The Marxist doctrine of society and the driving forces of its development began to take shape in the middle of the 19th century. The creator of the concept was K. Marx. He is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century. He devoted his life to scientific and political activities. The pinnacle of Karl Marx's work is Capital. In 1867, its first volume was published. The subsequent parts of the book of Karl Marx were published after his death by his comrade-in-arms and friend F. Engels.
Concept Overview
Marx regarded human society as a phenomenon different from nature, a decisive role in the formation of which was assigned to labor, the production factor, and the conflicting interaction of classes. In his writings, he used the concept of socio-economic formation. She considered her a historically determined integral stage of social development.
The ideas of Marxism were based on the fact that the essence of past history is the struggle between classes for control over wealth and property, which arose under the influence of the historical division of labor. As a result of this, in fact, classes are formed that have the opposite interest.
Briefly and clearly, in a Marxist doctrine of society, any period of history in which there is a struggle between classes is a source of social change. This conclusion allows us to explain, for example, why capitalism originated in the bowels of feudalism. At the same time, this provision became the basis of the idea that in human society socialism will ultimately prevail over capitalism.
It is worth saying that the assumption of a world revolution in practice turned out to be utopian, although, of course, the conflicts that took place in individual countries had a significant impact on the course of history.
Theoretical base
The Marxist doctrine of society includes ideas about the objectivity of public, primarily social relations. They in the process of reproduction act as the basis for the formation of various socio-economic formations. These formations, in turn, are considered as special types of social organisms.
The socio-economic formation in Marxism differs in the mode of production. It is he who is considered as a dynamic component of the formation. Dynamics is determined by the fact that at some specific stage of social development, productive forces begin to conflict with production relations. This struggle can end solely with a social revolution. Only in this way, according to the Marxist doctrine of society , will there be a change in old relations based on a specific form of ownership, and, therefore, a transition to a new formation.
In such periods, cardinal changes in the socio-economic structure of society occur. They are accompanied by a violent change in the political system. In the Marxist doctrine of society, revolution played the role of the "locomotive of history." It was considered as a natural result of the conflict of antagonistic classes.
Features of social development
In the 19th century, one form of exploitation began to be replaced by another. During this period, a person was more often used not by another person, but by society and the state. The main exploiter is state monopoly and the bureaucratic apparatus based on it. People are estranged from property, power, labor and its results.
The resolution of the contradiction arising from the Marxist doctrine of society is possible either by forming an effective system of social guarantees while improving the political and economic conditions for the establishment and development of a middle class that has property, or by carrying out a revolution with an attempt to realize communist and socialist ideals.
If the first path is chosen, relatively small classes of large owners and the poorest people will exist in society. However, most of the citizens will be in the middle class.
In such a society, the state plays a special role. It not only implements national programs, solves social problems, but also levies taxes on the population and provides assistance to the poor. Of course, by no means in all cases a "welfare society" is formed, but this form of dormitory fully justifies itself, providing peace and order in society.
Overexploitation
It arose in countries that have chosen the second path of development. On the part of the state, which acted as an economic entity, millions of citizens felt over-exploitation: the state received the results of their labor activity and formed the “granary of the Motherland”. Then there was a redistribution of these results. It is worth saying that outwardly everything looked quite humane and fair. For example, unprofitable enterprises received subsidies in order to preserve jobs.
Such societies developed as long as there were sufficient natural resources (which were also actively exploited), demographic processes were more or less satisfactory, and incentives for work were effective.
At the same time, in such societies new criteria began to be formed for the distribution of national wealth within the framework of common property: kinship, property, official, etc. Of course, in such conditions there could be no talk of fair state control over measures of labor, distribution, and consumption. A sharp decrease in the incentive to work, including in connection with the establishment of egalitarianism with the intensification of the environmental and demographic crisis, led to a logical result. Such societies did not keep pace with the pace of development set by civilization.
Utopia
This concept has been used for a long time to designate an ideal society in which freedom and prosperity are combined.
The Marxist doctrine of society denies utopia. The concept comes down to only one result - the class struggle. Without a revolution, according to the theory of Marxism , the development of society is impossible.
Utopian concepts existed in all historical periods: in ancient times, in the Middle Ages, Renaissance, modern times. These ideas arose in Russia. They were actively promoted by such famous people as Chernyshevsky, Radishchev, Dostoevsky. In a utopian vein, many modern futurologists argue.
The ability to form an ideal society
Undoubtedly, the scientific and technological revolution, which determines the level of development of productive forces, provides the conditions for human labor to cease to be a harsh necessity, hard independent exploitation, and to acquire the features of freedom, creation, and creativity. In the future, it is likely that humanity will be able to overcome economic exploitation. However, for this global contemporary and many old problems must be solved.
Meanwhile, such a path cannot be unequivocally considered the "road to paradise." The relevance of the problem of alienation will always remain. According to Hegel, alienation is an objectification of the essential human forces. In the philosophy of the 20th century, it is associated with the dehumanization of society, which is the result of a crisis of the technogenic stage of the development of civilization, the loss of meaning in life and the system of universal values. All this leads to the destruction of the personality as an integral "I".
Way out
The solution to the problem, on the one hand, is associated with the achievement of a high level of social development, social democratization, and on the other, self-improvement and development of the moral and intellectual potential of each individual individually and of humanity as a whole based on the ideal of justice and equality.
The current stage of social development
The problems of our time can be considered from different points of view. The development period taking place in society at present is called differently: scientific and technological revolution, computer, information revolution, etc. However, in accordance with the content of the processes taking place in modern society, it is called post-industrial.
It is worth saying that all the phenomena occurring today are more relevant to Japanese and Western European civilizations. However, some of their specific features can be seen in most modern states. The key direction of the development of society today is considered to be the increase in the importance of information resources in the life of mankind compared to energy and matter. Until recently, it was the latter that determined the pace of development of civilization.
Modern issues
The theory of Marxism in the modern world does not work: living conditions, the amount of resources, their significance have changed, new global problems have arisen, etc. The philosophical understanding of post-industrial society is carried out taking into account changes in the role and position of man in the world, the relationship of people with nature, technology. Humanity today is considered a kind of collective intelligence of the planet.
At the same time, people are concerned about their current position in the world. Having reached heights in intellectual development, a person does not know what to create for him. Being actually the master of the world, he is not the master of himself.
New questions
The successes of science and technology, the formation of a vast world of things, information systems did not provide greater security and prosperity for humanity. People did not, in fact, happier, healthier, richer. Recently, a new global problem has emerged more clearly: humanity can turn into a servant of robotic systems. Computer technology is rapidly conquering the world, they are actively involved in the structure of industrial relations.
Man, however, driven by the need to develop, himself went to these problems. Although, of course, he was driven by good intentions, lofty goals. He implemented them, but further prospects could be very vague.
conclusions
Society is a very complex system, included in the natural and cosmic structure. Features of the emergence and subsequent development of society are very specific. Their character is determined by the influence of a variety of factors. The key ones are spiritual, natural, socio-economic conditions and phenomena, the role of which has been changing all the time depending on the historical era.
In society, far from all processes can be explained in terms of logic, not all events are subject to laws. Meanwhile, the modern stage of social development does not exclude, but, on the contrary, involves a deep study of the principles of the formation of society. Social development is possible only with the close interaction of all levels and forms of social consciousness: religion, science, economic, political theories, morality.
Proponents of Marxism presented the formation of society as an ongoing, natural process. They characterized social development as a consistent transition from lower socio-economic formations to higher social categories. The whole path of civilization included a transition from the very first primitive communal system, then to the slave system, then to the feudal, capitalist and communist system. The ideas of Marxism had a great influence on the development of modern society.
Finally
Of course, the process of historical development is also regular, objective and necessary, like various natural phenomena in all their diversity. Moreover, he not only does not depend on the consciousness and will of a person, but, on the contrary, predetermines his consciousness and will. However, in contrast to natural processes associated with the action of elemental forces, natural-historical development is the result of human activity. Everything that happens in society passes through the human consciousness.