The theory of social progress is an integral part of general sociology. At the same time, its significance is relatively independent. She tries to find out what direction the processes in society have, the trend of its development, and also reveals on this basis the general logic of the entire historical process.
The concepts of "progress", "development" and "regression"
Before considering the problems of social progress, let's find out the content of the following concepts: "progress", "development", "regression". Development is the broadest category, which denotes the process of qualitative changes taking place in certain directions. Such directions can be either a descending or an ascending line. Consequently, the concept of progress is only one of the aspects of development, an ascending line from the simple to the complex, from the lower to the higher. Regress, on the contrary, is decline, stagnation, degradation. This is a movement from higher to lower, that is, along a descending line.
B. Shaw's Opinion
The theory of social progress has both its supporters and opponents. B. Shaw, an English writer, noted in this connection that the search for the logic of the historical process is a noble deed, but not a grateful one. In his opinion, a wise person strives, first of all, to adapt to this world, and a stupid person seeks to adapt it to himself. Therefore, according to Bernard Shaw, progress depends largely on fools.
Studying the problem of social progress in antiquity
In the history of philosophical thought, this problem has been the subject of constant interest. In antiquity, for example, Seneca and Hesiod argued that there is no progress in history as such. On the contrary, it is moving in the direction from the Golden Age, that is, there is a regression. The problem of social progress at the same time was considered by Aristotle and Plato. They were inclined in this issue to the ideas of the cycle in public life.
Christian interpretation
Christian interpretation of the problem of social progress is also interesting. In it, it is considered as a movement forward, upward, but, as it were, on top of being, history. So thought, for example, Aurelius Augustine.
Progress from the earthly basis in this case is torn off, and its understanding is associated mainly with the personality: a person's personal responsibility before God, retribution, contact with the divine.
Further consideration of this issue in history
The Renaissance posed this problem as a problem of individual freedom and ways to achieve it. In modern times, a different vision of social progress was formulated, which expresses the well-known saying: "Knowledge is power." However, at the same time, as in the period of the French Enlightenment, the problem of the inconsistency of moving forward appears. In particular, Rousseau points out the contradiction between moral progress and the progress of knowledge.
If we consider German classical philosophy, we can see that development in it is interpreted as moving forward, and the history of mankind is a process of development of the World Spirit, the Absolute Idea. Hegel adhered to this position.
Opinion on this issue by J. A. Condorcet
F. Antoine Condorcet, a French thinker, is one of the most prominent theorists of the 2nd half of the 19th century. What is the problem of social progress from his point of view? Let's figure it out. Condorcet was convinced that progress depends on the success of the mind, which is manifested in the spread of education and the growth of science. In the very "nature" of man, according to this thinker, lies the ability of self-improvement, and this causes social progress, which will proceed indefinitely. Although he limits this "infinity" to the framework of private property, believing that it is with its establishment that society begins to move forward, which is possible only under the conditions of this natural basis.
What's newbrought in the study of this issue in the 2nd half of the 19th century?
We see that the vast majority of the above-named researchers who studied the problems of social progress believed that the root cause of progress is the mind, "its unlimited possibilities." However, in the second half of the 19th century, a shift in emphasis occurred in the understanding of this issue, up to the replacement of the concept of "progress" by "social changes" or the "cycle" of history. Researchers such as P. Sorokin and O. Spengler ("The Decline of Europe") argued that the movement of society takes place in a downward direction, and in the end civilization will inevitably perish.
The problem of social progress and its criteria was also of interest to representatives of utopian socialism (for example, Karl Marx, whose portrait is presented above). They were convinced that progress is the law of the development of society, and it inevitably leads to the triumph of socialism in the future. They saw the driving force behind progress in the successes of enlightenment, human reason, and in the moral improvement of people. Marxist ideology is formed in the middle of the 19th century. Its basis is a historical, dialectical-materialist approach to society, its present, past and future. History is presented in this case as the activity of a person who pursues his goals.
We will not continue listing the authors who studied the problems of social progress and their concepts. From the above, it can be concluded thatthat none of them can be considered absolute truth, although there is some share of it in each of them. It is likely that researchers will return to such a question as the problem of social progress for a long time to come. Philosophy has already accumulated many concepts, but they are all somewhat one-sided.
Global problems of our time
The contradictions of the social process are accumulating at the present stage in the global problems of mankind. These include the following:
- caused by the environmental crisis;
- the problem of establishing peace and preventing war;
- demographic (depopulationist and populationist);
- problems of spirituality (culture, he althcare, education) and lack of spirituality (loss of internal reference points - universal human values);
- overcoming human disunity, which is caused by various political, economic and spiritual development of peoples and countries.
All these modern problems of social progress affect the interests of humanity as a whole and its future, and therefore were called global. The unresolved nature of these and other issues poses a threat to the continued existence of society as a whole. In addition, for their solution, they require the combined efforts of not only individual countries and regions, but of the whole of humanity.
Each of us is concerned with the problem of social progress. Social science in general is veryuseful science, because we all live in society. Therefore, everyone should understand the basic laws of its functioning. The school often superficially considers the problem of social progress, briefly talks about global problems. Perhaps these topics should be given more attention, and then future generations will direct their efforts to solve them.
