Society is the next stage in the development of human civilization after nature. Both of these concepts can be considered as matter. However, society, unlike nature, is advancing towards the realization of its being. The stronger its progress, the more it separates from the original nature.
The concept of nature and society
Their unity and differences are determined by an inextricable link: society, as a result of human interaction, can deviate as far from nature as you like, but still continues to depend on and influence it to one degree or another.
Terminology: nature
The most established definition of nature is the whole surrounding world, which includes a variety of forms and manifestations. It exists outside of human consciousness and does not depend on it, which makes it a unique objective reality. However, if we consider the relationship between nature and society, we have to separate them, and a very laconic definition for the first concept becomes "everything that is notthere is a society - a part of the material world, consisting of the natural conditions of existence."
Terminology: Society
In turn, society is the conditions artificially created by man for existence and development. It is called the social environment, which is correct, but not entirely correct due to the fact that the social is already a synonym for the public. Karl Marx briefly defined the term under consideration as the interaction of people, which fully reflects the essence of society. A person lives in society, communicates in it, creates a family and builds his career, creates works of art and culture, and also enjoys its benefits, is an important element of the system of joint production of goods and services.
Two values
Society is described in two different ways: in the broad and narrow sense of the word.
- The first is the part of the material world that "is not nature".
- Second - a social group or a certain stage of development (in historical terms).
It is easy to guess that within the framework of the topic under consideration, attention is focused on the first definition.
Society and Nature
It should be understood that the main difference between nature and society is that the first is natural, independent of people, which arose much earlier, while the second is a purely social phenomenon. They say that society is a separate part of the world. That is, its source is still natural, because it was created by people, biological creatures.
Philosophical views on nature
There are two cardinally extreme, opposite points of view expressing an opinion about nature as a system. One of them represents it as chaos, the realm of chance, not subject to laws. And the other, on the contrary, argues that the rules by which everything natural interacts are very strict and precise, but also complex. That is why a person, being a part of it, submits to this domination, but is unable to fully understand it.
There is strong evidence for the second opinion in the form of the natural harmony of nature. No wonder people have always tried to imitate her in their creations: they were inspired by objects, they took ideas, they studied patterns in order to use them to their advantage.
It is interesting that, however, nature has not always been perceived as the goal of human production activity. Antiquity strove to be a single mechanism with it, and to objectify it only as an object of observation.
Nature is the basis of society
From the point of view of influence on a person, the social is higher than the biological. But the ratio when considering the vital activity of each of these environments tends to favor nature. It becomes a natural basis.
Society, unlike nature, forms the behavioral psyche, acts as a behavioral factor for the development of the individual. But his very life activity is inextricably linked with natural objects. Thus, nature is both an object of labor and a treasury of objects of material production (for example, the same usefulfossils). If society suddenly ceases to exist, it will still function. But not vice versa.
Contradictions in the relationship between nature and society
With the development of society, man is increasingly trying to begin to dominate nature. At present, it has acquired a planetary scale. But at the same time, the disharmony of these relationships is becoming more and more evident.
For example, social reproduction often ignores only the fact that the statement "unlike nature, society is a system" is fundamentally wrong, given that nature is an integral mechanism in which one element leads another. By trying to influence only one part of the natural in a positive way, the famous "butterfly effect" leads to a negative in another. The dialectical nature of nature and the diversity of its forms do not negate the fact that it is one. And the harm done to it (sometimes intentionally, sometimes improvidently stupid) ultimately turns into problems for the development of society itself.
Laws of nature and society: unity and difference
The objective action of the laws of both nature and society, as well as the indisputable fact that under certain conditions they are necessary, explains their unity. It, in turn, manifests itself regardless of human desires and actions: both are realized outside the consciousness of the individual and humanity as a whole, they have nothing to do with whether they are known, understood, cognized or trying to cognize.
The difference between the laws of nature and societytied to time: in the first case, they are eternal, or at least long-term. In the second, it is a non-permanent phenomenon.
This is easy to explain: the laws of society were created when it began to exist, and will disappear with it.
Society develops under the influence of the life of mankind, which unconsciously creates new laws. Nature is quite capable of developing "by itself".
Unity emerges:
- in genetics, since man is part of nature;
- structure, since society is a social form of the movement of matter;
- functioning, since the existence of society outside nature is not possible.
The difference is observed among:
- laws of functioning and development (under the influence of man / outside of his influence);
- natural rhythms;
- antagonism;
- levels of difficulty.
Difficulty levels
Society, unlike nature, is governed by the laws of a higher form of matter motion. The lower form, of course, also exerts its share of influence, but does not determine the essence of social phenomena. In the same way that the laws of biology, mechanics and physics do not participate in the development of a person as an individual, this is the competence of social influence.
Society and culture
Culture is a direct attribute of society. This is a phenomenon that characterizes society and is inextricably linked with it: one is impossible without the other.
She is also a determining factor intopic under consideration: unlike nature, society creates culture. Therefore, this is a purely human phenomenon, a higher level of spiritual development. After all, only a person can create - just a biological being is not capable of such an act.
Culture is a unique phenomenon, the heritage of the ethnic group and nationalities to which it belongs, a vessel for storing history, a means of self-expression. It has the property of reproducing itself. A person simultaneously acts as its creator, its custodian, its consumer and its distributor.
A high level of culture indicates a high level of development of society. And no matter how amazing nature is in its amazing harmony of the material plane, it has not grown to such a spiritual level - moreover, it does not evolve in this direction. No matter how multifaceted society and nature are, the differences and similarities between these two concepts come down precisely to culture.
Cause and effect relationships
At the same time, the relationship of one to the other is logically true, and therefore incredibly amazing: nature is the basis of society, society is the basis for culture. And each of the individual concepts has the property of self-reproduction.
Thought and action
Society, unlike nature, progresses directionally. A person, acting as his main tool, is called upon to comprehend the processes taking place in society in order to make adjustments to them. He has a right to this, since he is both directly part of it, and, definitely, hiscreator. A person does not have similar privileges in the sphere of influence on nature. That is why, when they say that society and nature have the following differences, they first of all remember a person - a biosocial being that includes both.
Interdependence of society and nature
The ecological crisis is a manifestation of the interdependence of society and nature. This has already been mentioned in this article: a person has not learned to use the unity of the laws of two systems for the benefit not only of himself or one of them, but of both. He does not consider nature as an integral mechanism, and therefore his actions have a negative effect: irrationally used minerals by society, natural forces that a person can tame, but cannot cope with. The ecological crisis is not only a problem, but also a key to its solution.
