Sociocultural dynamics

Before the appearance of the concept of Pitirim Sorokin, reality in the social sciences was presented as something material, studied through research tools.

Sorokin calls such a picture of reality "too narrow and inadequate." According to the concept developed by him, sensory perception of the world is only one of the ways of knowing it. Reality is, by Sorokin's definition, "indefinite diversity." It is impossible to recognize this diversity using exclusively scientific methods:

The science of previous centuries clearly and implicitly showed a tendency to reduce reality either to matter or to what is perceived by our senses. Such a science either denied or had an agnostic relationship to any non-sensory reality. Currently, this concept of reality has already been largely rejected by all sciences as narrow and inadequate. It has already been supplanted by a wider and more adequate concept of absolute reality ... ^[1]

Aspects and forms of cognition of reality

According to Sorokin’s theory, reality includes many different aspects, among which the most important for a person are three: sensual, rational, and supersensible (intuitive). These aspects are mutually complementary, but not mutually exclusive. Understanding each of them requires an appropriate form of cognition:

... the first mistake is the illusion that there can be only one system of truth, and all three systems - sensual, rational and intuitive - are sources of reliable knowledge ... each of them, used for its intended purpose, gives us knowledge of one or another important aspect of objective reality, and not one of them can be considered completely false ... ^[2]

In turn, methods of cognition of various aspects of reality exist within the framework of various cultural forms. So, for the sensory aspect, this is scientific knowledge, for the rational aspect - philosophy, and for the supracinal (intuitive) religion. Sorokin’s concept suggests that the most complete study of reality is possible only with the optimal combination of all three modes of cognition.

Values

One of the basic concepts of the sociocultural concept of Pitirim Sorokin is the concept of value. Value is the foundation of any culture. A change in the value system leads to a change in the cultural and social systems that are transitioning to a new quality.

The model of sociocultural dynamics proposed by Sorokin is based on the principle of cyclical development of culture. Under this model, the history of civilization represents a change in cultural super-systems. The scientist identifies three types of super-systems, each of which corresponds to a certain phase of development of any culture:

• Ideational
• Sensual
• Idealistic

Each of these super systems is based on its own value system:

Ideal Supersystem

The basic values ​​of the ideational supersystem are God and the divine supersensible reality, religion. A state of theocratic type is taking shape, where priests form the upper strata of society. State law and ethical standards are based on religious precepts.

... ideational culture is uncreative in the field of science and technology, as it focuses its cognitive energy on the study of the Kingdom of God and the realization of values ​​during a brief earthly journey of man to eternity ...

An important feature of religious cultures of this kind is the neglect of “earthly values”. Household comfort does not matter, but asceticism is welcomed as the fulfillment of a duty to God. The art of an ideal society is completely religious. His themes are God and supersensible being, the atonement of sins and the salvation of the soul. Over time, the religious value system begins to decline and a transition to an idealistic super-system takes place.

Idealistic Super System

The idealistic cultural super-system, according to Sorokin, is a kind of synthesis of ideational and sensual super-systems. The core value of an idealistic culture is truth. The search for truth is carried out by a combination of supersensible and sensual methods of cognition. Religious inherently values ​​are embodied through rational knowledge. The structure of an ideal society based on idealistic culture is described in philosophical concepts. To such Sorokin includes the works of Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas:

... the idealistic system of truth occupies an intermediate link between the sensory and ideational systems and combines in its crucible the three distinctive elements of sensual, religious and rationalistic truth. The systems of Plato and Aristotle, Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas are the best examples of attempts to synthesize divine, sensual and dialectical truth in one whole ... ^[3]

Sensual Super System

The sensory super-system is based on the perception of reality through feelings and sensations. Religion in this phase loses its former meaning. Cognition of the world occurs through intelligence and rationality. The main value becomes a person. Of great importance within the framework of a sensory super-system is household comfort.

Although sensual society quite successfully makes many technological discoveries aimed at increasing the bodily comfort of sensual life, it does not succeed in developing effective techniques for transforming souls and “producing” the super-sensual values ​​of the Kingdom of God .... It mainly cares about sensual pleasures, values ​​of well-being, health , bodily comfort and thirst for power and glory ^[4]

The legal and ethical norms of society in the sensory phase of development, in contrast to ideational ones, are of a purely secular nature. They are created by people, so they can be revised and changed based on the needs of society.

Sensual law is a completely different picture ... Its purpose is exclusively utilitarian: preserving human life, protecting property and property, peace and order, happiness and prosperity of society as a whole and the ruling elite, which establishes and enforces sensory law, in particular. Its norms are relative, changeable and conditional ... Nothing eternal and holy is embedded in such a system of law ^[5]

The art of the sensory phase is the exact opposite of ideational art. The subject becomes a layman, an ordinary person in various life circumstances. The focus here is on the relationship of people, strong feelings, passions and emotions.

The theories of P. Sorokin provoked controversy and resulted in the Pitirim Sorokin in Review, published in 1963. The polemic of P. Sorokin with the scientist from Australia O. Anderle, who defended the paradigm of civilization as a system, while P. A. Sorokin did not consider systematicity as the basic quality of civilizations, can be considered distinctive. The theories of Sorokin are large-scale and complex, perhaps because of this A. Kreber reproaches P. Sorokin for abstraction. The idea of ​​religious reorganization of mankind is, in particular, the basis of the concept of P. Sorokin. In its origins and essence, this project can be considered similar to the ideas of classical theology. While theology, for the most part, determined the views of the author. Sorokin sees religion not as an institution or creed, but as the main system, while religion is formulated by society in the course of the historical process. The scientist is also reproached for the fact that when examining the history of various countries and peoples, the concepts of "Tatar" civilization or "Arab" civilization are used by the author in an abstract, descriptive sense. This also applies to other countries and peoples that have similar characteristics. The ideas of P. Sorokin from the pages of “Sociology of Revolution” were actively criticized and not accepted by the party of the Bolsheviks and V. I. Lenin himself. In particular, Sorokin pointed out the illusory nature of ideas that were broadcast during periods of revolution and believed that they have a disintegrating effect on society, arouse enmity, anger, and destruction in it. And in 1922, P. Sorokin was sent by train from Russia.

• Sorokin P. A. The main trends of our time: Per. from English.- M .: Nauka , 1997
• Sorokin P.A. Sociocultural dynamics // Man. Civilization. Society: Per. from English.- M .: Politizdat , 1992.
• Sorokin P. A. Review of cyclic concepts of the socio-historical process // Sociological Studies .