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Public progress lecture. Social progress and regress. Progress inconsistency. Criteria of social progress of modern scientists

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Progress is the progressive movement of mankind towards one higher rational goal, towards the ideal of the good, worthy of universal desire.

The idea of social progress is a product of modern times. This means that it was at this time that it took root in the minds of people and began to form their worldview, the idea of the progressive, upward development of society. There was no such representation in antiquity. The ancient worldview, as is known, was of a cosmocentric nature. And this means that the man of antiquity was coordinated in relation to nature, the cosmos. And man had to find his place in this eternal cosmos, and not in history.

The idea of social progress is established in the Age of Enlightenment. This era raises the mind, knowledge, science, human freedom to the shield and evaluates history from this angle, opposing itself to previous eras, where, in the opinion of the enlighteners, ignorance and despotism prevailed. The Enlighteners in a certain way understood the era of their time (as the era of "enlightenment"), its role and significance for man, and through the prism of the modernity understood in this way, they considered the past of mankind. The opposition of modernity, interpreted as the advent of the era of reason, to the past of mankind, contained, of course, a gap between the present and the past, but as soon as an attempt was made to restore the historical connection between them on the basis of reason and knowledge, the idea of an upward movement in history immediately arose, about progress. The development and dissemination of knowledge was seen as a gradual and cumulative process. An indisputable model for such a reconstruction of the historical process was the accumulation of scientific knowledge that took place in modern times. The mental formation and development of the individual, the individual, also served as a model for them: being transferred to humanity as a whole, it gave the historical progress of the human mind.

Progress (from lat. progressus - moving forward) is such a direction of development, which is characterized by a transition from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect. The credit for putting forward the idea and developing the theory of social progress belongs to the philosophers of the second half of the 18th century, and the formation of capitalism and the maturation of European bourgeois revolutions served as the socio-economic basis for the very emergence of the idea of social progress. By the way, both creators of the initial concepts of social progress - TURGO and CONDORCE - were active public figures of pre-revolutionary and revolutionary France. And this is quite understandable: the idea of social progress, the recognition of the fact that humanity as a whole, in the main, is moving forward, is an expression of the historical optimism inherent in progressive social forces.

Three characteristic features distinguished the original progressive concepts.

FIRST OF ALL, this is idealism, i.e. an attempt to find the reasons for the progressive development of history in the spiritual beginning - in the infinite ability to improve the human intellect (the same Turgot and Condorcet) or in the spontaneous self-development of the absolute spirit (Hegel). Accordingly, the criterion of progress was also seen in the phenomena of a spiritual order, in the level of development of one or another form of social consciousness: science, morality, law, religion. By the way, progress was noted primarily in the field of scientific knowledge (Bacon, Descartes), and then the corresponding idea was extended to social relations in general.

SECONDLY, a significant shortcoming of many early concepts of social progress was the non-dialectical consideration of social life. In such cases, social progress is understood as a smooth evolutionary development, without revolutionary leaps, without backward movements, as a continuous ascent in a straight line (Comte, Spencer).

THIRD, the upward development in form was limited to the achievement of any one chosen social system. This rejection of the idea of unlimited progress was very clearly reflected in Hegel's assertions. He proclaimed the Christian-German world as the pinnacle and completion of world progress, affirming freedom and equality in their traditional interpretation.

If we try to define in general terms CAUSES OF PUBLIC PROGRESS, then they will be the needs of man, which are the product and expression of his nature as a living and no less as a social being. These needs are diverse in nature, nature, duration of action, but in any case they determine the motives of human activity. In the process of real life, people are driven by needs generated by their biological and social nature; and in the course of realizing their vital needs, people change the conditions of their existence and themselves, because each satisfied need gives rise to a new one, and its satisfaction, in turn, requires new actions, the consequence of which is the development of society.

CRITERIA FOR PROGRESS

The direction of development, which is characterized by a transition from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect, is called in science PROGRESS(a word of Latin origin, meaning literally moving forward). The concept of progress is opposed to the concept REGRESS. Regression is characterized by movement from higher to lower, degradation processes, return to obsolete forms and structures.

Condorcet(like other French enlighteners) considered the criterion of progress mind development. Utopian socialists put forward moral criterion progress. Saint Simon believed, for example, that society should adopt a form of organization that would lead to the implementation moral principle: all people should treat each other like brothers. A contemporary of the utopian socialists, the German philosopher Friedrich WILHELM SHELLING wrote that the decision of the survey on historical progress is complicated by the fact that supporters and opponents of faith in the perfection of mankind are completely confused in disputes about the criteria for progress. Some talk about the progress of mankind in the field of morality, others - about the progress of science and technology, which, as Schelling wrote, from a historical point of view, is rather a regression, and offered his own solution to the problem: the criterion in establishing the historical progress of the human race can only be a gradual approximation to legal device. Another point of view on social progress belongs to Hegel. He saw the criterion of progress in consciousness of freedom. As the consciousness of freedom grows, the progressive development of society takes place.

As you can see, the question of the criterion of progress occupied the great minds of modern times, but did not find a solution. The disadvantage of all attempts to overcome this problem was that in all cases only one line (or one side, or one sphere) of social development was considered as a criterion. And reason, and morality, and science, and technology, and the legal order, and the consciousness of freedom - all these indicators are very important, but not universal, not covering the life of a person and society as a whole.

In our time, philosophers also hold different views on the criterion of social progress. One of the current points of view is that the highest and universal objective criterion of social progress is the development of productive forces, including the development of man himself. Conclusion about the universal criterion of social progress: progressive is that which contributes to the rise of humanism.

The most important criterion of progress is the level of humanism of the society, i.e. the position of the individual in it: the degree of its economic, political and social liberation; the level of satisfaction of its material and spiritual needs; the state of her psychophysical and social health. According to this point of view, the criterion of social progress is the measure of freedom that society is able to provide to the individual, the degree of individual freedom guaranteed by society. The free development of a person in a free society also means the disclosure of his truly human qualities - intellectual, creative, moral. The development of human qualities depends on the living conditions of people. The more fully the various needs of a person in food, clothing, housing, transport services, his requests in the spiritual field are satisfied, the more moral relations between people become, the more accessible for a person are the most diverse types of economic and political, spiritual and material activities. The more favorable the conditions for the development of the physical, intellectual, mental forces of a person, his moral principles, the wider the scope for the development of individual qualities inherent in each individual person. In short, the more humane the conditions of life, the more opportunities for the development of the human in a person: reason, morality, creative forces.

"Progress" (lat.) - "movement from the lower to the higher".

Social Progress - the development of mankind towards a better, more perfect state.
Causes of social progress - needs, during the implementation of which people change the conditions of existence and themselves.

For regression characteristic:

movement from higher to lower;
degradation process;
return to obsolete forms and structures.

Progress: evolution and the revolution.

Evolution

(one of the forms of movement, development in nature and society, based on a continuous, gradual qualitative change).
Evolution is characterized by:

natural validity of changes
gradualness;
continuity;
functional integrity of change processes;
organic nature of development processes.

The revolution

(one of the forms of movement, development in nature and society, based on a radical, abrupt transition from one qualitative state to another).

Revolution is characterized by:

the speed of change;
inorganic, accompanied by brittle, the nature of development processes.

reforms is a subjective process aimed at a qualitative change, transformation, reorganization of the political, economic, social and spiritual spheres of society.

The main contradictions of progress

Non-linearity of progress: progress looks like a broken line with ups and downs, with positive shifts and backward movements.
Relativity of progress: progress in one area may be accompanied by regression in another.
Controversy of Progress: Progressive shifts have had both positive and negative consequences.
The Price of Progress: Accelerated progress often came at a high price, sometimes entire generations of people were sacrificed to progress.

Criteria of social progress

Basic science: philosophy . Essay topic: "World history is a course of development of the principle, the content of which is the consciousness of freedom." (G. Hegel).

It is human nature to strive for freedom. This is a natural desire for independence, independence, readiness to be responsible for one's actions. So Georg Hegel, the famous German philosopher, understood world history as progress in the consciousness of freedom. In his opinion, the criterion of social progress is the measure of freedom that society is able to provide to the individual, and I fully agree with his point of view. The question of the criterion of social progress is quite relevant, it was raised by philosophers of different times, but did not find an unambiguous solution.

For thousands of years, man has been fighting for his rights, and the state, in turn, has increasingly recognized a person as a free person. Already in ancient times, the concept of “freedom” and human rights began to emerge. The origin of the concept of human rights can be attributed to the V-VI centuries. BC. in the ancient Greek policies, there for the first time there are ideas of democracy. This was a major step towards progress. The first document in which human rights were enshrined was the English Magna Carta (1215). It laid the foundations, created the prerequisites for the further assertion of freedom and the rule of law in the life of society. Freedom of speech, religion, the press, the right to leave and return to one's country, the responsibility of officials for violating human rights were developed in the Bill of Rights, the Habeas Corpus Act, the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. Thus, each new stage in the development of society added more and more human rights and freedoms and extended them to an ever wider circle of people.

In addition, it is worth noting that the very process of development of society depends on the scope of human rights and freedoms. Since it is they who determine the social opportunities and benefits of a person, ensuring the nature of life, the system of interactions, relations of people in society, which also affects the development of society. For example, people from different social strata of society can unite in common unions, which was impossible with the early division of society into castes, estates, etc. Since in a modern developed society where human rights are not limited, the main criterion in such cases will be it is the mental development of a person, his creativity, and then such unions can create something new.

Thus, we can conclude that as the consciousness of freedom grows, the progressive development of society takes place.

Formational and civilizational approaches

3.2.1. Socio-economic formation- a historically defined type of society that arises on the basis of a certain mode of production of material goods

Marxism: change of formations primitive - communal, feudal, capitalist, communist (1930 socialism, communism)

Features and concepts of the formational approach

– basis ( production relations that develop between people in the process of production, distribution, exchange and consumption of material goods). Based on property relations

- superstructure - a set of legal, political, ideological, religious, cultural and other institutions and relations.

- production relations and productive forces ( people, tools) = mode of production

- social revolution- with the development of productive forces and the aging of the mode of production

Principles of the approach: universality, regularity in the change of socio-economic formations

3.2.2 Civilization- the level, stage of development of society, material and spiritual culture, following barbarism and savagery. Civilizations differ from each other: in a specific way of life, a system of values, ways of interconnection with the outside world.

Today, scientists distinguish: Western and Eastern civilizations.

Comparison of Western and Eastern civilization

Progress

3.3.1 Progress (moving forward) - the transition from the lower to the higher, from the simple to the complex, from the imperfect to the more perfect.

social progress- this is a world-historical process, which is characterized by the ascent of mankind from primitiveness (savagery) to civilization, which is based on the achievements of scientific and technical, political, legal, moral and ethical.

Regression (moving backwards) - transition from higher to lower, degradation.

3.3.2..Types of social progress

Progress of science and technology (NTP, NTR)

Progress in the development of productive forces (industrial revolution)

Political progress (transition from totalitarianism to democracy)

Progress in the field of culture (recognition of a person as the highest value)

3.3.3. Criteria of social progress:

Criterion– indicator by which something can be evaluated

§ development of the human mind

§ development of science and technology

§ development of productive forces

§ increase in the standard of living, degree of social protection

§ improvement of people's morality (humanism)

§ the degree of freedom of the individual in society

Controversy of social progress

3.3.5. Indicators of the progressive development of society:

● average human life expectancy

● infant mortality

● state of health

● level and quality of education

● level of cultural development

● feeling of satisfaction with life

● degree of respect for human rights

● attitude to nature

Mankind as a whole has never regressed, but stopped in development for a while - stagnation

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Introduction

1. Progress and regress: development of the concept

2. Inconsistency of progress

3. Criteria for progress

4. Progressive forces of modern society

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

Social progress is the direction of development of human society. Society is not a static formation, but a constantly evolving system, all its elements are constantly being transformed and moved, therefore, it is necessary to study society in constant change, i.e. as a process - a sequential change in the states of an object. Processes that are directional and irreversible are processes of development. All changes in society have a deep direction, all social events are subject to an internal pattern that builds them into an irreversible series of causes and effects, i.e. society is developing. Progress and regress are the most common, opposite in their characteristics, multidirectional and at the same time inseparable from each other, dialectically interconnected development trends. Thinkers have long thought about the questions in which direction is society moving? Can this movement be likened, for example, to cyclical changes in nature: summer is followed by autumn, then winter, spring and again summer? And so for thousands and thousands of years. Or, perhaps, the life of society is similar to the life of a living being: the organism that was born grows up, becomes mature, then grows old and dies? Does the direction of the development of society depend on the conscious activity of people? Is human society becoming more and more perfect in its development? Which path is society taking - the path of progress or regression? What the answer to this question will be depends on how people think about the future: does it bring a better life or does it bode well? Targetbgivenabstract: disclosure of concepts - progress and regress, consideration of the inconsistency of the development of society, characteristics of the criteria for progress, as well as coverage of the diversity of social development. The work consists of an introduction, the main part, a conclusion and a list of references.

1. Progressandregression: developmentconcepts

Progress(lat. progressus - moving forward) is a direction of development characterized by a transition from lower to higher, from simple to more complex and perfect forms, which is expressed in a higher organization, in the growth of evolutionary possibilities. Regression(lat. regressus - return) - movement from higher to lower, degradation, return to obsolete structures and relationships, i.e. everything that leads to negative consequences in the life of society. Sociology: Encyclopedia / Comp. A.A. Gritsanov, V.L. Abushenko, G.M. Evelkin and. - Minsk: Book House, 2003. - S.712. The idea of progress originated at the dawn of philosophical thought as separate guesses. So the ancient Greek philosopher Democritus developed the idea of the origin of people from the animal state due to the need to create tools, build housing. The dominant idea in ancient philosophy was the idea of a cyclical cycle, i.e. repetition by society of the same states (Greek philosophers Plato, Aristotle). In the era of modern times, philosophy began to link social progress with the development of scientific knowledge: the movement of society is a product of reason. The emergence of capitalism and the maturation of European bourgeois revolutions served as the socio-economic basis for the very emergence of the idea of social progress. The 19th-20th centuries were marked by turbulent events that provided new information for reflection on progress and regression in the life of society. The classics of Marxism saw the movement of society in a change in socio-economic formations. K. Marx explained the reason for the movement of society from one formation to another - the struggle of classes (diagram 1). Dudko O. Dynamic principles in the development of society / O. Dudko // First of September. - 2008. - No. 22. - P.10.

Considering various approaches to the problem of progress, we emphasize that the original progressive concepts had three characteristic features. Krapivensky S.E. Social Philosophy / S.E.Krapivensky. - Volgograd: Vlados, 1998. - S.285.

Firsttrait consisted in the fact that these were attempts to find the reasons for the progressive development of society in the spiritual beginning, in the infinite ability to improve the human intellect or in the development of the "absolute spirit". In other words, these concepts were idealistic. Secondtrait consisted in the fact that social progress was considered as a smooth evolutionary development, without leaps, without backward movements, only as an ascent in a straight line. Thirdtrait The initial concepts of progress consisted in the fact that upward development was limited to achieving some of the best, in the opinion of the authors of the concepts, social order. We present these main points of view on the problem of progress in Table 1.

Table 1 - The main points of view on the problem of progress

Representatives of philosophy	Point of view
	wrote about the five stages in the life of mankind: the first stage was the "golden age", when people lived easily and carelessly, the second is the "silver age", when morality and piety began to decline. So, sinking lower and lower, people turned out to be in the Iron Age, when evil and violence reign everywhere, justice is trampled
Plato and Aristotle	viewed history as a cyclical cycle repeating the same stages
Anne Robert Turgot	one of the first to put forward the theory of social progress
Jacques Antoine Condorcet	He wrote that history presents a picture of continuous change, a picture of the progress of the human mind in the infinity of ages
Georg Hegel	considered progress not only as a principle of reason, but also as a principle of world events
Karl Marx	believed that humanity is moving towards ever greater mastery of nature, the development of production and of man himself
Karl Popper	wrote “if we think that history is progressing or that we are forced to progress, then we are making the same mistake as those who believe that history has a meaning that can be discovered in it, and not given to it. For to progress means to move towards some goal that exists for us as human beings. For history, this is impossible. Only we human individuals can progress, and we can do so by defending and strengthening those democratic institutions on which freedom, and with it progress, depends. We will achieve great success in this if we are more aware of the fact that progress depends on us, on our vigilance, on our efforts, on the clarity of our concept regarding our goals and the realistic choice of such goals.

In Russian philosophy, the problems of the development of society were also considered from different positions. The view of the Russian philosopher V.S. Solovyov is presented in Scheme 2. Dudko O. Dynamic principles in the development of society / O. Dudko // First of September. - 2008. - No. 22. - P.11.

The first stage is the mineral kingdom (inorganic); 2-kingdom vegetable; 3-kingdom animal; 4-human kingdom; 5-God. Each previous kingdom serves as material for the next, more perfect one. The true divine-human society is the affirmation of the moral order in the world, the coordination of the Divine and human principles.

At the end of XIX - beginning of XX centuries. these concepts were replaced by new theories of progress, including the recognition of its inconsistency.

In the philosophical teachings of the 20th century, social progress was associated with the introduction of advanced technologies and the growing role of the engineering and technical intelligentsia. The idea of a "technotronic era" was put forward as a future prospect for humanity. Theories have appeared that have abandoned the optimistic view of the development of society, according to which a bright future will surely come sooner or later. A number of thinkers adhered to a pessimistic point of view on the development of society: Friedrich Nietzsche, Oswald Spengler. The Russian philosopher Semyon Frank argued that progress no longer exists, and civilization is dying. Instead of the idea of progress, various philosophers offer, for example, theories of cyclical circulation, pessimistic ideas of the "end of history", global environmental, energy and nuclear. Bogolyubov, L.N. Social science: textbook. for grade 11: profile. level / L.N. Bogolyubov, A.Yu. Lazebnikova, A.T. Kinkulkin and others - M .: Education, 2008. - P.235.

Let's consider the schemes of the movement of society, which reflect the ideas of the American philosophers D. Bell and W. Rostow (diagrams 3 and 4). Dudko O. Dynamic principles in the development of society / O. Dudko // First of September. - 2008. - No. 22. - P.11.

The idea that society develops in a downward direction, i.e. along the path of regression, arose back in ancient society: as we noted above, the ancient Greek poet Hesiod wrote in the poem “Works and Days” that humanity has gone through five stages, each time going down the stairs of history one step down.

The theory of the historical cycle was first created by the Italian philosopher Giambattista Vico (1668-1744): each society, he argued, goes through a cycle consisting of three epochs: divine, heroic and human, then a new cycle follows (Table 2). There. - P.12.

Returntooriginalcondition

The Age of Humans is characterized by reasonable human nature, the concepts of conscience, duty, laws are in force. The Age of Man completes a major historical cycle in the development of nations. Then comes the decline of democracy and freedom, slavery and robbery resume. History returns to its starting point so that a new upward spiral in the historical development of nations and states, another cycle, begins.

Russian thinker N.D. Kondratiev (1892-1938) developed the theory of "long economic waves" ("Kondratiev waves") with a period of 48-55 years (Table 3). There. - p.12

Thenshouldneweconomicwave

The cyclical dynamics of the economic system includes four phases: increase, change, decrease, transition. Then a new "economic wave" begins. The "economic waves" are superimposed by social upheavals, such as revolutions. "Social waves" last about 2.5 years. The modern Russian scientist Yu.V. Yakovets developed an original concept in the theory of cyclic dynamics, which is presented in the Appendix. The great diversity of views and the growing doubts about progressive development are connected in the 20th century with the inconsistency of progress, which will be discussed in the next chapter.

2. inconsistencyprogress

The process of the historical development of society is contradictory: both progressive and regressive changes can be found in it. Let us recall the history of the 19th-20th centuries: revolutions were often followed by counter-revolutions, reforms by counter-reforms, and fundamental changes in the political structure by the restoration of the old order.

If we depict the progress of mankind graphically, we get a broken line, reflecting the ups and downs, the ebb and flow in the struggle of social forces, the accelerated movement forward and giant leaps back. There have been periods in the history of different countries when reaction triumphed, when the progressive forces of society were persecuted, when the mind was suppressed by the forces of obscurantism. For example, we know what disasters fascism brought to Europe.

But it's not just about such breaks in history. Society is a complex organism in which various “organs” function (enterprises, associations of people, state institutions, etc.), various processes (economic, political, spiritual, etc.) simultaneously occur, and various activities of people unfold. These parts of one social organism, these processes, various types of activity are interconnected and, at the same time, may not coincide in their development. Individual changes taking place in different areas of society can be multidirectional, i.e. progress in one area may be accompanied by regression in another. Progressive shifts in one area or another often, along with positive ones, also had negative consequences for society.

Thus, throughout history, the progress of technology is clearly traced: from stone tools to iron ones, from hand tools to machines, from the use of the muscular strength of humans and animals to steam engines, electric generators, nuclear power plants, from transportation on pack animals to cars, high-speed trains, airplanes, spaceships, from wooden abacus with knuckles to powerful computers. But the progress of technology, the development of industry, chemicalization and other changes in the field of production have led to the destruction of nature, to irreparable damage to the human environment, to the undermining of the natural foundations of the existence of society. And thus progress in one area was accompanied by regression in another.

The progress of science and technology has had mixed consequences. Discoveries in the field of nuclear physics made it possible not only to obtain a new source of energy, but also to create a powerful atomic weapon. The use of computer technology not only greatly expanded the possibilities of creative work, but also caused new diseases associated with long, continuous work at the display: visual impairment, mental disorders associated with additional mental stress. The growth of large cities, the complication of production, the acceleration of the rhythm of life - all this increased the burden on the human body, gave rise to stress and, as a result, pathologies of the nervous system, vascular diseases. Along with the greatest achievements of the human spirit, cultural and spiritual values are being eroded in the world, drug addiction, alcoholism, and crime are spreading.

Humanity has to pay a high price for progress. The conveniences of urban life are paid for by the "diseases of urbanization": traffic fatigue, polluted air, street noise and their consequences - stress, respiratory diseases, etc.; ease of movement in the car - congestion of city highways, traffic jams. Attempts to accelerate progress sometimes come at a prohibitive price.

How to evaluate these contradictory processes? Are the positive changes that come at such a high price progressive? Is it possible to talk about social progress in general with such ambiguity of changes? To do this, it is necessary to establish what is the general criterion of progress, which changes in society should be assessed as progressive and which are not.

Consideration of the contradictory development of society leads to answers to the questions: what should be considered progress in general, and what should be considered regression? What is the criterion for progress? We will try to answer this question in the next chapter.

3. Criteriaprogress

The French Enlighteners considered the development of the mind to be the criterion of progress; utopian socialists put forward a moral criterion of progress. Their contemporary, the German philosopher Friedrich William Schelling (1775-1854) wrote that the solution of the question of historical progress is complicated by the fact that supporters and opponents of faith in the improvement of mankind are completely confused in disputes about the criteria for progress: some talk about the progress of mankind in the field of morality, others about the progress of science and technique, which, as Schelling wrote, from a historical point of view, is rather a regression. Bogolyubov, L.N. Man and society. Social science. Proc. for students in grades 10-11 general education institutions. / Ed. L.N. Bogolyubova, A.Yu. Lazebnikova. - M.: Enlightenment, 2002. - P.105.

He offered his own solution to the problem: the criterion for establishing the historical progress of the human race can only be a gradual approach to the legal order. Another point of view on social progress belongs to Hegel: he saw the criterion of progress in the consciousness of freedom. As the consciousness of freedom grows, the progressive development of society takes place. There. - P.105.

As you can see, the question of the criterion of progress occupied many minds of the New Age, but did not find a solution. The disadvantage of all attempts to solve this problem was that in all cases only one line (or one side, or one sphere) of social development was considered as a criterion. And reason, and morality, and science, and technology, and the legal order, and the consciousness of freedom - all these indicators are very important, but not universal, not covering the life of a person and society as a whole.

In our time, philosophers also hold different views on the criterion of social progress. One of the points of view is that the highest and universal objective criterion of social progress is the development of productive forces, including the development of man himself. It is argued that the direction of the historical process is due to the growth and improvement of the productive forces of society, including the means of labor, the degree to which man masters the forces of nature, the possibility of using them as the basis of human life.

The origins of all human activity lie in social production. According to this criterion, those social relations are recognized as progressive, which correspond to the level of the productive forces and open up the greatest scope for their development, the growth of labor productivity, and the development of man. Man is considered as the main thing in the productive forces, therefore their development is understood from this point of view and as the development of the wealth of human nature.

This position is criticized from a different point of view. Just as it is impossible to find a universal criterion of progress only in social consciousness (in the development of reason, morality, consciousness of freedom), so it is impossible to find it in the sphere of material production (technology, economic relations). In order to overcome the one-sidedness of the criteria that reflect the state of only one sphere of social life, it is necessary to find a concept that would characterize the essence of human life and activity. In this capacity, philosophers propose the concept of freedom.

freedom characterized not only by knowledge, the absence of which makes a person subjectively not free, but also by the presence of conditions for its implementation. It also requires a decision based on free choice. Finally, funds are also required, as well as actions aimed at implementing the decision taken. Recall that the freedom of one person should not be achieved by infringing on the freedom of another person. Such restriction of freedom has a social and moral character.

freedom acts as a necessary condition for the self-realization of the individual. It arises when a person has knowledge about his abilities, about the opportunities that society gives him, about the ways of activity in which he can realize himself. The wider the opportunities created by society, the freer the person, the more options for activities in which his strength will be revealed. But in the process of multifaceted activity, there is also a multilateral development of the person himself, the spiritual wealth of the individual grows.

So, according to this point of view, the criterion of social progress is the measure of freedom that society is able to provide to the individual, the degree of individual freedom guaranteed by society. The free development of a person in a free society also means the disclosure of his truly human qualities - intellectual, creative, moral. This statement brings us to another view of social progress.

Man is a rational and social being. Only with this in mind can we talk about the human in a person, about humanity.

But the development of human qualities depends on the conditions of people's lives. The more fully the various needs of a person in food, clothing, housing, transport services, in the spiritual field are satisfied, the more moral relations between people become, the more accessible for a person are the most diverse types of economic and political, spiritual and material activities.

The more favorable the conditions for the development of the physical, intellectual, mental powers of a person, his moral qualities, the wider the scope for the development of individual properties inherent in each individual person.

Those., heatmore humaneconditionslife,topicsmoreopportunitiesfordevelopmentinmanhuman:mind,morality,creativeforces.

Humanity, the recognition of man as the highest value, is expressed by the word "humanism".

From the foregoing, we can conclude that there is a universal criterion for social progress: progressivelythen,whatpromoteselevationhumanism.

Now that we have outlined the different views on the criterion of historical progress, let us consider the changes taking place in society.

4. progressivestrengthcontemporarysocieties

Social progress in the XVIII-XIX centuries. was understood as a natural movement along a single main path for all mankind. On the contrary, in the concept of local civilizations, progress is seen as going in different civilizations in different ways.

If we mentally take a look at the course of world history, then we will notice a lot in common in the development of different countries and peoples. Primitive society has everywhere been replaced by a society controlled by the state. Feudal fragmentation was replaced by centralized monarchies. Bourgeois revolutions took place in many countries. Colonial empires collapsed and dozens of independent states arose in their place. You can continue listing similar events and processes that took place in different countries, on different continents. This similarity reveals the unity of the historical process, a certain identity of successive orders, the common destinies of various countries and peoples.

Any country, any nation, at certain moments in history, faces a fateful choice, and its history is carried out in the process of implementing this choice. Such a choice is made by statesmen, ruling elites, the masses, depending on the balance of power and influence of each of the subjects of history. So, during the preparation of the Peasant Reform, carried out in Russia in 1861, different social forces proposed different forms of implementing changes in the life of the country. Some defended the revolutionary path, others the reformist one. But there was no unity among the reformists, several options for reforms were proposed. In 1917-1918. a new alternative arose before Russia: either a democratic republic, one of the symbols of which was a popularly elected Constituent Assembly, or a republic of Soviets headed by the Bolsheviks. In each case, a choice has been made.

The variety of ways and forms of social development is not limitless. It is included in the framework of certain trends in historical development. So, for example, as we see, the elimination of serfdom was possible both in the form of a revolution and in the form of reforms. And the urgent need to accelerate economic growth in different countries was carried out either by attracting more and more natural resources, i.e. in an extensive way, or by introducing new equipment and technology, improving the skills of workers, based on the growth of labor productivity, i.e. in an intensive way.

In different countries or in the same country, different options for implementing the same type of changes can be used. The division into progressive and reactionary classes of society, progressive and reactionary social systems has become widespread. Applying the criterion of progress to the historical process, at each stage we single out those social forces that we call progressive. Thus, in studying the revolution of the eighteenth century in France and the war of independence in the North American states, we called the bourgeoisie a progressive force. It was the representatives of this class who created the documents that embodied humanity's major step towards freedom. The Declaration of Independence of 1776, drawn up in a republican and democratic spirit, fixed the right of people to life, liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness. It spoke of the natural and inalienable rights of man, the essence of which is freedom, property, security and resistance to oppression.

From the middle of the 19th century, many public figures considered the working class to be the main progressive force in society: the hands of the workers created modern production, built cities and highways, and created numerous benefits necessary for man. The struggle of the workers prompted the ruling circles in many countries to expand political freedoms and access to cultural values.

In the 20th century, some thinkers defended the thesis of a special, progressive role for the intelligentsia. Undoubtedly, to the intellect, knowledge, creative efforts of this social force, mankind owes many great discoveries and inventions, spiritual values that made a person more independent in his inner life and more free in relation to natural and social conditions. However, many scientists and public figures now consider this approach outdated. The line of demarcation between the forces of progress and reaction has largely ceased to coincide with the boundaries of countries and classes in the form in which they have developed historically.

Thus, progressive forces are seen today as supporters of reforms in countries that have broken with a totalitarian past, diverse social and political forces around the world, fighting for the survival of mankind, for the elimination of the threat of nuclear death, the cessation of regional military conflicts, overcoming the deprivation of two-thirds of humanity living in countries liberated from colonial oppression, for equal international cooperation in solving global problems of mankind, for the observance of human rights and freedoms. And the opponents of progress are forces that incite social, national, racial conflicts, seeking to curtail human rights and freedoms, acting from the standpoint of national egoism, group privileges, the cult of power and profit, achieved at any cost. These are all those who achieve their goals, considering a person as a means to achieve them.

The specific ways of development of individual countries and peoples are diverse. There are no peoples, countries, states with the same history. The diversity of specific historical processes is caused by the difference in natural conditions, the specifics of the economy, the uniqueness of spiritual culture, the peculiarities of the way of life, and many other factors. Does this mean that each country has its own development option, and is it the only one possible?

Historical experience shows that under certain conditions, various options for solving urgent problems are possible, it is possible to choose methods, forms, ways of further development, i.e. historical alternative. Alternative options are often offered by certain groups of society, various political forces.

Applying the universal criterion of progress, we can evaluate the activities of individuals, groups, parties as progressive or directed against progress. Obviously, the guideline is humanistic criterion progress, aimed at the implementation of humanistic ideals, focused on humanistic values, the assertion of which in life means the development of society in the direction of an increasingly perfect organization.

Thus, the historical process, in which general trends are manifested - the unity of diverse social development, creates the possibility of choice, on which the originality of the ways and forms of the further movement of a given country depends. This speaks of the historical responsibility of those who make this choice.

Conclusion

In conclusion, let us briefly note the following.

Progress- this is the direction of development, which is characterized by a transition from lower to higher, from simple to more complex, moving forward to more perfect.

Regression- this is a type of development, which is characterized by a transition from higher to lower, degradation processes, lowering the level of organization, loss of the ability to perform certain functions.

The problem of the direction of the changes taking place in society originated in antiquity, was most fully developed in the teachings of the French philosophers of the Enlightenment of the 18th century, and remains quite debatable at the present time.

Various views on the orientation public development:

French enlighteners: history of continuous renewal, improvement of all aspects of society;

Religious currents - the predominance of regression in many areas of society;

Movement along certain steps within the framework of a closed cycle, i.e. the theory of historical circulation (Plato, Aristotle, J. Vico, O. Spengler, A. Toynbee);

Modern researchers - positive changes in some areas of society can be combined with stagnation and regression in others, i.e. conclusion about the inconsistency of progress.

At present, there are different opinions about where, where, how humanity is moving, what are the results of this movement.

inconsistency progress- improvement in some areas turns into losses in others. Some social forces may benefit from progress in this area, while others may not. Mankind as a whole has never regressed, but its forward movement could be delayed and even stopped for a while.

The concept of progress in modern conditions is increasingly being transformed in the direction of enriching it with humanistic characteristics. The development of man in his spiritual and bodily dimensions, the realization of the inherent value of human existence, the creation of favorable conditions for man - this is seen as the progress of modern society.

Identification of the main trends in the development of a social system is a very difficult task, since the complication of certain structures of the system and the improvement of the functions of their elements can be accompanied by reverse processes in other structures of the same system, which, in fact, reflects the dialectical relationship between progress and regress, expressed in the category - "unity opposites."

Thus, progress can be called the process of system development, in which:

The number of its subsystems is increasing,

The structure of the system becomes more complex

The number of connections between the elements of the system increases,

The set of functions of individual elements and subsystems of the system is increasing.

These are the criteria for progress. The main forms of progressive development of society include reforms and revolutions.

As a result regressive development:

The set of useful functions for the system is reduced,

Pre-existing structures are falling apart

The number of subsystems, elements and connections that ensure the existence, stability and vitality of this system is reduced.

Listusedliterature

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2. Bogolyubov, L.N. Man and society. Social science. Proc. for students in grades 10-11 general education institutions. / Ed. L.N. Bogolyubova, A.Yu. Lazebnikova. - M.: Enlightenment, 2002. - 270 p.

3. Dudko O. Dynamic principles in the development of society / O. Dudko // First of September. - 2008. - No. 22. - P.10-12.

4. Krapivensky S.E. Social philosophy / S.E.Krapivensky. - Volgograd: Vlados, 1998. - S.285.

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The problem of the progressive movement

Since ancient times, scientists have tried to determine the path of development of societies. Some found similarities with nature: the seasons. Others have identified cycles in the form of ups and downs. The cycle of events did not allow giving precise instructions on how and where to move the peoples. A scientific problem has arisen. The main directions are laid in the understanding two terms :

Progress;
Regression.

The thinker and poet of ancient Greece, Hesiod, divided the history of mankind into 5 eras :

Gold;
Silver;
Copper;
Bronze;
Iron.

Rising up from century to century, a person should have become better, but history has proven otherwise. The scientist's theory failed. The Iron Age, in which the scientist himself lived, did not become an impetus for the development of morality. Democritus divided history into three groups :

Past;
The present;
Future.

The transition from one period to another should show growth and improvement, but this approach has not become true.

Contradictions of scientific theories

Hesiod reasoned on the basis that humanity is developing, drawing the lessons of the past. The inconsistency of the social process refuted his reasoning. In the last century, attitudes of high morality were to be formed among people. Hesiod noted the decay of moral values, people began to preach evil, violence, war. The scientist put forward the idea of the regressive development of history. Man, in his opinion, cannot change the course of history, he is a pawn and does not play a role in the tragedy of the planet.

Progress became the basis of the theory of the French philosopher A. R. Turgot. He proposed to consider history as a constant movement forward. Proved by offering the properties of the human mind. A person constantly achieves success, consciously improves his life, the conditions of existence. Supporters of the progressive path of development:

J. A. Condorcet;
G. Hegel.

Supported their faith and Karl Marx. He believed that humanity penetrates into nature and, studying its possibilities, improves itself.

Presenting history in the form of a line rising forward will not work. It will be a curve or a broken line: ups and downs, ups and downs.

Criteria for the progress of social development

Criteria are the basis, the circumstances that lead to the development or stabilization of certain processes. The criteria for social progress have gone through different approaches.

The table helps to understand the views on the development trends of the society of scientists from different eras:

*Scientists*	*Progress Criteria*
A. Condorcet	The human mind develops, changing society itself. The manifestations of his mind in various spheres enable humanity to move forward.
Utopians	Progress is built on the brotherhood of man. The team acquires the goal of joint movement towards the creation of better conditions for coexistence.
F. Schelling	A person gradually strives to create the legal foundations for the structure of society.
G. Hegel	Progress is built on human awareness of freedom.
Modern approaches of philosophers	Criteria types: The development of productive forces of a different nature: within society, within a person. Humanity: the quality of the individual is perceived more and more correctly, society and every person strive for it, it is the engine of progress.

Examples of progressive development

Examples of moving forward include the following public phenomena and processes :

the economic growth;
discovery of new scientific theories;
development and modernization of technical means;
discovery of new types of energy: nuclear, atomic;
the growth of cities that improve human living conditions.

Examples of progress are the development of medicine, the increase in the types and capacities of means of communication between people, the disappearance of such concepts as slavery.

Regression examples

Society is moving along the path of regression, what phenomena do scientists attribute to backward movement:

Problems of the ecological plan: damage to nature, environmental pollution, the death of the Aral Sea.
Improving the types of weapons that lead to the mass destruction of mankind.
The creation and distribution of atomic weapons around the planet, leading to the death of a huge number of people.
An increase in the number of industrial accidents that are dangerous for people located on the territory of their location (nuclear reactors, nuclear power plants).
Air pollution in large settlements.

The law that defines the signs of regression has not been established by scientists. Every society develops in its own way. Laws adopted in some states are unacceptable to others. The reason is the individuality of one person and entire nations. The determining force in the movement of history is a person, and it is difficult to fit him into a framework, to give a definite plan according to which he goes in life.