The sphere of the spiritual life of society. The spiritual sphere of society

The spiritual sphere of society coincides with the spiritual culture (see 1.1) and, like other subsystems, has a complex structure. The spiritual sphere includes philosophy, religion, science, art, law, morality. Features of political and legal consciousness were considered in 7.3. Science was discussed in detail in 5.5.-5.10. Clarification of the features of philosophy as an element of spiritual culture is the subject of topic 1, religion - 1.7. This section will examine in detail art and morality and, accordingly, aesthetic and moral consciousness.

Morality   - a historically established system of norms and rules of behavior, a set of established assessments in which generally accepted values \u200b\u200band meanings are found, ways to distinguish between good and evil. The origins of morality should be sought in customs and traditions. It is important to note that morality is not fixed in laws, i.e., unlike politics and law, it is not institutional. Moral norms are unwritten laws that exist as an invisible regulatory network. The measure of retribution for compliance or violation of moral standards is approval or condemnation. The main function of morality is the regulation of behavior through evaluation. The ability to evaluate is based on a person’s ability to distinguish between good and evil, which is why the problem of distinguishing between good and evil is a key issue of morality.

Moral consciousness has its own structure, in which moral categories, moral feelings, moral ideals are distinguished. Norms of morality are formed in the practice of communication between people; then, internalizing themselves, they turn into internal beliefs, feelings and ideals that determine the behavior and assessment of this behavior. In historically changing forms of moral consciousness, one can find continuity: some norms are common to different eras and cultures. This stable aggregate is called universal values.

Quite widespread in philosophy is the position of moral relativism, which affirms the relativity of all moral norms without exception. Moral relativism reflects some objective processes taking place in society. So, for example, economic, political, social and cultural disasters, accompanied by a change in the basic worldviews, provoke the transformation of not only the form, but also the content of moral standards. However, at the same time, such rules as do not kill, do not cause suffering to others, be fair, etc., remain unchanged.

The internal tuning fork of moral consciousness is conscience - the subjective experience of conformity or inconsistency of one’s behavior with moral values. I. Kant believed that conscience is an internal consciousness of duty. Only duty-appropriate behavior can be called moral. If a person externally acts in accordance with generally accepted norms, but at the same time benefits or experiences pleasure, then his actions cannot be called moral, the German philosopher claimed. The ethics of I. Kant is called the ethics of duty - rigorism.

Another German philosopher M. Heidegger calls conscience a call of care. Conscience returns a person from a state of abandonment and loss to a state of "being-together-with-others," which, in turn, makes possible his own free self-stopping of a person.

The external expression of moral consciousness is public opinion. In modern democratic systems, public opinion is becoming an important factor in political and social life. But on the other hand, it increases the likelihood of manipulating it, using it to please private interests.

According to ancient philosophers, the beauty   - the most appropriate form of expression of being, an attribute of the cosmos. Beauty is a synonym for reason, and a world built according to the laws of reason cannot be ugly. The human mind is an expression of its inner beauty, however, in the ancient worldview, the idea of \u200b\u200bexternal, physical beauty is also important.

Medieval philosophy pushed to the periphery the value of external beauty, focusing on the concept of internal beauty. Inner beauty is the result of a righteous life. Orthodox Christianity, especially during its ascension, forbade theater and painting, correlated with the idea of \u200b\u200bexternal, physical beauty, as something contrary to ascetic morality and a righteous way of life.

The aesthetic principle was rehabilitated in the philosophy of the Renaissance, which turned to ancient ideals. It was during the Renaissance that aesthetics became a special section of philosophical knowledge. Unlike ancient philosophers, Renaissance thinkers called the place of stay of beauty not the world itself, but art as the result of a person’s creative activity. Art is the highest reality, beyond cognition and morality, the unclouded world of the spirit in which the thirst for creativity finds adequate expression. It is art that allows a person to express their essence, and therefore this essence should be sought in art.

In the philosophy of the Renaissance, beauty began to be regarded as an end in itself, thereby isolating itself from truth and goodness. In later philosophy, this position was held by the German romantics A. Schopenhauer and F. Nietzsche. At the same time, concepts continue to exist in which the indissoluble connection of beauty and good, aesthetic and moral principles is affirmed. This position was widespread in Russian philosophy of the XIX century. According to Russian philosophers, art is primarily a means of education and moral influence; the aesthetic principle, purified from moral meanings, loses its properties, ceases to be a value.

In German classical philosophy, a comprehensive aesthetic concept was proposed by I. Kant. The system of his critical philosophy turned out to be logically built and completed precisely when he discovered the world of beauty between the world of nature and the world of freedom. I. Kant came to the idea of \u200b\u200bovercoming the dualism of science and morality by appeal to the artistic abilities of man. Reason constitutes the rules in the field of cognition, reason in the sphere of behavior and morality, and the ability of aesthetic evaluation in the sphere of beauty. The aesthetic has two forms: the beautiful, turned to knowledge, and the sublime, turned to morality. The beautiful is associated with a clear form; the sublime can also be found in a shapeless object; the beautiful attracts, the sublime attracts and repels at the same time; the beautiful in itself is a matter of pleasure, whereas it is impossible to enjoy the sublime without “intellect”. The judgment of the sublime, according to I. Kant, requires culture to a greater extent than the judgment of the beautiful. The presence of moral law in the soul of every person creates the conditions for enjoying the sublime. I. Kant, therefore, links the aesthetic and ethical, but, unlike the Russian philosophers or Johann Wolfgang Goethe, does not subordinate the aesthetic to the ethical.

Aesthetic consciousness is most concentrated expressed in art.   However, it can manifest itself in other areas of human activity. For example, we talked about the epistemological principle of beauty as one of the regulators in the field of scientific and philosophical knowledge. Aesthetic consciousness is realized in religion and mythology. You can talk about aesthetic experience about objects and phenomena of nature or events of everyday life. However, only in art does aesthetic consciousness turn from a secondary element into a main goal. Beauty in art is both the content, the way, and the goal of the activity.

In art, a person creates a new, artistic reality, which, on the one hand, more or less plausibly reflects reality, but on the other, is a product of fiction and fantasy. Artistic reality is inexhaustible, which is why the same work of art can be understood and interpreted in various ways. Its content also cannot be expressed in rational concepts and judgments and is the subject of aesthetic experience.

Art, along with philosophy, performs a synthesizing function in culture, is a treasury of the image of symbols in which values \u200b\u200band meanings significant for a person are expressed. In addition, it is faster and more visual than philosophy or science, reflects the diseases and inconsistencies of human life, and thus can have a powerful mobilizing effect.

The definition of the spiritual sphere, its constituent elements. Social consciousness is, above all, the ideal phenomenon of society; its forms, types, levels, states differ in their specific content, social functions, but at the same time they all retain the quality of ideality. Meanwhile, in public life, the functioning of the consciousness of society is not limited to ideal forms; consciousness also acquires more specific sociological features. Therefore, there is a need to consider the consciousness of society, not only in the framework of its ideality, but also in the wider context of public life. Such a content of the spiritual life of society is reflected in the category "spiritual sphere of society".

The spiritual sphere of society is a side of spiritual life associated with specialized (professional) spiritual production, with the functioning of social institutions (ideological and scientific institutions, theaters, libraries, museums, cinema, etc.), within which spiritual values \u200b\u200bare created and disseminated . The spiritual sphere can be considered as a purposefully organized spiritual life of people.

At various stages of the development of society, elements of the spiritual sphere are science, art, ideology, religion, education and upbringing.

Elements of the spiritual sphere are characterized by three distinctive features. Firstly, they are based on forms, types of social consciousness, secondly, they include certain types of spiritual activity, thirdly, they are the institutionalized subsystems of society.

But the elements of the spiritual sphere are not just separate forms of social consciousness. The activity-productive side of spiritual life is also manifested in them, i.e. the very activity of the production and reproduction of spiritual values. For example, science is not only the sum of knowledge about the laws of reality, the totality of objective truths, it is also the most complicated process of human activity, spiritual production. In order to fully disclose this process, it is necessary to analyze a kind of technology of scientific knowledge, to identify the role of various factors of scientific activity. In the same way, ideology is not a combination of class ideas, slogans, assessments, it includes a complex process of developing these ideas, which, in particular, requires means, abilities, and skills. This is a whole branch of activity, a kind of ideological industry, in which thousands of people who are subjects of this activity are professionally employed.

Compare moral and aesthetic consciousness. In both cases, we are dealing with forms of social consciousness, each of which plays an important role in society, performs its functions and is not replaced by any other. At the same time, the social manifestation of moral and aesthetic consciousness in society is different. Moral consciousness, due to a number of its features, has not become a special kind, a type of spiritual production in the system of social division of labor. If it is possible to raise the question of who “produces” moral principles, norms, assessments, then this production, distributed between art, science, ideology, various institutions, is born in the very process of the life of the class, society. But there is still no specialized spiritual moral production, which would be a special work of a certain group of people, in society.

As for aesthetic consciousness, it has developed into a certain type of spiritual production. Along with the aesthetic reflection of reality, the origins of which are rooted in human labor, a professional aesthetic activity of artists, writers, sculptors, artists, and filmmakers has developed in society; the essence of this activity is an aesthetic reflection of reality. That is why moral consciousness, being an important form of social consciousness, is not an element of the spiritual sphere of society, but aesthetic acquired this status.

Combining all of the above, it is important to note that science, ideology, art, religion in society have become specialized types of spiritual production, spiritual activity. All of them are included in the general system of division of labor in society. And it is in that capacity that they are elements of the spiritual realm.

It should be noted that in public life all the elements of the spiritual sphere are closely connected, interact with each other. So, for a long time the development of the church had a strong influence on art, science; Today, the connection between science and education, ideology and science is especially obvious. In essence, each of the selected elements to a certain extent affects all the others. Therefore, we can not only ascertain the presence of similar features in various elements of the spiritual sphere, but also highlight certain systemic connections between them. In the spiritual sphere, as in other areas, it is impossible to unambiguously determine which of its elements plays a leading role. In a class-antagonistic society, this role belonged to ideology, this was manifested in the fact that it had the greatest impact on the development of science, education, and art. Often, the requirements of society in relation to these elements are expressed in a political and ideological form, this is explained by the special significance of class relations, the proximity of ideology to the state, which occupies a central place in political life. The leading role of ideology in the spiritual sphere is a kind of reflection of the leading role of classes and the state in the corresponding spheres of public life.

With the development of society, the situation with the allocation of the main element of the spiritual sphere is changing. The role is growing, and the importance of scientific principles, it can be assumed that it is science that will become its leading element, of course, without suppressing other elements.

In public life, rather complex and ambiguous relationships are formed between the development of the consciousness of society, public consciousness, on the one hand, and the spiritual sphere of society, on the other. Public consciousness, being a universal, multifaceted ideal reflection of social being, acts as the ideal spiritual basis for the development of the spiritual sphere. Public consciousness itself, its elements at a certain stage of development function in the structure of the spiritual sphere, obeying its laws. At the same time, the spiritual sphere is not just a socio-material shell of public consciousness, but a very important and active factor in the development of social consciousness, the consciousness of society. In the forms of the spiritual sphere, many elements of public consciousness are more fully developed, thereby contributing to the maximum realization of the capabilities of the human spirit. In complex interdependence, public consciousness, the spiritual sphere, and the component facets of a single spiritual life of society develop and function in society.

society life culture

The political sphere is the relationship between social groups, nations, individuals, related to issues of state power. Economic, in turn, is associated with the production of various material goods, their further distribution, as well as consumption. The social sphere is an area in which the various needs and interests of the groups of society that make up its social structure are fulfilled: demographic, ethnic, class, family, etc.

In the spiritual sphere of society, various religious, artistic, moral needs of people appear and are being realized. Moreover, many of the ideas that are created in it are designed specifically for practical use. For example, information technology and computer programs are created thanks to mental work, that is, in the spiritual sphere, but they are consumed in the economy, political, social and other spheres. Environmental - this is the sphere of relations between people according to a certain attribute, how they relate to natural resources. Today, environmental issues are very important.

The spiritual sphere of society

The valuable world of modern people is quite diverse. In addition to the values \u200b\u200bof everyday life, there are higher ones associated with an understanding of the norms of morality, the ideals of the structure of society, the meaning of life. The spiritual sphere defines the ideals that are important for building the value system of members of society.

Each person of the very first days of life already falls into a certain environment. It is impossible to say that a civilized society is completely spiritless. However, it turns out that in some social strata people really live a rich spiritual life, unlike others. Some people’s lives are aimed only at survival, therefore they don’t have time for philosophical thoughts. However, all this largely depends on the person himself.

The spiritual sphere as a professional production of important values \u200b\u200bmainly covers the sphere of philosophical knowledge, for example, religion, ethics and art. Each of them examines the ideals of the social / political structure, the problems of society and the individual in the future, the connection between phenomena, dreams and reality.

The spiritual products created in society are quite diverse. It includes philosophical systems, literary utopias, codes of morality (for example, the 10 commandments in religion) and much more. The future is not predetermined, and therefore it is possible to understand why so often people talk about tomorrow, about ideals and spiritual values.

The spiritual sphere of society lives, albeit an invisible, but rather stormy life, which is associated with search, disappointments and finds. One can understand the authorities' concern about changes in spiritual social activity, since the upheavals in the system of values \u200b\u200bcause social and political upheavals, fraught with a change in the state structure.

The field of theoretical activity is also in complex relations with the spiritual sphere. A special place in the latter is occupied by ideology and education, necessary for introducing people to the highest moral and spiritual values. Much depends on the specific task that the political forces in power pose before them.

Thus, we can say that the spiritual sphere is a system of relations between members of society. It reflects the spiritual and moral life, which is represented by religion, science, culture, art, ideology and morality.

The spiritual sphere of society is a complex of certain social subsystems in which people live and act. The essence of each of them is that they represent the business, intellectual, moral or ideological component of human relationships.

Definition

The spiritual sphere is organized purposefully and reflects not material, but moral inclinations of a person. It includes his worldview and moral qualities. Creating such a sphere around you is necessary for.

Under the influence of this sphere and being inspired by it, a person creates his moral environment and consumes spiritual values, which he does not yet have in his intellectual potential. Purposefulness makes her give birth:

• various theories;
• works of art;
• meaningful ideas.

A person builds his inner world and spiritual connections with others. In order for this value series to turn out to be qualitative, it needs the consumption of values \u200b\u200balready created by others and able to satisfy its spiritual needs.

What is the spiritual sphere in principle? This is not a biologically defined condition of existence. She is the fruit of the socialization of man, his desire for development and becoming a recognized person. Even animals need to communicate with their own kind, not only at the level of instincts. A man is above an ordinary animal. As Gorky said, man - it sounds proudly. So, he should strive for social spheres that can ensure the development of his spirituality and full-fledged work.

What is the basis of spiritual life

The basic elements that determine the structure of the spiritual aspirations of the individual and society are:

• morality;
• religion;
• education;
• the science;
• art;
• culture.

Their functional relationship is obvious. In principle, only it ensures the harmonious development of a person and his successful interaction with the outside world.

Morality

Morality refers to certain rules of behavior accepted in society. At its origins in all human societies were the prevailing representations of people:

• about evil and good;
• unacceptable and acceptable;
• wrong and right;
• low and high.

The existence of morality, accepted by mankind in the early stages of its history, is due to the need to regulate the totality of social processes, to eliminate periodically occurring chaotic and protest phenomena. Morality directs these processes into a specific political or economic channel, given by the era.

In modern societies, this function is performed by the constitution, which regulates the rights and obligations of its citizens. Judicial institutions are called upon to guarantee their independence from voluntarism. Law in a controversial situation becomes a manifestation of the foundations of existing morality. He rigidly connects the behavior of a person with certain norms adopted by society.

Religion

It plays a role in many respects similar to morality: it also organizes huge masses of people. But the organizing power is not secular power, but the power of God: a kind of supernatural creature with ideal qualities, which should be oriented unquestioningly. The main sign of any, not subject to criticism, acceptance of a postulate set by religion. Faith in this postulate is provided by the church, independent missionaries, expanding the circle of the believing flock, and one or another degree of the Inquisition - the fight against dissent, disciplining the believing population.

In ancient Greece, ostracism was used for this - the eviction of those who were objectionable from the polis; in medieval Europe, heretics could easily get on the fire. Today, manners are much milder: everyone has the right to choose whether to worship him or not.

Education

Unlike religion, it inclines the person to know the natural causes of social and scientific progress or regression. Gives a person the necessary knowledge for this, becoming the main factor for awakening interest in the environment. Corresponding skills come from knowledge, from skills - skills that make it possible to translate the information received into reality and transform the unsatisfactory aspects of life in terms of characteristics.

An uninformed person is powerless in the face of circumstances; it is difficult for him to communicate with trained people. He hardly understands what is happening around, and feels himself useless in an ever-evolving world.

The science

Higher manifestation of education. This intellectual institution constantly brings into the system and deepens the knowledge that mankind has. On this basis, new reasoned ideas are developed, which are systematized from time to time and generate more accurate knowledge. A feature of science in comparison with religious knowledge is its objectivity. It differs in that it seeks to display various objects and phenomena in their real form, which exists independently of subjective perception. Scientific activity meets both urgent and strategic needs of society and contributes to its scientific and technological development.

Art

It is an important part of the moral sphere, in a sense, an alternative to science. It can be considered as a means of entertainment, a manifestation of skill, delivering people a variety of emotions and aesthetic comfort. Another distinctive feature of art is the ability to influence the thoughts of various representatives of society. It provides food for artistic and scientific reflection. The consequence of many works of art has been great scientific discoveries more than once.

Art is also an effective ideological tool. Directly influencing the public, it causes people a certain attitude to what is happening around.

Awakens high feelings:

• makes you feel compassion for your neighbor;
• reveals the problems that exist between people;
• points the way to strengthen friendship.

Culture

This is a generalized achievement of all the elements of the spiritual sphere that are described above. It includes morality, and education, and science, and art. Through culture, the most significant values \u200b\u200bof this or that society are discovered, on the basis of which the traditional background of society and national customs are created, which make it possible to spiritually connect different generations and saturate them with the experience of their predecessors.

In the era of globalization, various cultures are constantly interacting. Formerly closed cultural formations include the traditions and customs of other peoples, gradually eliminating their difference. Intercultural communication allows us to more fully reveal the moral potential of various nationalities. Often this makes them treat them with respect, adopt the best and thereby enrich their own culture.

Conclusion

Expanding the spiritual sphere in public life means increasing the chances of changing your life and the life of others for the better. Developing intelligence and moral qualities and realizing them in society, a person becomes more in demand in society, enjoys his trust. Ultimately, this leads to a spiritual upsurge of the whole society and its moral evolution.

The spiritual sphere of society.

1. The specifics of the spiritual sphere of society.

2. Features of spiritual production.

3. Science as a type of spiritual production.

4. Art as a type of spiritual production.

5. Religion as a type of spiritual production.

1. Spiritual sphere of society - This is the sphere of people's relations regarding spiritual values, their creation, distribution and consumption. The spiritual sphere develops historically and incorporates the geographical, national characteristics of society and is manifested in the national character (mentality). The spiritual sphere is the field of activity of educational, upbringing, and professional art institutions (theater, music, art, etc.). In the spiritual sphere, people are formed aesthetically and morally, so it is difficult to overestimate it. Together with the economic and socio-political spheres, it determines the specifics of society in its entirety. The spiritual sphere includes a spiritual culture (scientific, philosophical-worldview, legal, moral, artistic), which forms a certain type of human personality in the interests of society, regulates human behavior in the process of its relationship with a society of its kind, with nature and the world around it. This also implies another function of spiritual culture - the formation of cognitive abilities of a person.    The spiritual culture of society finds its expression in various forms and levels of public consciousness, in the development and enrichment of the world of spiritual values.

Elements of the spiritual sphere of society:

· People's spiritual needs: are a product of purely social interaction

· Spiritual values: people's views, scientific ideas, hypotheses and theories, artwork, moral and religious consciousness, spiritual communication of people and the resulting moral and psychological climate

Spiritual consumption

· Spiritual relations between people, as well as manifestations of their interpersonal spiritual communication, for example, on the basis of aesthetic, religious, moral relations.

· Spiritual production

2. Spiritual production - the activity of a society for the production, preservation, exchange, distribution and consumption of ideas, ideas, ideals, scientific knowledge and other spiritual values. In the sphere of distribution and development of spiritual values, spiritual production encompasses education, moral and aesthetic education, and other forms of familiarization with spiritual culture.

In the presence of a number of common points with material production, spiritual production has its own specifics. The subject of labor in it is not only nature and natural substances, but also social progress in all the richness of its social ties, human thinking and people's activities. The subject of spiritual production, and the instruments of its activity, are very peculiar. A special social layer of professionals involved in the creation of spiritual values \u200b\u200bis being formed in society. For the most part, these are representatives of the intelligentsia. Spiritual production is the production of consciousness, carried out by specialized groups of people professionally engaged in skilled mental work. The result of spiritual production are ideas and theories, values, spiritual social relations and the person himself as a spiritual being. The best examples of spiritual production, having received a social assessment, are included in the foundation of the spiritual culture of society, becoming its property. Consuming spiritual values, a person is formed as a person and in this capacity acts both as an object and as a subject of spiritual production. For spiritual formation, a system of education, upbringing, means of communicative influence, etc. are used. An important role is played by the subject's independent assimilation of spiritual values, self-education and self-upbringing. Spiritual production, unlike material production, is universal, social in nature, products of spiritual production are available to everyone. You cannot feed a thousand with five breads, and the spiritual needs of a million people can be satisfied with five ideas or masterpieces of art. However, it should be noted that the production of spiritual values \u200b\u200bitself is always individual. An example is the fact that no Nobel Prizes in science are awarded to teams of authors. In general, big discoveries and creations are made by loners, because creativity is always unique and individual. Creativity is the main force of spiritual production, while in the material production there are many such productive forces (raw materials, machinery, labor, roads, etc.). Spiritual activity is valuable in its own right, it often has significance regardless of the result. So art exists for the sake of art. Unlike material activity, for which creation is not valuable, but the possession of goods, creation itself is valuable in spiritual activity. The functions of spiritual production: 1. Spiritual activity aimed at improving all means of society (economic, political, social) and the production of spiritual values. 2. The production of applied and fundamental ideas, the production of the latter being the most important function. 3. The production and dissemination of knowledge about these ideas in society. 4. The production of public opinion. This function is closely related to the production and dissemination of knowledge, but it emphasizes the political, ideological moment. 5. The formation of spiritual needs, i.e. a person’s inner motivation for spiritual creativity and created spiritual values.

Types of spiritual production:

2. Art.

3. Religion.

Science as a type of spiritual production.   Science 1) a system of knowledge; 2) social institution.

Science is a systematic knowledge of reality, reproducing its essential and regular aspects in the abstract logical form of concepts, categories, laws, etc. Science creates an ideal world in which the laws of the objective world are reflected.

The main features of scientific knowledge:

• Systematic and logical
• The presence of idealized objects
• The need for methods, methodologies and means of scientific knowledge
• Specialization, subjectivity, discipline of scientific knowledge
• The presence of a special language of science
• The rigor and objectivity of revealed truths
• Cumulativeness of scientific knowledge: accumulation, improvement, progressive development of science

Functions of Science:

• Cognitive
• Explanatory
• Practical (science provides a method for transforming the world, and also serves as the introduction of technology and the creation of technology)
• Predictive (e.g., prediction of natural anomalies)
• Worldview
• Social memory function

Differentiation and integration of scientific knowledge.

Differentiation of science    - The process associated with an increase in the number of special sciences, the formation of new scientific disciplines, the formation of new scientific directions, approaches, concepts, theories. If at the time of Aristotle, science was hardly divided into 20 areas of knowledge, now this division knows no boundaries. This was largely facilitated by the discovery of the microscope and telescope. Physics is divided into mechanics, optics, electrodynamics, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, hydrodynamics, etc. New sciences appear, for example, genetics.    Differentiation leads to the progressive specialization of scientists, the lack of understanding between representatives of various scientific fields and disciplines, which does not contribute to the progress of science.

Science integration    - The process associated with the unification of sciences on the basis of the unity of various levels and fragments of the universe. Many sciences, for example, chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc., are combined on the basis of the study of elementary particles.   . Integration is manifested as:

· Organization of research “at the junction” of related scientific disciplines

· Development of "transdisciplinary" scientific methods of importance for many sciences (spectral analysis, computer experiment)

· Search for “unifying” theories and principles (for example, the theory of evolution)

· Development of theories that perform general methodological functions in the natural sciences (cybernetics, synergetics)

· Integrated nature of problem solving

Differentiation and integration are two complementary trends in science.

4. Art -   this kind of spiritual production, which is the creation of professionals (artists, musicians, poets, etc.), i.e. specialists in the field of aesthetic. Aesthetic is not only in art, it is spread throughout social reality and causes special aesthetic feelings in people (for example, when admiring the mountains). In art, the aesthetic is self-sufficient.

Initially, art was not a purely aesthetic activity; it served magic, religion, and the transfer of social experience (cave paintings). In a class society, art becomes independent.

Art has a social content, which is especially evident in crisis periods of the development of society. The end of the XIX century. - beginning of XX century characterized by "dehumanization of art" (the term Ortega-i-Gasseta) - distancing from reality, expelling from art the immediacy of feelings, all human, living. Art becomes inhuman, abstract, cold and ironic. Dehumanization has affected all other areas of public life.

Another example of the social character of art is the totalitarian art of the 20th century. A striking example is the direction of socialist realism in the USSR, which was considered the main and only correct form of art. Totalitarian art becomes an instrument of politics, power, ideology. The state monopolizes and controls the activities of artists; all art styles not recognized as official are prohibited.