Purposeful progressive development of all spheres of human civilization is defined as social progress. The concept and criteria of this process have a lot of interpretations. History knows many ways of this forward movement in the form of both a quick leap and a progressive evolution.
General characteristics of social dynamics
So, the concept of social progress, its criteria are defined as all those prerequisites that contribute to a dynamic upward process of renewal and modernization. The main basis, its basis is the scientific and technological revolution and a radical change in public consciousness under the influence of new teachings and ideologies. The versatility of this concept does not allow for an unambiguous interpretation, however, according to the Marxist concept, the main source of social progress is the methods of material production and distribution of goods. The lowest level is slavery with its forced labor, and at the top is the society of general welfare (socialism). Social progress: the concept, criteria of this process in liberal philosophical thought is also understood as the degree of economic and political freedom of the individual. The latter is guaranteed by the state.
Social progress: concept, criteria
There are several very authoritative opinions about the criteria for modernization, while they are diametrically opposed. The basis of many researchers put a kind of scale of values, and it has a solid discrepancy. So, if in a totalitarian society material production develops intensively, then at the same time the rights and freedoms of an individual and a citizen are at a rather low level, the Communist USSR and fascist Germany can serve as a vivid example of this postulate . Undoubtedly, social development and social progress are closely interconnected, and it would seem that the concepts are of the same series, but progress is a radical, one might say, revolutionary change in society, while development is an evolutionary process, i.e. progressive. Accordingly, with one glance, progress can be recognized, with another it is denied. However, all these criteria are subjective and have the right to exist.
Antagonism and unity of improving society
Now let us dwell on such a concept as the inconsistency of development and social progress. The concept and criteria of the phenomenon under consideration are also rather ambiguous. If we take the central sign of social development, it turns out that the change of formations did not always contribute to an increase in productive forces, which means that this criterion loses its determining value. But the potential capabilities of the new system far exceeded the old one, therefore, a long period of time passed before real signs of upward development appeared.
The exact same, and possibly even more characteristic, contradiction arises when comparing capitalism and socialism. Indeed, initially the second mode of production arose in the country that was not the most economically developed, however, its introduction allowed it to enter the ranks of the leaders of world total production. These contradictions will continue to affect the general vector of improvement of the social system; therefore, the mode of production remains the most stable criterion for social evolution.