Features of building an industrial society in modern times. World History: The Formation of Industrial Society

IN modern social science The theoretical and methodological approach has become widespread, according to which various countries in their evolutionary development such general stages, as pre-industrial (primitive, agrarian), industrial and post-industrial (information).

This approach, called historical-technological or modernization, is characterized by the idea of ​​the leading role in social progress of such factors as the development of technology and life-support technologies.

Modern theories of industrial society are, in fact, a type of technological determinism. According to D. Bell, depending on what production technologies are implemented by society in world history, three main types of social organization can be distinguished: pre-industrial, industrial and post-industrial.

So, an industrial society is a type of society whose economy is characterized by complete industrialization, which means the creation of large, technically developed industry and, above all, industries producing tools and means of production (i.e., heavy industries) as the basis and leading sector of the country's economy. Industrialization ensures the transformation of the entire economic sphere on the basis of large-scale industrial production and the predominance of the industrial sector with developed machine production over the agricultural sector.

At the same time, corresponding social and political public structures are being formed. Establishment of the industrial technological structure as dominant in all public spheres accompanied by 1) a significant reduction in the share of people employed in agriculture (up to 3-5%) and an increase in the share of people employed in industry (up to 50-60%), as well as in the service sector (up to 40-45%); 2) intensive urbanization; 3) the formation of national centralized states based on a common culture; 4) establishment of political rights and freedoms; 5) the spread of universal literacy and the formation of national educational systems; 6) rapid development of science and technology; 7) an increase in the level of consumption in conditions of mass production of goods; changing the structure of working and free time - the formation of a “consumer society”, etc. The formation of an industrial society was directly related to the industrial revolution (industrial revolution).

The term “industrial revolution” was introduced into scientific circulation by the famous French economist J. Blanqui. The main content of the industrial revolution is the transition from manufacturing production to machine factory production, which was accompanied by the rapid development of productive forces on the basis of a large machine industry, a sharp increase in labor productivity, and an increase in the living standards of the population. The Industrial Revolution is associated not just with the beginning of the mass use of machines, but also with a change in the entire structure social system.

At the same time, capitalism, based on private property, wage labor, a free market, and the political dominance of the class of private owners of the means of production, is established as the dominant mode of production. The industrial revolution is associated with a production revolution in agriculture, which causes a sharp increase labor productivity in the agricultural sector, and also provides the opportunity to move significant masses of the population from the agricultural sector to the industrial sector. For the first time in world history, the industrial revolution began in England, where in the second half of the 18th century. The steam engine was invented.

In conditions already quite developed by this time market relations and the vigorous activity of the established entrepreneurial layer, English society turned out to be prepared for the widespread introduction of this effective technical invention into production. In addition, owning colonies and leading world trade, England had large financial resources necessary for industrialization. The transformation of English society from a traditional, agrarian one into an industrial society was also facilitated by the traditions of the Protestant work ethic, and a liberal political system conducive to the development of economic activity of the population. In 1810, there were about 5 thousand steam engines in England, and in the next 15 years their number tripled.

From 1830 to 1847, metal production in England increased more than 3 times. It should be noted that although the beginning of the industrial revolution in England dates back to the 18th century, a full-fledged industrial society was formed here only in the 19th century. and other countries have already followed England. So, starting in the 18th century. in England, the industrial revolution already in the first half of the 19th century. has become widespread, covering a number of countries in Europe and America. In modern social science, the concept of “industrial society” is closely related to the concept of “modernization”, by which some scientists understood the process of “Europeanization” or “Westernization”, i.e. direct borrowing of the achievements of advanced Western countries (where an industrial society has already developed) by others, less developed countries.

But along with this, more broad understanding modernization, according to which modernization as an objective process of formation and development of an industrial society initially took place in Western Europe, and the rest of the countries, with more or less delay, simply repeat the path that has already been traversed by Western countries. The American sociologist N. Smelser drew attention to the fact that the term “modernization” means a complex set of changes occurring in almost every part of society in the process of its industrialization: in economics, politics, education, in the sphere of traditions and religious life of society.

If, for example, N. Smelser, W. Rostow and many other researchers considered industrialization as the main process in modernization, then other scientists interpreted modernization, first of all, as the process of the formation of capitalist socio-economic relations. Eisenstadt and other scholars defined modernization as the process of change that leads to the types of social, economic and political systems that developed in Western Europe and North America between the 17th and 19th centuries. and then spread to all countries and continents. Western countries embarked on the path of modernization a long time ago and therefore have made significant progress along it, while all other countries have to follow this path with some delay, as if catching up with the leaders of the world modernization process.

Accordingly, in last years In the literature, the concepts of “organic” and “inorganic” (or “catch-up”) modernization have become widespread. “Organic” modernization, associated with the natural internal development of capitalism and the formation of an industrial society, is characteristic of leading west European countries. “Inorganic”, “catch-up” modernization is, as a rule, a response to the challenge of other countries that are more powerful economically and militarily. It is in the context of this concept of “catch-up modernization” that the features of Russian modernization and the specifics of the formation of an industrial society in our country are often considered.

The “catch-up” type of modernization is characterized by a more compressed historical period of implementation, selective borrowing of organizational and technical achievements of advanced countries and at the same time the conservation of a number of traditional social structures, resulting in a kind of “overlap of eras” (industrial and pre-industrial). At the same time, modernization is accompanied by the approval of a heterogeneous economic space, overexertion of all forces of the country, exacerbation of social and political problems, excessive strengthening of the role government regulation. According to a number of researchers, the catching-up model of the formation of an industrial society in Russia was largely due to the fact that, due to the large territorial extent of the country, as well as a fairly long expansion of borders, the process of its extensive agrarian colonization dragged on.

Therefore, in Russia, in the conditions of incomplete extensive agrarian development of society, an accelerated process of its industrial transformation began. This led to incomplete and uneven industrial transformations in different areas economy, and, in general, to a multi-structured economy of the country. In the process of formation of Russian industrial society, it is obviously possible to distinguish such historical periods as 1) the period of emergence of prerequisites for industrial revolution, 2) the industrial revolution itself, 3) unfinished pre-revolutionary industrialization at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, 4) industrialization completed under the conditions of the Soviet socialist system. TO Russian history second half of the 19th century century, which is discussed in this lecture, refers to the period of the industrial revolution. The prerequisites for the industrial revolution took shape in Russia from the mid-18th century. in connection with scientific and technical achievements, as well as in connection with the emergence of such important elements of the capitalist structure as the initial accumulation of capital and the formation of the wage market work force.

However, the serfdom that existed in Russia restrained these processes. The industrial revolution in Russia, according to most researchers, began at the end. 30's - early 40s XIX century, i.e. later than in Western Europe (in England, for example, it began in the 60s of the 18th century, and in France - at the beginning of the 19th century). In the history of the Russian industrial revolution, as a rule, two stages are distinguished: the first stage (pre-reform) covers the 30-50s. XIX century, and the second stage (post-reform) - 60-80s. XIX century An essential criterion for the completion of the industrial revolution, i.e. completion, basically, technical update industry is considered to be a situation where more than half of the total industrial products produced by enterprises that are equipped with machines and engines that drive these machines.

In Russia, such a situation arose in the 80s. XIX century It should be noted that, in contrast to Western countries, where, as a result of bourgeois revolutions, a revolution in agrarian industrial relations, and only then - the industrial revolution; in Russia, on the contrary, the industrial revolution preceded the bourgeois-democratic revolution and the agrarian-capitalist revolution. A special feature of the industrial revolution in Russia was that it was accomplished in more short time than in the countries of Western Europe (England spent about 100 years, France - 70 years), since Russia had the opportunity to borrow advanced equipment, progressive ideas and technologies from Western countries. Machinery equipment was imported to Russia from England, Belgium and other European countries. At the same time, domestic mechanical engineering was also emerging, for example, in St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. New forms of production organization were primarily introduced in light industry, for example, in textiles, and then gradually covered other industries.

At the same time, the technical re-equipment of industry was carried out, the widespread introduction of various engines and advanced technologies into production, due to which the use of manual labor was sharply reduced. Since the industrial revolution in Russia began under the dominance of a feudal economy, a number of factors restrained its pace and caused uneven distribution industrial enterprises throughout the country and prevented the rapid formation of large entrepreneurial capital. Under conditions of serfdom in pre-reform Russia, despite the beginning of the industrial revolution, new social class strata characteristic of capitalist society - the industrial bourgeoisie and the industrial proletariat - were formed relatively slowly. The market for hired labor in Russia at the first stage of the industrial revolution could have developed mainly only at the expense of state and serf peasants who went to work.

Unlike Western European workers, Russian workers depended not only on entrepreneurs, but also on their owners or on the community that sent them out to earn money. A characteristic feature of the process of formation of an industrial society in Russia was that the industrial revolution took place with the active participation of the state, both directly, through government orders and investments public funds, and indirectly - through protectionist tariffs, for example. The transition to the second stage of the industrial revolution in Russia is associated with peasant reform 1861, which abolished serfdom and thereby removed many obstacles to the formation of an industrial society in the country.

The peasant reform of 1861 is considered as a progressive event in Russian history, which marked the beginning of the accelerated modernization of the country, that is, the transition from an agrarian to an industrial society. In the post-reform period, the process of formation of an industrial society in Russia continued under much more favorable conditions. "Great Reforms" of the second half of the 19th century. many researchers define it as the boundary between traditional (agrarian) and modern (industrial) society.

The classic characteristic of industrial society suggests that it is formed as a result of the development of machine production and the emergence of new forms of mass labor organization. Historically, this stage corresponded to the social situation in Western Europe in 1800-1960.

general characteristics

The generally accepted characteristics of an industrial society include several fundamental features. What are they? First, an industrial society is based on developed industry. It has a division of labor that helps increase productivity. An important feature is competition. Without it, the description of industrial society would be incomplete.

Capitalism leads to the fact that it is actively growing entrepreneurial activity brave and enterprising people. At the same time, civil society is developing, as well as the state management system. It becomes more efficient and more complex. Industrial society It is impossible to imagine without modern means of communication, urbanized cities and a high quality of life for the average citizen.

Technology development

Any characteristic of an industrial society, in short, includes such a phenomenon as the industrial revolution. It was she who allowed Great Britain to cease being an agricultural country for the first time in human history. When the economy begins to rely not on the cultivation of agricultural crops, but on new industry, the first shoots of an industrial society appear.

At the same time, a noticeable redistribution occurs labor resources. The labor force leaves agriculture and goes to the cities to work in factories. Up to 15% of the state’s residents remain in the agricultural sector. The growth of the urban population also contributes to the revival of trade.

In production, entrepreneurial activity becomes the main factor. The presence of this phenomenon is a characteristic of industrial society. Briefly this relationship was first described by the Austrian and American economist Joseph Schumpeter. On this path, society at a certain moment experiences a scientific and technological revolution. After this, the post-industrial period begins, which already corresponds to modernity.

Free society

With the advent of industrialization, society becomes socially mobile. This allows people to break the boundaries that exist under the traditional order characteristic of the Middle Ages and the agricultural economy. The boundaries between classes are blurring in the state. Caste disappears in them. In other words, people can get rich and become successful thanks to their efforts and skills, without looking back at their own origins.

The characteristic of an industrial society is a significant economic growth, which occurs due to an increase in the number of highly qualified specialists. In society, in the first place are technicians and scientists who determine the future of the country. This order is also called technocracy or the power of technology. The work of traders, advertising specialists and other people occupying a special position in the social structure becomes more significant and significant.

The folding of nation states

Scientists have determined that the main characteristics of an industrial society boil down to the fact that industrial society becomes dominant in all areas of life from culture to economy. Along with urbanization and changes in social stratification comes the emergence of nation states built around a common language. The unique culture of the ethnic group also plays a large role in this process.

In the medieval agricultural society The national factor was not so significant. In the Catholic kingdoms of the 14th century, belonging to one or another feudal lord was much more important. Even armies existed on the principle of hiring. And only in the 19th century the principle of national recruitment into the state armed forces was finally formed.

Demography

The demographic situation is changing. What are the characteristics of an industrial society hidden here? Signs of change boil down to a decrease in the birth rate in one average family. People devote more time to their own education, standards in relation to the presence of offspring are changing. All this affects the number of children in one classic “unit of society.”

But at the same time, the mortality rate is also falling. This is due to the development of medicine. Doctors' services and medicines are becoming more accessible to a wider segment of the population. Life expectancy increases. More people die in old age than in young people (for example, from disease or war).

Consumer society

The enrichment of people in the industrial era led to the emergence of the desire to buy and acquire as much as possible. Emerges new system values, which is built around the importance of material goods.

The term was coined by the German sociologist Erich Fromm. In this context, he emphasized the importance of reducing working hours, increasing the proportion of free time, and blurring the boundaries between classes. This is the characteristic of an industrial society. The table shows the main features of this period of human development.

Mass culture

The classic characteristic of an industrial society by spheres of life is that consumption increases in each of them. Production begins to focus on the standards determined by the so-called This phenomenon is one of the most striking signs of an industrial society.

What is it? Mass culture formulates the basic psychological attitudes of consumer society in the industrial era. Art becomes accessible to everyone. It, wittingly or unwittingly, promotes certain norms of behavior. They can be called fashion or lifestyle. In the West, the rise of mass culture was accompanied by its commercialization and the creation of show business.

John Galbraith's theory

Industrial society was carefully studied by many scientists of the 20th century. One of outstanding economists in this series is John Galbraith. He substantiated several fundamental laws with the help of which the characteristics of industrial society are formulated. No less than 7 provisions of his theory have become fundamental for new trends of our time.

Galbraith believed that the development of industrial society led not only to the establishment of capitalism, but also to the creation of monopolies. Large corporations in economic conditions free markets amass wealth and absorb competitors. They control production, trade, capital, as well as progress in science and technology.

Strengthening the economic role of the state

An important characteristic according to John Galbraith's theory is that in a country with such a system of relationships, the state increases its intervention in the economy. Before this, in the agrarian era of the Middle Ages, the authorities simply did not have the resources to radically influence the market. In an industrial society the situation is completely opposite.

The economist, in his own way, noted the development of technology in the new era. By this term he meant the application of systematized new knowledge in production. The demands lead to the triumph of corporations and the state in the economy. This is due to the fact that they become the owners of unique scientific production developments.

At the same time, Galbraith believed that under industrial capitalism the capitalists themselves had lost their former influence. Now having money did not mean power and importance at all. Instead of owners, scientific and technical specialists come to the fore, who can offer new modern inventions and production techniques. This is the characteristic of an industrial society. According to Galbraith's plan, the former working class is being eroded under these conditions. The strained relations between proletarians and capitalists are fading away thanks to technological progress and equalization of incomes for graduates.

TOPIC 11. REFORMES AND REFORMERS IN RUSSIA in the 19th century.

The nineteenth century is called the “century of capitalism and industrial civilization”, “the century of rationalism and revolutions”, “the century of civilization and culture”. This century developed under the sign of two revolutions - the Great French and English Industrial Revolutions.

An industrial society is characterized by:

The rapid rise of productive forces, the growth of mechanization, automation and concentration of production, the spread of machine systems closely linked into one technological chain - not only at an individual enterprise, but also across the country, a number of countries (international monopolies);

Rapid recovery of weapons (smokeless powder, long-range artillery, armored ships, aircraft, tanks, etc.);

Transforming natural sciences into productive force(the appearance of steam engines, internal combustion engines, electricity, etc.);

Attempts by some humanities (Marxism) to influence the historical process;

The colonial division of the world and the emergence of huge colonial empires. What was new was not only that the European countries almost completely divided the colonial periphery among themselves, but also that the colonies became the object of investment of European and North American capital, as they provided cheap raw materials, cheap labor and guaranteed profits;

IN social sphere– formation of the class of industrial bourgeoisie and proletariat; the confrontation between the bourgeoisie and wage workers as the main classes of capitalist society; the tendency towards the disintegration of the peasantry into entrepreneurs and wage workers;

IN political sphere– establishment and spread of bourgeois democracy; formation of republics or constitutional monarchies;

Growing homogeneity of society on a national and global scale, creating conditions for economic crises, including world ones;

Crisis of ideas of humanism; “a “machineized” standardized mass culture, devoid of national differences, broke with the heritage of the era of humanism, which increasingly became an industrialized anti-culture, arose;

Increasing the importance of non-religious ideologies - as justifying the existing course historical process(liberalism, positivism), and alternatives to it (Marxism). The main bearer of the alternative ideology was the intelligentsia, which contributed to the transformation of the crowd into conscious masses of people.

In the 19th century everything in Europe begins to move, the appearance of the continent is transformed in a matter of decades. By the middle of the century, it became obvious that all the main events defining the history of mankind took place in European countries and in the United States, which were experiencing a period of stable industrial growth. In 1830, England produced 50% metal, 100% machinery, being the “workshop of the world.” In the 1870-1880s. The USA and Germany, having modernized production, will overtake it. It is at this time that a division into developed and underdeveloped countries will appear. To developed countries, i.e. The countries of the “first echelon” of capitalist development will include the states of Western (with the exception of the Pyrenees) and partly Central Europe, as well as Scandinavia. They were distinguished by a relatively early and organic, mainly influenced by internal factors, maturation of capitalism, minimal remnants of a traditional society, strong liberal traditions and parliamentary democracy. About economic power These countries were evidenced, in particular, by a doubling of GDP from 1800 to 1870, despite a significant increase in population. On the other hand, the demographic explosion of 1800-1850, when the population of England tripled, Norway, Sweden, and Holland doubled, stimulated economic growth. The development of such means of communication as water transport and railways (from 1844 to the end of the century the network railways in Europe will increase 99 times), will lead to increased trade and population migration.



The rest of Europe will be classified as underdeveloped countries, or “second-tier” countries, which are characterized by a “catching-up type of development.” Its distinctive features: active implantation of elements of capitalism by the state; rapid and spasmodic development with omission or rearrangement of individual phases of development; the preservation of significant remnants of feudalism; conflict in social relations within the country.

Economic and social change entailed political modernization. From 1815 to 1848, Europe experienced three major revolutionary crises, during which the main trends in the development of the social movement were formed: moderate liberal, radical democratic and socialist. The first was represented by the upper and middle classes, the second by the middle and petty bourgeoisie, the third by the proletariat and the intelligentsia (some scientists call this social stratum intellectuals). The bourgeoisie sought to find a compromise with both the aristocracy and the lower classes. As a result, elements of civil society and representative democracy became established in some countries. At the same time, the thinking part of society increasingly asked itself: “In what way – revolutionary or reformatory – is capitalism capable of achieving renewal and transformation, and is it capable of this at all?” Attempts to answer this question led to the birth of socialist teachings, the creation of international socialist organizations - the First (1864) and Second (1889) Internationals, the formation of socialist parties that enjoyed the greatest influence in Germany and France and became a kind of alternative to governments.

Characteristic feature European development XIX century became the formation of a national ideology and national movements. The national idea was embodied in the creation of independent states, such as Germany and Italy, in the movement for autonomy and self-determination of the peoples inhabiting Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia. Thanks to the national liberation struggle, independent states emerged - Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria. In general, national interests determined the entire course international relations from the second half of the 19th century. In the USA as a result of the Civil War of 1861-1865. Slavery was abolished and a period of radical economic transformation began in the southern states.

During this period, the main countries of the periphery (in the future - “ developing countries") were colonies or semi-colonies of mainly European states. They could not resist European expansion and were subjected to predatory exploitation. The colonies made up 55% of the land, 70% of their population lived in British possessions, 10% in French, 2% in German. In many of them, processes of deindustrialization and deurbanization were underway, wars of independence broke out, popular uprisings against the colonialists, and military coups took place. From 1800 to 1870, the per capita GDP of Brazil, Mexico, China, India, Indonesia and Egypt decreased by 10-12%. A number of countries “deprived” of colonies, during the transition to an industrial society, sought to redistribute the world. It turned out that the very fact of the existence of the colonial system pushed people towards world cataclysms.

The progress of industrial society became especially noticeable towards the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. The fact that the world was entering a new era was announced by the natural science revolution: the discovery of the electron and radioactivity, the emergence of quantum mechanics, and the theory of relativity. It provided, first of all, a breakthrough to sustainable and rapid economic progress while simultaneously restructuring the economy. In 1870-1900 global industrial production increased 4 times.

At the same time, fundamental social changes occurred. The center of public life moved from the village to the city. If in 1830 25% of the population of England, 60% of Italy, 70% of Prussia, 90% of Spain were associated with agriculture, then by 1900 the urban population equaled or exceeded the rural one. The way of life changed - cars, trams, subways, telephones, cinema appeared, the life of citizens became more comfortable, and the pace of life accelerated. At the same time, progress gave rise to new contradictions in the economic, social, political and military spheres, creating the ground for more and more conflicts between countries. These contradictions somewhat weakened the state of euphoria from the endless possibilities of the human mind in which Western civilization found itself at the beginning of the twentieth century.

It was in the 19th century. There will be a clear division of Europe into West and East. A number of European countries of the “second echelon” (for example, Austria, Prussia) will gravitate towards the West and by the end of the 19th century. are incorporated into it. This will not happen to Russia; it will become a kind of symbol of the East on the European continent.

The era of traditional society sooner or later comes into decline. It is being replaced by a new type of society - industrial, the basis of which is technical progress.

Industrial society is a society formed in the process and as a result of the rapid development of machine production. Industry becomes the leading branch of production in an industrial society.

The impetus for the development of industrial society was the scientific and technological revolution, which contributed to the mechanization and automation of production.

Prerequisites for the formation of an industrial society

Industrial society, as a new socio-economic formation, began its journey in the first half of the 19th century. Its formation is due to serious changes in various fields people's lives - political, cultural, economic.

Changes in the political sphere include the collapse of empires and the emergence of national states, the democratization of the political system. The following changes have occurred in the cultural sphere:

  • increase in population literacy;
  • development of science and media;
  • strengthening the role of natural sciences and technical sciences;
  • weakening of the influence of the church on society.

The main change in economic sphere The vital activity of society is the capitalization of production, due to the development of entrepreneurial activity.

The features of an industrial society include

  • redistribution of the workload of the labor force: more people start working in production, the number of people employed in agriculture is decreasing;
  • influx of population into cities – urbanization;
  • increasing the level of literacy of the population;
  • increasing the rate of production due to the mechanization of enterprises and the principle of division of labor;
  • the emergence of private property and a competitive market.

Consequences of industrialization of society

Like any other process, the formation of an industrial society has both negative and positive consequences.

Negative consequences include the alternation of periods of growth and development with periods of recession and crisis - a feature of market relations; harm to the environment is the result of increased industrial production (pollution of territories and irrational use of natural resources).

Positive consequences: improving people's quality of life; mechanization of production, allowing to reduce physical activity; the emergence of developed infrastructure; constant development of science and technology, introduction of new scientific achievements into life.

Industrial society is not the last stage of human development. After it, the time of post-industrial society will come, in which information plays a big role. What will follow is anyone's guess.

The formation of industrial society occurred unevenly throughout the 20th century. different regions and is associated with scientific and technological revolution. The USA entered this stage in 1914 - 1929, Western Europe in the 3050s, Japan in the 50s - 60s, when productive labor began to be combined with scientific knowledge and the creation of the technical, economic and sociocultural base of industrial society took place, industrial society has various socio-economic options (“bourgeois”, “socialist”, a combination of “traditional” and “modern” and others).

general characteristics industrial society was given by K. Marx. Its essence: there is industrial production associated with constantly developing technology, new goods are being produced, and a service sector is being created. All this played a huge civilizational role. As a result, there was a breakdown social structures traditional society, new social relations emerged, a new way of life, rhythm of work, discipline, expansion of literacy and horizons. However, the development and functioning of industrial society are fundamentally different under capitalism and socialism.

An industrial society is characterized by the predominance of accumulated labor over living labor. Accumulated labor takes the form of means of production (or capital): tools, machines, technologies, land, resources - and is secured in the form of property (private, state, cooperative or public). Hence the importance of the institution of property, which is supported by all economic, political and legal system of this society. The labor is mostly skilled and highly specialized. The person himself functions as a bearer of such partial labor as a worker (or entrepreneur), and the remaining components of his existence are separated from the production process. Developed commodity production means high degree division of labor and specialization of production functions. But such a division requires as a necessary complement either a market or a coherent social system of regulation.

A developed industrial society requires an appropriate political system; in a normal state it is democracy. To maintain it, adequate spiritual support in the form of a system of norms and values ​​is necessary.

Law plays a vital role in maintaining the existing order. Basic principles legal order are: 1) the subject of the law and order - an isolated individual seeking private benefit through “fair competition”; 2) freedom and equality of opportunity provided by commodity-exchange relations; 3) recognition of each individual’s right to life, liberty and property, which constitutes a relationship of personal independence, and the guarantee of this independence is private property.

The most important values ​​of a bourgeois industrial society are: 1) individualism: a person is the bearer of universally significant values ​​and bears responsibility for them, there is a priority of individual rights, his freedom, independence from the state (although this leads to inhumanity, antisociality, and anti-democraticism); 2) rationalism: reason is the main judge in all conflicts; 3) mechanism: the world is represented by a mechanism, God is its watchmaker, and as a result a mechanical model of the world arises; 4) naturalism: they try to explain the whole world by nature; 5) achievement and success, without ignoring morality: the requirement of “fair play” according to the rules; 6) private property as the basis of all rights; 7) law as a universal regulator; 8) activity and work, the consequence of which is the mobility of social relations, technologies, and spiritual life; 9) consumerism; 10) universalism: Western values ​​are transferred to other cultures; 11) faith in progress and respect for science and technology.

A developed industrial society attaches special importance to technology, even to the point of technocracy. The reasons for this are: 1) in society, accumulated labor prevails over living labor; 2) without technology it is impossible to achieve the level of production and consumption achieved in other countries; 3) in conditions of national rivalry, more technically developed countries can dictate their will to less developed ones; 4) spiritual, historical and cultural factors.

The Renaissance introduced into consciousness the idea of ​​man as an active creator, transformer of the world, and the Age of Enlightenment introduced the idea of ​​the active role of reason in comprehending reality and transforming it.

Social connections in bourgeois society are based on the social and class stratification of society. There are deep tensions between the division of labor or the increasing differences between different parts of society and the need to maintain interaction and unity. This problem is solved by the market with a system of commodity-money circulation with the necessary additions of law, state and bureaucracy.

Other social connections are subordinate to the main one, but introduce specificity (religious, group, ethnic). Bourgeois society was influenced by Protestantism, evolving Catholicism, and then secular regulators of economic ethics acted to an increasing extent.

The prestige of entrepreneurship was high, and the national orientation of business activities was emphasized. As religion lost its importance as an integrating principle, the unity of society increasingly took shape as a national one on the basis of civil legal regulation.

In industrial society, the main carrier of culture was language; For such a society, national cultures are important, not world ones. The growth of nations and nationalism led to two world wars. The growth of enlightenment led to democracy. Protestantism marked the beginning of mass society: the need to read the Bible led to universal literacy and a common language. Education provided horizontal mobility and facilitated vertical cultural rapprochement. The main trend in culture was the development of education. In ideology, art, and philosophy, realism grew in place of the mythological and religious worldview, illusions were overcome, and utilitarianism grew (the symbol of success is money).

In bourgeois society, sociocultural contradictions have matured, the most important of which are: 1) social and spiritual alienation; 2) colonialism; 3) antagonism between man and technology; 4) environmental crisis.

As a result, a crisis of classical culture arose. It embraced both secular-educational trends in artistic culture and religious forms of spirituality. Even during its heyday, classical artistic culture remained the privilege of fairly educated people with a position in society. Education provided the key to mastering and understanding almost any type of literature and art; personal effort was necessary to master it. For the broad masses, meanings, norms and orientations were provided by the church. Folk culture was preserved in a greatly weakened state, as remnants of the mythological and magical layer of the previous culture.

At the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries, classical culture was replaced by decadence. The art of decadence is characterized by pessimism and denial of the meaning of life, a statement of the futility of human aspirations, admiration of the motives of decay and death, attempts to find a form of escape from life in refined aesthetics. The cult of beauty was combined in decadence with immorality and extreme pessimism.