Being determines consciousness ... Many people have heard this expression. It was first used in the works of Karl Marx. However, even before this philosopher, Hegel had similar thoughts. Let's try to understand the essence of this expression.
Everyone is conditioned to one degree or another. The environment is greatly influenced by the child. So the basic principles, opinions, judgments, life attitudes are inculcated. It is worth remembering that a person cannot be absolutely autonomous. Social being and public consciousness have a huge impact on everyone's life. A person largely depends on the environment in which it exists. Together, all the material aspects of life (environment, work, etc.) constitute the being of the individual. The consciousness of man is the spiritual side of existence, that is, thoughts, beliefs, beliefs, principles, etc.
The expression "being determines consciousness" implies that the living conditions of the individual directly affect his thinking. There is no doubt that a millionaire and a person without a fixed place of residence think differently. The vast majority of people are unable to rise above the features of their existence and look at life objectively. Philosophers most successfully cope with this task.
Confirmation of the thesis "being determines consciousness" can easily be found in our modern world. For example, for some third world countries it is absolutely normal to marry a girl who is not even sixteen years old. For most developed countries, this fact is unacceptable.
In past centuries, slavery was widespread everywhere. This fact was considered absolutely normal and everyday. For a modern person, the use of slaves as a labor force seems wild.
The converse is also true. Human consciousness determines his being. That is, the development of the personality in material aspects depends on how the individual thinks, what priorities and goals he sets for himself. The converse thesis is easily proved by simple historical examples. If only being determined consciousness, humanity would stop in its development. There would be no global change in the world. However, we see a different picture. With the growth of human consciousness, the world is changing and transforming. The standard of living of people rises, more respect is shown to the interests of the individual, tolerance and tolerance become important qualities of the individual.
However, despite all the positive changes in the world, there are still certain problems of life. Human life, relative to the past and future of the whole earth, is negligible. But anyway, the overwhelming majority of personalities had to think about the further development of the world and its current problems. The questions facing philosophers trying to comprehend being are numerous and varied. However, one fact that people think about such abstract problems allows us to say that human consciousness does not cease to change. And this, according to the converse thesis stated above, leads to the transformation of already existing being.
In summing up, you can see that the expression "being determines consciousness" indicates that human thinking is quite subjective. It does not stand “above” the surrounding reality, but is directly dependent on it. However, human consciousness is constantly evolving, trying to rise "above" being, and this leads to changes throughout the world. Most often, such transformations are evolutionary, not revolutionary. That is, they occur slowly, but their entry into everyday life is almost irreversible.