Aleshin Sergey Arkadievich

MGIEM (TU)

Russia is going through hard times right now. The new political and economic situation could not but affect the culture. Her relationship with the authorities has changed radically. The common core of cultural life has disappeared - a centralized management system and a unified cultural policy. Determining the paths for further cultural development became the business of the society itself and the subject of controversy. The absence of a unifying socio-cultural idea and the retreat of society from the ideas of humanism led to a deep crisis in which Russian culture found itself by the beginning of the 21st century. The choice of the topic of this report is dictated by the urgent need to discuss this problem.

Humanism is traditionally defined as a system of views that recognize the value of a person as a person, his right to freedom, happiness and development, and declaring the principles of equality and humanity as the norm of relations between people. Western Europe is declared the birthplace of humanism in textbooks and encyclopedias, and its roots in world history can be traced back to antiquity.

Among the values ​​of traditional Russian culture, an important place was occupied by the values ​​of humanism (goodness, justice, non-covetousness, the search for truth - which is reflected in Russian folklore, Russian classical literature, socio-political thought).

At present, the ideas of humanism have experienced a certain crisis in our country over the past 15 years. Ideas of possessiveness and self-sufficiency (the cult of money) were opposed to humanism. As an ideal, the Russians were offered a "self-made man" - a person who made himself and did not need any external support. The ideas of justice and equality - the basis of humanism - have lost their former attractiveness and are now not even included in the program documents of the majority. Russian parties and the Russian government. Our society gradually began to turn into a nuclear society, when individual members of it began to withdraw within the framework of their homes and their own families.

The humanistic traditions of Russian society are very actively being shaken by xenophobia, which is strengthened by the activities of many domestic means. mass media. Distrust of “foreigners” and fear of people from the Caucasus or the countries of Central Asia among many Russians (at least Muscovites) turned into hatred of huge social groups. After the explosions in Moscow in the fall of 1999, the city was on the verge of pogroms, the victims of which could be not only Chechens, but also Muslims in general. Analytical articles devoted to clarifying the peacekeeping essence of Islam or proving that not all residents of the Caucasus were involved in terrorist attacks remained unnoticed by the majority of the inhabitants, while nationalist programs on television were available to everyone.

This path of development inevitably leads society to a dead end. In Europe and the United States, this was understood after the Second World War. Europe was shocked by the Holocaust and the extermination of the Roma in Nazi Germany. In the United States, after high-profile black protests in the 1950s and 1960s, the official ideology of the “melting pot” (a melting pot in which all peoples living in the country are melted into united nation Americans) was replaced by the ideology of “salad-bowl” (salad bowls, where all peoples are united within one country, but each retains its identity). Russian society should turn to this experience and move away from blind copying of already outdated Western models.

First of all, a deeper and more detailed study of culture is called upon to contribute to this. The ideas of humanism are practically nowhere formulated clearly, but the very spirit of justice and equality is imbued with almost all Russian literature. There are great traditions of humanism in painting (especially in the works of the Wanderers, whose focus was on the common man) and music (both in folk songs and in the classics - starting with the opera “Ivan Susanin” by M.I. Glinka). The study of the history of the Fatherland allows everyone to see the positive role that representatives of various nations played in it, and the idea of ​​consolidating all classes and social groups was clearly manifested in difficult moments of Russian history - such as the Time of Troubles or the Great Patriotic War. The media can play an important role in spreading these ideas, but the laws of the market often dictate very different editorial policies. A more complete study of other cultures will allow a Russian to understand a representative of a different nation, race, professing a different religion.

The state can do a lot to preserve the humanistic traditions of Russian society. Free education and medicine prevent the disintegration of Russian society into estates and property groups; their preservation should remain a priority, although this does not meet the requirements of a market economy. A well-thought-out tax policy and an attentive attitude towards public sector employees will make it possible to reduce the income gap between representatives of different social groups that has become colossal. Strengthening the idea of ​​justice should contribute to the active fight against corruption.

But even otherwise, Russian society is unlikely to face a final disintegration along national or class lines. Culture and the education system act as a factor cementing the society. For most ordinary Russians, ideas of value human life, justice and equality are inalienable. There are still people who give to the poor and shame skinheads. The traditions of Russian philanthropy are alive - even if this charity is not completely disinterested, such as, for example, the Triumph Prize established by B. Berezovsky or grants given to scientists. Russian school and university teachers have an important cultural mission. For the final eradication of the idea of ​​humanism in Russian society, more than one generation must be replaced. Such a scenario, in my opinion, is not feasible in Russia. The traditional foundations of society, the archetype of Russian culture that has been developing for centuries cannot be destroyed!

Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education
UFA STATE OIL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

Department of Political Science, Sociology and Public Relations

Course work
in the discipline "Political Science"
on the topic of:
"Ideas of Humanism in the Modern World".

Completed: st.gr. BSOz-11-01 A.F. Suleimanova
Checked by: teacher S.N. Shkel

Ufa - 2013
Content

Introduction.

Humanism is the only
what is probably left
from those gone into oblivion
peoples and civilizations.
Tolstoy L. N

In this essay, I will try to cover the topic modern humanism, his ideas, problems.
Humanism is a collective worldview and cultural and historical tradition that originated in the ancient Greek civilization, developed in subsequent centuries and preserved in modern culture as its universal basis. The ideas of humanism are accepted and practiced by many people, thereby turning humanism into a program of social transformation, into a moral force, into a broad and international cultural movement. Humanism offers its own understanding of how one can become a morally healthy and worthy citizen. Humanism pays special attention to questions of method, to those tools, using which a person could best learn to know himself, to self-determine and improve himself, to make a reasonable choice.
I chose this particular topic, as it aroused the greatest interest in me, I consider it relevant for our generation. Alas, in modern society, V modern world, the ideals of humanism remain only in words, but in reality, as we see, everything is different. Today, instead of the ideas of humanism, they impose completely different, more material values ​​on us, in the understanding of love, law, and honor. Most people are content with this principle: "everything is permitted, everything is available." Honor as the inner moral dignity of a person is replaced by the concepts of glory and greed. Modern man, in order to achieve any personal goals, uses methods in his practice: lies and deceit. The youth of today must not be allowed to become a lost generation.

General characteristics of the humanistic worldview

The term "humanism" comes from the Latin "humanitas" (humanity), which was used as early as the 1st century BC. BC. the famous Roman orator Cicero (106-43 BC). For him, humanitas is the upbringing and education of a person, contributing to his exaltation. The principle of humanism presupposed an attitude to a person as a supreme value, respect for the dignity of each individual, his right to life, free development, the realization of his abilities and the pursuit of happiness.
Humanism presupposes the recognition of all fundamental human rights, affirms the good of the individual as the highest criterion for evaluating any social activity. Humanism is a certain amount of universal human values, ordinary (simple) moral, legal and other norms of behavior. Their catalog is familiar to almost every one of us. It includes such specific manifestations of humanity as benevolence, sympathy, compassion, responsiveness, reverence, sociability, participation, a sense of justice, responsibility, gratitude, tolerance, decency, cooperativeness, solidarity, etc.
In my opinion, the fundamental features of the humanistic worldview are the following:
1. Humanism is a worldview, in the center of which is the idea of ​​a person as the highest value and a priority reality in relation to itself among all other material and spiritual values. In other words, for a humanist, a person is an initial reality, priority and irrelevant in relation to himself and relative among all the others.
2. Humanists, therefore, affirm the equality of man as a material and spiritual being in relation to another person, nature, society and all other realities and beings known or not yet known to him.
3. Humanists admit the possibility of genesis, evolutionary generation, creation or creation of personality, but they reject reduction, i.e. reduction of the essence of man to the inhuman and impersonal: nature, society, otherworldly, non-existence (nothing), the unknown, etc. The essence of a person is an essence acquired, created and realized by him in himself and in the world in which he is born, lives and acts.
4. Humanism, therefore, is a proper human, secular and worldly outlook, expressing the dignity of the individual, his outwardly relative, but inwardly absolute, steadily progressing independence, self-sufficiency and equality in the face of all other realities, known and unknown beings of the reality surrounding him.
5. Humanism is a modern form of realistic psychology and human life orientation, which includes rationality, criticality, skepticism, stoicism, tragedy, tolerance, restraint, prudence, optimism, love of life, freedom, courage, hope, fantasy and productive imagination.
6. Humanism is characterized by confidence in the unlimited possibilities of self-improvement of a person, in the inexhaustibility of his emotional, cognitive, adaptive, transformative and creative abilities.
7. Humanism is a worldview without boundaries, since it implies openness, dynamism and development, the possibility of radical internal transformations in the face of changes and new perspectives of man and his world.
8. Humanists recognize the reality of the inhumane in man and strive to limit its scope and influence as much as possible. They are convinced of the possibility of ever more successful and reliable curbing negative qualities human being in the course of the progressive development of world civilization.
9. Humanism is regarded as a fundamentally secondary phenomenon in relation to humanists - groups or sections of the population that actually exist in any society. In this sense, humanism is nothing more than the self-consciousness of real people who understand and strive to take control of the tendency towards totalitarianism and domination that is naturally inherent in any idea, including the humanistic one.
10. As a socio-spiritual phenomenon, humanism is the desire of people to achieve the most mature self-awareness, the content of which is generally accepted humanistic principles, and to practice them for the benefit of the whole society. Humanism is the awareness of the present humanity, i.e. corresponding qualities, needs, values, principles and norms of consciousness, psychology and way of life of real strata of any modern society.
11. Humanism is more than an ethical doctrine, since it seeks to realize all areas and forms of manifestation of human humanity in their specificity and unity. This means that the task of humanism is to integrate and cultivate moral, legal, civil, political, social, national and transnational, philosophical, aesthetic, scientific, life-sense, environmental and all other human values ​​at the level of worldview and way of life.
12. Humanism is not and should not be any form of religion. Humanists are alien to the recognition of the reality of the supernatural and transcendent, worship before them and submission to them as superhuman priorities. Humanists reject the spirit of dogmatism, fanaticism, mysticism and anti-rationalism.

Three stages of humanism

Humanism as a concept arose in the "axial time" (according to K. Jaspers) and appeared in three expanded forms. One of them was the moral and ritual humanism of Confucius. Confucius had to turn to the human person, i.e. to use the means that are necessary for the development of a humanistic doctrine.
The main argument of Confucius: in human communication - not only at the level of the family, but also of the state - morality is most important. The main word for Confucius is reciprocity. This starting point raised Confucius above religion and philosophy, for which faith and reason remained the basic concepts.
The basis of Confucius's humanism is respect for parents and respect for elder brothers. The family was the ideal state structure for Confucius. Rulers should treat their subjects like good fathers, and they should honor them. The higher ones should be noble men and show the lower an example of philanthropy, acting in accordance with the "golden rule of ethics."
Morality, according to Confucius, is incompatible with violence against a person. To the question: "How do you look at the killing of people who are deprived of principles in the name of approaching these principles?" Kung Tzu answered: “Why, while ruling the state, kill people? If you strive for goodness, then the people will be kind.”
To the question: “Is it right to return good for evil?” The teacher replied, “How can you respond kindly? Evil is met with justice." Although this does not reach the Christian “love your enemies”, it does not indicate that violence should be used in response to evil. Non-violent resistance to evil will be just.
A little later in Greece, Socrates formulated a philosophical program to prevent violence by finding universal human truth in the process of dialogue. It was, so to speak, a philosophical contribution to humanism. As a supporter of non-violence, Socrates put forward the thesis according to which "it is better to endure injustice than to inflict it", later adopted by the Stoics.
Finally, the third form of humanism in antiquity, which had not only a universal, but also, in modern terms, ecological character, was the ancient Indian principle of ahimsa - non-harm to all living things, which became fundamental to Hinduism and Buddhism. This example clearly shows that humanism does not contradict religion.
Ultimately, Christianity conquered the ancient world not by violence, but by fortitude and sacrifice. The commandments of Christ are examples of humanity, which are quite capable of being extended to nature. So, the fifth gospel commandment, which L.N. Tolstoy considers to refer to all foreign peoples, may well be expanded to "love nature." But, having won and created a powerful church, Christianity turned from the martyrdom of the righteous to the torment of the Inquisition. Under the guise of Christians, people came to power for whom the main thing was power, and not Christian ideals, and they somehow discredited faith in Christianity, contributing to turning the eyes of subjects to antiquity. The Renaissance came with a new understanding of humanism.
New European humanism is the joy of the flourishing of creative individuality, which from the very beginning was overshadowed by the desire to conquer everything around. This undermined the creative-individualistic Western humanism and led to a gradual loss of confidence in it. In the humanism of modern times, a substitution took place, and he went into individualism, and then into consumerism with socialist and fascist reactions to it. The triumph of aggressive-consumer values ​​and violence creates walls between people - visible and invisible, which must be destroyed. But they can be destroyed not by violence, but by the rejection of the very foundation, the foundation on which the walls stand, i.e. from violence itself. Only non-violence can save humanism, but not ritual and not individualism. Both historical forms of humanism were imperfect because they did not have the core of humanity - non-violence. In the humanism of Confucius, the ritual was higher than pity for animals, in the humanism of the New Age, creativity was oriented towards dominance over nature.
For humanism, individuality is important, because without personal awareness, action has no meaning. The humanism of Confucius enclosed itself in a ritual, and it became necessary to appeal to a person who decides for himself what she needs. But in its focus on itself, the new European humanism rejected the surrounding being.
Liberation from fettering rituals is beneficial, but without prejudice to morality, from which, in its aggressively consumerist permissiveness, the humanism of the New Age was moving further and further away. Western humanism is the antithesis of Confucianism, but along with the subordination of the individual to social order, he splashed out humanity. There was a substitution of humanism under the influence of the development of Western material civilization, which replaced the humanistic desire to "be" with an aggressive consumer desire to "have".
M. Heidegger is right that European humanism has exhausted itself in individualism and aggressiveness. But humanism is not only a Western brainchild. Other ways of development of civilization are possible. They are laid and preached by L.N. Tolstoy, M. Gandhi, A. Schweitzer, E. Fromm. Heidegger realized that modern humanism was unacceptable, but what he proposed instead, and what Schweitzer formulated as "reverence for life" is also humanism in the sense of humanity, rooted in ancient humanity.

3. Ideas of modern humanism

In the twentieth century, a fundamentally new situation began to take shape in the world. The trend of globalization is asserting itself with increasing force, and this leaves its mark on all philosophical concepts. Criticism of the Western technogenic-consumer civilization forced to reconsider, among others, the concept of humanism.
Heidegger revealed the insufficiency of the humanism of the Renaissance in our time. Criticizing Western humanism, Heidegger, in essence, led to the need for a synthesis of ancient humanism with modern European. This synthesis will not be a simple combination of both, but a qualitatively new formation, corresponding to our time. The synthesis of Western and Eastern humanism must combine the adherence to moral maxims with the creation of the new.
Heidegger argued: “Humanism now means, if we decide to keep this word, only one thing: the essence of man is essential for the truth of being, but in such a way that everything is reduced just not just to man as such.” ON THE. Berdyaev spoke about punishment for the humanistic self-affirmation of a person. It lies in the fact that a person opposed himself to everything around him, while he had to unite with it. Berdyaev wrote that humanistic Europe is coming to an end. But in order for a new humanistic world to flourish. The humanism of the Renaissance cherished individualism, the new humanism must be a breakthrough through individuality to being.
Ideas arose about a new humanism, integral humanism, universal humanism, ecological humanism, transhumanism. In our opinion, all these proposals go in the same direction, which can be called global humanism as a qualitatively new form humanism of the 21st century. Global humanism is not the creation of any one civilization. It belongs to all mankind as becoming unified system. In relation to the two previous stages of humanism, which play the role of thesis and antithesis, it, in accordance with Hegelian dialectics, plays the role of synthesis. Global humanism to a certain extent returns to the first stage with its non-violence and environmental friendliness (the principle of ahimsa) and the primacy of morality and humanity (Confucius and the philosophical tradition Ancient Greece), and at the same time absorbs the best that Western thought has introduced - the desire for creative self-realization of man. This is embodied in modern forms of humanism, which will be discussed in succession below.
The first of them is ecological humanism, the main idea of ​​which is the rejection of violence against nature and man. Modern civilization does not teach the ability to live in peace with people and nature. We need a radical rejection of the aggressive-consumer orientation with its desire to take from nature everything that a person wants, which led to an ecological crisis. The new civilization, the impulse to which comes from the current ecological situation, is a loving-creative civilization.
The traditional understanding of humanism, according to Heidegger, is metaphysical. But being can give itself, and a person can treat it with reverence, which brings together the approach of M. Heidegger and A. Schweitzer. A. Schweitzer appeared when it was time to change the human attitude to nature. Nature enters the sphere of morality as a consequence of the increased scientific and technological power of man.
Humanism comes from "homo", in which not only "man", but also "earth" ("humus" as the most fertile layer of the earth). And man is "homo" from the earth, and not just "men" from the mind and "anthropos" from the aspiration to rise. In these three words - three concepts of man. In "men" and "anthropos" there is nothing of the earth and of humanity. Humanism, thus, by the origin of the word is understood as earthly, ecological.
Ecological humanism fulfills the Heideggerian task of familiarizing with being. Entry into being is carried out through the practice of human nature-transforming activity. However, a person is not determined by the technological path he follows. He can move ecological way which will bring him into being more quickly. The paths he chooses determine whether he will come into existence or not.
The new ecological thought must be combined with traditional humanism, which is based on non-violence. This is what gives ecological humanism, representing the humanism of Confucius, Socrates, Christ and the Renaissance, extended to nature, the sprouts of which are in the philosophy of Tolstoy, Gandhi and others. Ethics must enter culture, nature must enter ethics, and through ethics culture in ecological humanism is connected with nature.
Environmental humanism lies at the intersection of Eastern and Western traditions. The West can give a lot in scientific and technical terms to solve the environmental problem, India - the spirit of ahimsa, Russia - the traditional patience and gift of self-sacrifice. Such ecological convergence is certainly beneficial. Synthetic power of ecological
etc.................

In the twentieth century, a fundamentally new situation began to take shape in the world. The trend of globalization is asserting itself with increasing force, and this leaves its mark on all philosophical concepts. Criticism of the Western technogenic-consumer civilization forced to reconsider, among others, the concept of humanism.

Heidegger revealed the insufficiency of the humanism of the Renaissance in our time. Criticizing Western humanism, Heidegger, in essence, led to the need for a synthesis of ancient humanism with modern European. This synthesis will not be a simple combination of both, but a qualitatively new formation, corresponding to our time. The synthesis of Western and Eastern humanism must combine the adherence to moral maxims with the creation of the new.

Heidegger argued: ““Humanism” means now, if we decide to keep this word, only one thing: the essence of man is essential for the truth of being, but in such a way that everything is reduced just not just to man as such.” ON THE. Berdyaev spoke about punishment for the humanistic self-affirmation of a person. It lies in the fact that a person opposed himself to everything around him, while he had to unite with it. Berdyaev wrote that humanistic Europe is coming to an end. But in order for a new humanistic world to flourish. The humanism of the Renaissance cherished individualism, the new humanism must be a breakthrough through individuality to being.

Ideas arose about a new humanism, integral humanism, universal humanism, ecological humanism, transhumanism. In our opinion, all these proposals go in the same direction, which can be called global humanism as a qualitatively new form of humanism of the 21st century. Global humanism is not the creation of any one civilization. It belongs to all mankind as a system that is becoming one. In relation to the two previous stages of humanism, which play the role of thesis and antithesis, it, in accordance with Hegelian dialectics, plays the role of synthesis. Global humanism to a certain extent returns to the first stage with its non-violence and environmental friendliness (the principle of ahimsa) and the primacy of morality and humanity (Confucius and the philosophical tradition of Ancient Greece), and at the same time absorbs the best that Western thought has introduced - the desire for creative self-realization person. This is embodied in modern forms of humanism, which will be discussed in succession below.

The first one is ecological humanism. , the main idea of ​​which is the rejection of violence against nature and man. Modern civilization does not teach the ability to live in peace with people and nature. We need a radical rejection of the aggressive-consumer orientation with its desire to take from nature everything that a person wants, which led to an ecological crisis. The new civilization, the impulse to which comes from the current ecological situation, is a loving-creative civilization.

The traditional understanding of humanism, according to Heidegger, is metaphysical. But being can give itself, and a person can treat it with reverence, which brings together the approach of M. Heidegger and A. Schweitzer. A. Schweitzer appeared when it was time to change the human attitude to nature. Nature enters the sphere of morality as a consequence of the increased scientific and technological power of man.

Humanism comes from "homo", in which not only "man", but also "earth" ("humus" as the most fertile layer of the earth). And man is "homo" from the earth, and not only "men" from the mind and "anthropos" from the striving upwards. In these three words are three conceptions of man. In "men" and "anthropos" there is nothing of the earth and of humanity. Humanism, thus, by the origin of the word is understood as earthly, ecological.

Ecological humanism fulfills the Heideggerian task of familiarizing with being. Entry into being is carried out through the practice of human nature-transforming activity. However, a person is not determined by the technological path he follows. He can move along an ecological path that will bring him more quickly into being. The paths he chooses determine whether he will come into existence or not.

The new ecological thought must be combined with traditional humanism, which is based on non-violence. This is what gives ecological humanism, representing the humanism of Confucius, Socrates, Christ and the Renaissance, extended to nature, the sprouts of which are in the philosophy of Tolstoy, Gandhi and others. Ethics must enter culture, nature must enter ethics, and through ethics culture in ecological humanism is connected with nature.

Environmental humanism lies at the intersection of Eastern and Western traditions. The West can give a lot in scientific and technical terms to solve environmental problem, India - the spirit of ahimsa, Russia - the traditional patience and the gift of self-sacrifice. Such ecological convergence is certainly beneficial. The synthetic power of ecological humanism is also expressed in the synthesis of the branches of culture that took part in its creation. It is art, religion, philosophy, politics, morality, science.

The ethics of ecological humanism is the ethics of ahimsa, extended to the whole world; "the golden rule of ecology", formulated by L.N. Tolstoy: "treat as you want to be treated not only by people, but also by animals." Ecological humanism requires a change in attitude towards nature (protection of animals, protection of the environment from pollution, etc.), towards people (preservation of cultural and individual diversity), towards the Universe. It connects the attitude towards man and the attitude towards animals, overcoming the paradox that people can fight for the rights of animals and not pay attention to violence against people. The rights of animals and people in it are equally sacred.

Ecological humanism is based on the principle of harmony between man and nature and the recognition of the equivalence of all living things. “An attempt to establish generally significant value differences between living beings goes back to the desire to judge them depending on whether they seem to us to be closer to a person or further away, which, of course, is a subjective criterion. For who among us knows what significance another living being has in itself and in the world as a whole. In practical terms, ecological humanism includes appropriate behavior and even nutrition, i.e. non-violence and vegetarianism, which stem from the principle of ahimsa and the commandment to protect the cow in Hinduism.

If we want to overcome the ecological crisis, we need to learn non-violent interaction with nature, first of all, to give up the desire to conquer it. Life is impossible without violence, but not wanting it and striving to reduce it is in our power. To those who say that nothing depends on our own behavior, it can be objected that we must act on the assumption that our personal action still has meaning and significance.

To free himself from the power of nature, man resorted to violence. Now he is free (by and large he only thinks so), and nature is defeated and further violence is dangerous. People begin to understand that violence against nature turns against them. And humanity in relation to nature will be another argument in justifying the need to refrain from violence in interpersonal relationships.

Why is it necessary to be humane from an environmental point of view? The preservation of the existing diversity preserves the world, and not only the material world, which is the more stable the more diverse it is, but also the human soul, as modern psychology in the person of E. Fromm confirms. Add to this the argument of karma, which in Christianity is interpreted as a punishment for sins. By renouncing violence, we save nature and our souls.

The rationale for non-violence in relation to nature is similar to that given by Tolstoy in relation to people. We do not know the universal truth, therefore, until it is found, we must not use violence against people. With regard to nature, we can say: we do not know the absolute truth, therefore, until it is discovered, we should not use violence against nature.

But the situation in the ecological field has its own specifics. Man must regulate the forces of nature, as N.F. Fedorov, but with love, not with violence, as he is doing now. The concept of love for nature, which is opposed to the desire to dominate it, remains important, despite the use of scientific terminology "regulation", "optimization", etc.

The material progress of a consumer civilization cannot but lead to a crisis, because material needs, in principle, can grow indefinitely, contradicting the possibilities of the biosphere to satisfy them. Ecological humanism makes it possible to weaken the antagonism of this contradiction. As a modern form of humanism, it combines the struggle for social justice and anti-war actions, the "green movement" and the movement for animal rights, viganism and charity.

All the great conductors of ecological humanism were in the highest degree the desire not only to think, but also to act. In ecological humanism, we come to the realization of being not only theoretically, but also practically - in our behavior. Humanism breaks through the framework of spiritual culture and enters the expanse of being.

The second form of global humanism can be called non-violent humanism. The trouble with Western civilization, according to A. Schweitzer, is that it tried to be satisfied with a culture divorced from ethics. But ultimate goal there must be spiritual and moral perfection of the individual. New European culture believed that spirituality would come with the growth of material well-being, but this did not happen.

Reviving the ancient principle of ahimsa, Schweitzer wrote: "For a truly moral person, all life is sacred, even that which, from our human point of view, seems inferior." Following Tolstoy and Gandhi, who spoke about the law of love, Schweitzer writes about the will to love, which seeks to eliminate the self-divided will to live.

Ecological and social crises require practical humanism, but they also force humanity to rise to a new theoretical level. The path to a truly global consciousness and world culture lies not through the suppression of some cultures by others, but through the unification of people and nations on the basis of universal moral wisdom. The unification of people into tribes and nations probably once followed the same path. The Christian Tolstoy and the Indian Gandhi were united by the invariants of ethics, which turned out to be more important than national and religious differences. And so the world should unite nonviolently to solve global problems.

The socially-oriented version of modern humanism is represented by the concept of new humanism A force that focuses on overcoming social inequalities through non-violent action. As for transhumanism, another form of modern humanism, it, refusing to focus on the conquest of man and nature, at the same time fully preserves and develops the creative nature of humanism. Transhumanism is aimed at increasing the duration of human life, fighting diseases (including by replacing the organs of the human body with artificial organs and natural ones using stem cells), and, ultimately, at the practical achievement of immortality by man. Here, transhumanism merges with the ideas expressed in the 19th century by the Russian philosopher N.F. Fedorov and continued representatives of Russian cosmism K.E. Tsiolkovsky and others.

Human life is based on certain moral laws that help determine what is good and what is bad. Many do not know what humanism is and what principles are embedded in this concept, although it has importance for the development of society.

What is humanism and humanity?

This concept comes from the Latin word, which translates as "human". A humanist is a person who highlights the values ​​of the human person. The point is to recognize the human right to freedom, development, love, happiness, and so on. In addition, this also includes the denial of the manifestation of any violence against living beings. The concept of humanism indicates that the basis lies in the ability of a person to sympathize with and help other people. It is important to note that the manifestation of humanity should not go against the interests of the individual.

Humanism in philosophy

This concept is used in different areas, including philosophy, where it is presented as a conscious attitude towards humanity without borders. There are a number of characteristics that help to understand the meaning of humanism:

1. For each person, other people should be the highest value, and they should be in priority over material, spiritual, social and natural benefits.
2. In philosophy, humanism is a position that describes that a person is valuable in itself, regardless of gender, nationality and other differences.
3. One of the dogmas of humanism says that if you think well about people, then they will certainly become better.

Humanity and humanism - the difference

Many often confuse these concepts, but in fact, they have both common and distinctive features. Humanism and humanity are two inseparable concepts that imply the protection of the individual's rights to freedom and happiness. As for humanity, this is a certain trait of a person, which manifests itself in a positive attitude towards other people. It is formed as a result of a conscious and sustainable understanding of what is good and what is bad. Humanity and humanism are interrelated concepts, since the first is formed on the imitation of the principles of the second.

Signs of humanism

The main signs of humanism are known, which fully reveal this concept:

1. autonomy. The ideas of humanism cannot be isolated from religious, historical or ideological premises. The level of worldview development directly depends on honesty, loyalty, tolerance and other qualities.
2. fundamentality. The values ​​of humanism are important in social structure and are primary elements.
3. Versatility. The philosophy of humanism and its ideas are applicable to all people and any social systems. In the existing worldview, one can go beyond, since every person has the right to life, love and other characteristics.

The main value of humanism

The meaning of humanism lies in the fact that in each person there is a potential for development or there is already humanity, from which the formation and development of moral feelings and thinking occurs. influences cannot be ruled out. environment, other people and various factors, but only a person is the only bearer and creator of reality. Humanistic values ​​are based on respect, benevolence and conscientiousness.

Humanism - types

There are several classifications of humanists, which differ in the selection criteria. If we focus on the historical source and content, then we can distinguish nine types of humanists: philosophical, communist, cultural, scientific, religious, secular, slave-owning, feudal, natural, ecological and liberal. It is worth considering what kind of priority humanism is:

• folk - living for the happiness of the people;
• human rights - advocating for the rights and freedoms of all people;
• pacifist - people-peacemakers who are fighting against everything harmful on earth;
• public - providing assistance to children, the disabled and others in need.

The principle of humanism

A person must develop and receive a certain set of knowledge and develop skills that he will return to the world through social and professional activity. The humanistic worldview implies the observance of the legal and moral norms of society and a respectful attitude towards social values. The principle of humanism implies the observance of a number of rules:

1. Decent attitude of society towards all people, regardless of the physical, material and social status.
2. Finding out what humanism is, it is worth pointing out one more principle - the right of every person to be himself should be recognized.
3. It is important to understand mercy as a step towards humanism, which should be based not on pity and sympathy, but on the desire to help a person integrate into society.

Humanism in the modern world

Recently, the ideas of humanism have undergone changes, and it has even lost its relevance, since the ideas of possessiveness and self-sufficiency, that is, the cult of money, have come to the fore for modern society. As a result, the ideal was not a kind person who is not alien to the feelings of other people, but a person who has made himself and does not depend on anyone. Psychologists believe that such a situation leads society to a dead end.

Modern humanism has replaced love for humanity with the struggle for its progressive development, which directly affected the original meaning of this concept. The state can do a lot to preserve humanistic traditions, for example, free education and medicine, raising wages state employees will prevent the stratification of society into property groups. A ray of hope that not everything is lost and humanism in modern society can still be restored, are people who are not yet alien to the value of justice and equality.

Ideas of Humanism in the Bible

Believers argue that humanism is Christianity, because faith preaches that all people are equal and that you need to love each other and show humanity. Christian humanism is a religion of love and inner renewal of the human personality. He calls a person to full and selfless service for the benefit of people. The Christian religion cannot exist without morality.

Facts about humanism

There is a lot of interesting information associated with this area, because for many years humanism has been tested, corrected, declined, and so on.

1. The well-known psychologist A. Maslow and his colleagues at the end of the 50s wanted to create a professional organization that would consider the manifestation of humanism in society from the side of psychology. It was determined that in the new approach, self-realization and individuality should come first. As a result, the American Association for Humanistic Psychology was formed.
2. According to history, the first true humanist is Francesco Petrarca, who put man on a pedestal as an interesting and self-sufficient person.
3. Many are interested in what the term "humanism" is in its interaction with nature, and so it implies respect for the environment and respect for all living beings on earth. Ecohumanists seek to recreate the lost elements of nature.

Books about humanism

The theme of personal freedom and human value is often used in literature. Humanism and mercy help to consider positive features human and their significance for society and the world as a whole.

1. "Escape from Freedom" E. Fromm. The book is dedicated to existing psychological aspects power and personal independence. The author examines the meaning of freedom for different people.
2. "Magic Mountain" T. Mann. This book talks about what humanism is through the relationships of people who have lost and for them human relationships come first.

The emergence of an organized humanist movement in our country is associated with the activities of the Russian (until 2001 - Russian) Humanist Society (RGO). It received legal registration on May 16, 1995 as an interregional public association of secular (non-religious) humanists. The society became "the first non-governmental organization in the history of Russia, which set as its goal the support and development of the idea of ​​secular humanism, the humanistic style of thinking and psychology, and the humane way of life." The founder of the Russian Geographical Society and its permanent leader is Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Professor of the Department of the History of Russian Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, Lomonosov Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov V. A. Kuvakin. Now let us turn to those definitions of humanism that are given today by Russian humanists. Valery Kuvakin believes that humanism is a consequence of humanity naturally inherent in man. "It is assumed by the ordinary fact that each of us has his own I, that there is a person as a person who has something positive" behind his soul ". However, this does not mean at all that people are, so to speak, "doomed" to humanism. Even the philosophers of Ancient Greece (Chrysippus, Sextus Empiricus) noticed that a human being has three groups of qualities - positive, negative and neutral. Neutral human qualities (these include all physical, neuro-psychological and cognitive abilities, freedom, love and other psycho-emotional characteristics) are neither good nor bad in themselves, but become such when combined with positive and negative qualities of a person. On the basis of negative qualities, something opposite to humanism is formed, for example, a criminal or sadistic worldview. It is quite real and represents the irrational craving of a person for destruction and self-destruction. To the qualities that characterize the positive pole human nature, include "goodwill, sympathy, compassion, responsiveness, reverence, sociability, participation, a sense of justice, responsibility, gratitude, tolerance, decency, cooperativeness, solidarity, etc."

The main sign of the fundamental nature of humanism is the special nature of its connection with a person who makes an actual choice of himself not just as an individual I (which happens in the usual act of self-consciousness), but a I worthy of the best in itself and equally worthy of all the values ​​of the world. “A person’s awareness of his own humanity, its resources and capabilities is a decisive intellectual procedure that transfers him from the level of humanity to the level of humanism. normal person. Absolutely inhuman people do not exist and cannot exist. But there are no absolutely, one hundred percent human people. We are talking about the predominance and struggle in the personality of both. "Thus, an important feature of the humanistic movement is the priority of the value of the most specific person, his worthy lifestyle over any form of ideological and ideological organization, including in relation to any, even the most a brilliantly formulated humanist doctrine or program.The humanist call is "ultimately a call to a person not to accept something from the outside indifferently, but first to find himself with the help of himself and objective possibilities, it is a call to courageously and benevolently accept oneself as one or what you are, to get to the bottom, to see in yourself the positive foundations of yourself, your value, freedom, dignity, self-respect, self-affirmation, creativity, communication and equal cooperation with your own kind and all others - social and natural - no less worthy and amazing realities ". Alexander Kruglov also believes that humanism is humanity, i.e. "willingness to build life together on a minimum of the simplest, directly felt by everyone, universal values ​​(the obvious mutual right of everyone to life, dignity, property), leaving views on everything else to freedom of conscience. "Thus, humanism is not an ideology, but is the soil on which we are standing when we want to forget about the sacred tyranny of any ideologies.Humanism as a worldview position, alternative to any ideological system, can offer a person the consciousness of any life as a value, and also teach him to live for values ​​outside of himself - for the near, the planet, the future. "The meaning of my life and in itself, and in what I will help the life of others; in the fact that the world will not die with me, and I can also contribute to this, my immortality is also concluded. And if personal metaphysics whispers something else to me about some kind of immortality - my happiness.

Lev Balashov puts forward 40 theses about humanism. He notes that humanistic philosophy is "a state of mind thinking people, a conscious attitude to humanity without borders", and humanism is "a conscious meaningful humanity". For a humanist, a person is valuable in itself as such, already by virtue of his birth. Initially, all people deserve a positive attitude - law-abiding and criminals, men and women, fellow tribesmen or representatives of another nationality, believers or non-believers.Humanism seeks to avoid the extremes of both collectivism, which infringes on the individual freedom of a person, and individualism, which ignores or infringes on the freedom of others.The main principle, guideline of moral and, accordingly, legal behavior for a humanist is the golden rule of behavior. In its negative form, the golden rule is formulated as follows: “Do not do to others what you would not want them to do to you”, in its positive form it says: “Do to others as you would like to be done to you.” The negative form of the golden the rules set the minimum bar for a person’s moral attitude towards other people (forbids doing evil), the positive form sets the maximum bar for moral attitude (encourages good), determines the maximum requirements for human behavior. Yevgeny Smetanin defines humanism as "a worldview based on humanity, that is, philanthropy, respect for human dignity." He associates the genealogy of humanity with those features that distinguish homo sapiens from animals. Humanity begins with awareness of oneself and one's place in the world around. If an animal is inherent in the desire to survive biologically, then in humans it is transformed into a desire for self-improvement, for the acquisition of useful experience. "Humanity is born when this desire is directed to someone else, first, let it be close, familiar, then to a distant one, and often to a stranger." Such a transfer of feelings and attitudes from oneself to other members of the human race, a gradual transition from instincts to conscious actions directed with good intentions to other people and to the world characteristic of all human activity. One of the conditions for maintaining humanity in society is the presence and accumulation of moral and ethical forms of community life. The highest manifestation of the personal principle in a person - the ability to live in harmony with the outside world, constantly developing and improving, requires a true and worthy self-determination based on experience, common sense, and conviction in the triumph of humanity. "Humanism as a worldview in the best way contributes to the creation of a society of human people."

Defining humanism as humanity, Russian humanists by no means live in a world of illusions and realize how far their ideals are from the actual practice of social relations in our country. V. L. Ginzburg and V. A. Kuvakin believe that the way of thinking of a humanist as a “really mature, serious, naturally democratic and generally balanced person”, to put it mildly, is not in harmony with the cultural, moral and psychological atmosphere modern Russia. Among the reasons for "unpopularity" humanistic ideas they highlight such factors as: 1) the non-commercial nature of humanistic values, their focus on common sense; 2) the alienation of humanism of any eccentricity; 3) high level self-discipline, independence, freedom, moral, legal and civic responsibility, which presents a humanistic worldview to its adherents (ibid.). However, despite the not very favorable social atmosphere, Russian humanists believe that our country simply has no alternative to humanism. In their opinion, neither religious fundamentalism and nationalism, nor decadent postmodernism are able to offer real ways to improve public life. Modern Russian secular humanists, writes V. A. Kuvakin, will not be doomed to wait when happy fate, a strong, just and kind ruler or the "Russian idea" descended from heaven will finally save Russia. They are convinced that "an active attitude towards oneself and the environment, an active, courageous, creative, independent and viable position can ensure a worthy position of a person in society."

Conclusion Humanism is traditionally defined as a system of views that recognize the value of a person as a person, his right to freedom, happiness and development, and declare the principles of equality and humanity to be the norm of relations between people. Western Europe is declared the birthplace of humanism in textbooks and encyclopedias, and its roots in world history can be traced back to antiquity. Among the values ​​of traditional Russian culture, an important place was occupied by the values ​​of humanism (goodness, justice, non-covetousness, the search for truth - which was reflected in Russian folklore, Russian classical literature, socio-political thought).

At present, the ideas of humanism have experienced a certain crisis in our country over the past 15 years. Ideas of possessiveness and self-sufficiency (the cult of money) were opposed to humanism. As an ideal, the Russians were offered a “self-made man” - a person who made himself and did not need any external support. The ideas of justice and equality - the basis of humanism - have lost their former attractiveness and are now not even included in the program documents of most Russian parties and the Russian government. Our society gradually began to turn into a nuclear society, when individual members of it began to withdraw within the framework of their homes and their own families. The humanistic traditions of Russian society are being actively shaken by xenophobia, which is strengthened by the activities of many domestic mass media. Distrust of “foreigners” and fear of people from the Caucasus or the countries of Central Asia among many Russians (at least Muscovites) turned into hatred of huge social groups. After the explosions in Moscow in the fall of 1999, the city was on the verge of pogroms, the victims of which could be not only Chechens, but also Muslims in general. Analytical articles devoted to clarifying the peacekeeping essence of Islam or proving that not all residents of the Caucasus were involved in terrorist attacks remained unnoticed by the majority of the inhabitants, while nationalist programs on television were available to everyone. This path of development inevitably leads society to a dead end. In Europe and the United States, this was understood after the Second World War. Europe was shocked by the Holocaust and the extermination of the Roma in Nazi Germany. In the United States, after loud protests by the black population in the 1950s and 1960s, the official ideology of the “melting pot” (a melting pot in which all the peoples living in the country are melted into a single nation of Americans) was replaced by the ideology of the “salad-bowl” (salad bowls). where all peoples are united within one country, but each retains its identity). Russian society should turn to this experience and move away from blind copying of already outdated Western models.

First of all, a deeper and more detailed study of culture is called upon to contribute to this. The ideas of humanism are practically nowhere formulated clearly, but the very spirit of justice and equality is imbued with almost all Russian literature. There are great traditions of humanism in painting (especially in the works of the Wanderers, whose focus was on the common man) and music (both in folk songs and in the classics - starting with the opera “Ivan Susanin” by M. I. Glinka). The study of the history of the Fatherland allows everyone to see the positive role that representatives of various nations played in it, and the idea of ​​consolidating all classes and social groups was clearly manifested in difficult moments in Russian history - such as the Time of Troubles or the Great Patriotic War. The media can play an important role in spreading these ideas, but the laws of the market often dictate very different editorial policies. A more complete study of other cultures will allow a Russian to understand a representative of a different nation, race, professing a different religion. The state can do a lot to preserve the humanistic traditions of Russian society. Free education and medicine prevent the disintegration of Russian society into estates and property groups; their preservation should remain a priority, although this does not meet the requirements of a market economy. A well-thought-out tax policy and an attentive attitude towards public sector employees will make it possible to reduce the income gap between representatives of different social groups that has become colossal. Strengthening the idea of ​​justice should contribute to the active fight against corruption. But even otherwise, Russian society is unlikely to face a final disintegration along national or class lines. Culture and the education system act as a factor cementing the society. For most ordinary Russians, the ideas of the value of human life, justice and equality are inalienable. There are still people who give to the poor and shame skinheads. The traditions of Russian philanthropy are alive - even if this charity is not entirely disinterested, such as, for example, the Triumph Prize established by B. Berezovsky or grants given to scientists. Russian school and university teachers have an important cultural mission. For the final eradication of the idea of ​​humanism in Russian society, more than one generation must be replaced. Such a scenario, in my opinion, is not feasible in Russia.