There are 2 main approaches to studying the development of society and the state - civilizational and formational. The first is based on the fact that the typology criterion is the achieved level of civilization by different countries.
The formation approach to the study of society suggests that throughout history, in its development, mankind goes through certain stages (formations) that differ from each other in their basis and superstructure. Bright representatives of the second approach are K. Marx and F. Engels.
Formation is a historically established type of society, the basis of which is a certain method of material production. The foundation of all social relations, based on the foregoing, are industrial.
Formational approach includes such concepts as a superstructure and basis. The latter means the totality of relations in the economic sphere that develop during the production, exchange, distribution and consumption of material goods. Moreover, the nature of production relations does not depend on consciousness and will; it is influenced by the achieved level and the needs of the material or production forces of these relations. Under the superstructure understand the totality of legal, religious, political and other views and relations. The structure of the superstructure is made up of social relations in society, certain forms of family, life and lifestyle.
The meaning of the formation concept is that as a result of the development of the forces of production, they create the corresponding production relations that replace the existing ones and determine the emergence of a new formation.
Each of them is characterized by certain basic forms of ownership and leading classes dominating both in politics and in economics. Agrarian civilization corresponds to the stage of primitive, slave, feudal society. Capitalist - industrial civilization. The communist formation was considered the highest, which from a Marxist point of view is built on a better, more economically developed basis.
K. Marx himself distinguished three formations - primary, secondary and tertiary. The primary was the primitive (archaic), the secondary - the economic, which included the ancient, Asian, feudal and capitalist (bourgeois) modes of production, the tertiary - the communist. That is, according to this theory, the formation was a certain stage of historical progress, each of which progressively and naturally brought society closer to communism.
Formational approach to development implies a constant, steady and progressive transformation of society from the lowest to the highest types in connection with changes and development of production relations. The central point of the theory is that the change of formations takes place through the struggle of classes and the social revolution, which resolves by political means the contradictions that arise between the base and the superstructure.
The formation approach to the typology of the state is also based on the Marxist doctrine of changes in socio-economic formations. The historical types of state (slaveholding, feudal, then capitalist, socialist are distinguished) correspond to each of them.
Formation approach has several disadvantages:
- the role of the economy in public life has been exaggerated;
- underestimated the role of spiritual and other superstructural factors;
- predetermined development of historical processes ;
- historical development is one-line;
- attachment to a materialistic view.
At present, the formation approach is interpreted more widely. The history of the development of mankind is viewed from the perspective of constant progress due to the development of productive forces.