The Problem of Consciousness in the Context of Social and Philosophical Understanding of Modernity

Aim. To reflect the problematic field arising at the intersection of ontology and social theory, the overcoming of which is required for a philosophical understanding of modern social reality.

Methodology.  The research is based on the principles of dialectics and regulative rules of logical sociology. The creation of the article was preceded by methodical work with sources and a philosophical analysis of the language and key concepts associated with the study of consciousness. The introduction of visualization into theoretical constructions is carried out by referring to phenomenological examples. The hypothetical-deductive style of reasoning in this work is determined by the need to detect conceptual triggers and to highlight the problematic facets of the philosophy of mind in the context of the analysis of modern society.

Results. The article raises the problem of the influence of the way of life of the modern post-industrial society on the consciousness of people. A preliminary terminological analysis of concepts related to the philosophy of consciousness and necessary for solving conceptual problems in the field of understanding the cognitive factors of the existence of social reality is carried out. Starting from the idea of “an organ of common feeling” and up to the theory of “single working space”, the genesis of the formation of the semantic content of the concept of consciousness as a synthetic ability that forms the integrity and coherence of mental experience is considered at key points. The main difficulties of understanding what consciousness is in the context of general scientific and socio-philosophical knowledge, such as the lack of a comprehensive theory of information and the nature of subjective experience, are touched upon. In this regard, attention will be especially focused on the socio-political consequences of extrapolation of the conclusions of the supporters of computer functionalism for social practice. Ultimately, the authors seek to emphasize the importance of further developing the understanding of the dialectics of individual and social consciousness in the new realities of the modern world.

Research implications. Classically, the problem of consciousness is a subject lying in the field of ontology and epistemology. In this article, we reflected its acute socio-philosophical aspect, which cannot be ignored when comprehending modern social reality.

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