revolution, when the large-scale industry with hired workers came to replace the family workshops. Urbanization and industrialization broke into modern society. Philosophy as a science also did not stand still and began to develop rapidly.

Freedom of citizens, their education began to grow rapidly. The economy has enabled many to find independence. This led to the spread of the concept of "personality" and to ordinary citizens, who until recently were not considered to be full members of society. законом . A new form of society began to develop - democracy based on the equality of each person before the law . The flagship of industrialization in Europe was made by England, which gave rise to the development of industry, free enterprise and new legislation.

The conditions of life, nature and society

Philosophy as a social science deals with the study of man and his environment, where nature also belongs. Therefore, one of the main points of the analysis of society is its relation to nature and its variety of types. Materialistic philosophy singled out such aspects of the interrelations between man and nature :

• Genetic connection;
• evolution;
• Anthropogenesis and sociogenesis;
• Ontological connection.

The concept of "nature" - the basis of human existence, the source of the necessary substances, products and objects. The epistemological, spiritual connection that nature and society have, philosophy defines as an indispensable condition for the cognitive activity of people and the condition for their emotional and psychological stability.

"Nature" in philosophy is a synonym for the words "world", "matter", "universe", "being." It also means the essence of many phenomena (the nature of electricity, disease, etc.); Relatively natural environment opposed to the society (everything that is not the result of human labor).

In general, we can say that the concept of "nature" plays a big role. The human society defines philosophy as part of the aggregate.

Disharmony

The practice of the consumer in relation to natural resources has led to a violation of harmony in the environment. Since the XX century it became clear that there was a threat to the existence of mankind as a whole as a biological species, expressed by an ecological crisis. We note the pollution of water, air, soil, lack of resources, the disappearance of certain species of plants and animals, the destruction of forests, global warming, ozone holes, etc. As a consequence, the health of the population of the whole planet has greatly deteriorated. The degradation of the gene pool has become noticeable.

As a science, philosophy in the life of man and society has become even more important. Studying it, a person begins to think about the eternal, the sense of being and the role of man on Earth. It is necessary to change the consciousness of people, it is too materialized and "clings" to the flesh. The consciousness of modern people has become too consumer. Clearly, all nature, plants, animals are created as blessings for humanity, but if we do not treat them with care, with a sense of gratitude, then very soon we will not only be in a crisis state, but we will also be doomed to extinction.

Mass Consciousness

Today, environmental concern has become the main feature that shapes the consciousness of the societies of entire states. Therefore, the modern philosophy of society, briefly, is aimed at developing people's self-awareness and responsibility before the entire planet, all creations on this Earth and even in the Universe, awareness of the key role in the development of evolution and its degradation as well. If only recently in a state of ecology, mankind has seen only a threat to nature itself, its beauty, then today we understand that it is a direct loss to our health, welfare and existence.

Modern philosophy in the life of society is also aimed at relations with nature. The whole planet is a single organism, therefore humanity must unite in solving the ecological crisis. After all, there is no other's nature. It is one, and the planet is on the brink of disaster. The society has become on the threshold of a new stage of interaction, in our consciousness there is a concept characterizing the sphere of reason.

Noosphere

This concept expresses the highest level of integration of existing forms of matter, as a result of human activity, which rebuilds the interests of mankind in accordance with the needs of the biosphere, making it responsible for its evolution. Modern philosophy of society considers the relationship of man and nature not in terms of its power over it, but as an interlacing, parallel development and interaction. The concept of the noosphere embodies the idea of the necessary reasonable organization of society and its interaction with nature, and not a spontaneous and predatory attitude towards it.

It is necessary to understand that the society exists only thanks to the living environment. Modern society, as a system whose philosophy will not develop towards the concepts of the noosphere, will be doomed to extinction. You can not irresponsibly treat the world around you. Man, as an individual, is part of a whole vast world, and he must reckon with laws aimed at creation, not destruction. Otherwise, it is unlikely that he can claim the very title of a reasonable person.