Scientific and technological revolution. Scientific and technological progress in the second half of the 20th - early 21st century Scientific and technological progress and socio-political thought

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Questions

• What changes will technology in the 21st century bring about in our lives?
• What threatens society with the destruction of the natural environment?
• Scientific and technological progress - good or bad?

Today, when the century is drawing to a close, we have the opportunity to summarize the results of philosophical and sociological thought and to identify, based on an analysis of the works of philosophers and sociologists, the main factors that determined the course of events and the spiritual atmosphere of the time. This is all the more important because these factors have not lost their effectiveness so far, and the influence of many of them has increased.

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL PROGRESS

The unprecedented progress of science and technology largely determined the unique originality of the 20th century. The consequences of scientific and technological progress can be traced literally in all spheres of life. modern man. It is generally accepted that the development of science and technology in the XX century. showed an unprecedented revolution, as a result of which science became a decisive part of technology, both industrial and any other. Thus, we can talk about technological revolution. The essence of the latter is seen in the large-scale application and dissemination of technologies based on the latest theoretical achievements. The technology itself has become the most valuable product. The current situation can only be described with a slight exaggeration as follows: "Who owns the most advanced technology in terms of science and technology, he owns everything."

In the XX century. found its full realization the process of transformation of science from the form of knowledge of the laws of the universe into the main means

world transformation based on his knowledge. The position of science today is radically different from previous eras, when the scientist was perceived as a lone eccentric, solving the mysteries of nature with greedy curiosity. modern science research teams (which, however, does not exclude the role of the individual creator), are organized according to universal principles, and everyone is related to technologies and their application. New technologies have radically changed the world of man and the very nature of his being. In addition, they turned human activity into one of the intra-natural factors (for example, into a geological factor), the power of which is comparable, and sometimes exceeds the forces of nature itself. Many natural processes now do not proceed in the same way as they could proceed in the absence of human activity. Man has become a geological force on a planetary scale.

At the origins of the technological revolution lay scientific revolution late XIX - early XX century. During this period, a number of outstanding discoveries were made that radically changed the ideas about the laws of nature and the face of science itself. The scientific revolution gave rise to non-classical (post-classical) science, which differs from the previous type of scientific knowledge in a number of essential characteristics. The latter is now perceived as classic.

Classical science arose from the 17th century. It was based on the methods of classical mechanics developed by I. Newton and mathematical natural science in general, based on the achievements of mathematics by R. Descartes, G. Leibniz and others. This type of scientific knowledge assumed a certain picture of the world, which from the standpoint of non-classical (modern) must be recognized as simplified. Let us pay attention to some of its features - this issue will be considered in more detail later.

Firstly, the picture of the world of classical science assumed the dominance in nature of unambiguous and definite laws - dynamic - and paid almost no attention to statistical (probabilistic) laws. Secondly, it was based on the premise of the possibility of complete exclusion (elimination) of the subject, i.e. man, from the object of knowledge - the conceivability of nature in such a way, "as if there were no man." Thirdly, it proceeded from the understanding of man himself as a purely or predominantly rational being - the role of the irrational, dark principle in man was not fully known and was not taken into account. The picture of the world of classical science created the basis for the belief in the achievability of the absolute triumph of scientific reason, the belief that all social and human problems would soon be solved through the development of science. During several centuries of its development, classical science has enriched human thought with a number of brilliant achievements in the most diverse branches of knowledge.

postclassical science did not reject the achievements of scientific classics, although at first it seemed that we are talking about the destruction of the very foundation of the former scientific knowledge. However, it soon became clear that it was necessary to talk about a radical expansion of scientific horizons, about a significant complication scientific picture of the world. From the second half of the XIX century. series follows scientific discoveries, which marked the formation of a new, different from the classical type of scientific knowledge.

One of the first in this series was the creation by J. Maxwell of the theory of the electromagnetic field, which required the introduction of some fundamentally new provisions into the foundations of physics. This was followed by discoveries related to the detection of radioactivity (A. Becquerel, M. Sklodowska-Curie, and others), which later led to the creation of M. Planck's quantum theory. Quantum theory has introduced physics into a peculiar world of elementary particles, the laws of which are striking in their unusualness and strangeness in comparison with the laws of classical physics. The creation by A. Einstein of the theory of relativity, which postulated the constancy of the speed of light and the possibility of accelerating and slowing down the flow of time, strengthened confidence in the unusual (non-classical) theses of the new science. To this should be added the revision of the foundations of mathematics, which led to the creation of set theory, as well as the development of a new logic, essentially different from that which was laid down by Aristotle and existed without major changes for more than two millennia. New theories made it possible to give a physical interpretation of the non-Euclidean geometry of G. Riemann and N. Lobachevsky, whose ideas cannot but look surprising when compared with the usual geometry of Euclid.

Panorama of scientific achievements of the first decades of the XX century. is not exhausted, of course, by the named discoveries. It is no coincidence that the most extensive literature is devoted to the dramatic events in the scientific world of that time. However, these are enough to draw a conclusion about the novelty and unusualness - non-classical - of the new science. Over the course of subsequent time, these achievements were developed and enriched, comprehended from different angles of view. Soon, many of them brought their practical results, embodied in a variety of technical devices.

By the age of 40 conditions are ripe for the transformation of what was previously only theoretical calculations into material form of technical achievements. This period includes the formation of electronics, which led to the creation of the first computers, the use of radar, remote control and automation, the creation of nuclear weapons and the beginning of work on thermonuclear weapons, the development of projects for the peaceful use of atomic energy, experimental jet aircraft, including those with supersonic speed, the widespread introduction of radio , the first steps of television and much more.

Technological revolution of the XX century. was a continuation and qualitative development industrial revolution XIX century. The first stage of the technological revolution is associated with automation production processes. Automation has become a fundamentally new step compared to mechanization, which was feature industrial revolution of the past. Mechanization meant the replacement of the muscular energy of man and animals with the energy of machines. Steam and then electric machines back in the 19th century. allowed the creation of a large industry. Automation was the next step on this path. Now a person has got the opportunity not only to use the energy of machines instead of muscular, but also to create and use specific working bodies of machines, largely replacing the human hand. The process of automation went especially intensively after the Second World War, starting from the end of the 1940s and 1950s.

The next step in the technological revolution was informatization. Informatization is associated with the widespread introduction of computers and computer networks in conjunction with perfect means of communication. The computer has become a unique means of automating intellectual activity. If all the previous means of automation concerned only the sphere material labor, facilitated the work of the hands, but not the head, then computer and information technologies directly affected the intellectual sphere. As a result of the changes that have taken place, information capabilities have not only increased many times over, but have become incomparable with the pre-computer era.

The importance of the information revolution was realized in the 70s and 80s. Since that time, the importance of information has sharply increased as a powerful means of influencing social processes and a person. The introduction of satellite communications and other methods of disseminating information dramatically increases the capabilities of radio and television, including their impact on the mass consciousness, and, consequently, on the direction and course of social processes. The struggle for control of the media becomes part of political struggle which is conducted both within the country and in the international arena. However, informatization has made it impossible for individual countries to exist in isolation; the desire to isolate oneself from the processes taking place outside the country has become completely unrealizable.

The brilliant achievements of science and technology have significantly changed the face of the world and man. The consequences of the technological revolution are manifold. It is obvious that technical power has opened up wide opportunities for spiritual development in the most diverse directions. However, as it turns out, technology by itself does not automatically entail progress in the spiritual, moral and cultural fields. Rather, it is the case that scientific and technological achievements are complicating factor spiritual situation, which since the XX century. becomes much more diverse and confusing compared to previous eras. The power of technology raises many acute problems that need to be solved. Suffice it to name the problem of nuclear safety and environmental threat. They are only an integral part of a whole complex of problems that are well known today.

The social significance of technology is so obvious that it is not disputed by any of the philosophers of the 20th century. Differences between philosophical directions are associated with differences in evaluation this role. Some thinkers assess this role as extremely positive, linking high hopes with the progress of technology. This view should be characterized as technocratic. Another part of the thinkers approaches the assessment of the role of technology more cautiously, pointing not only to the advantages created by scientific and technological progress, but also to the dangers. This view should be classified as humanitarian. Representatives of the humanitarian approach express concern not only about the problems generated by scientific and technological progress (such as nuclear and environmental), but mainly about the fact that in the face of technical power, a person is in danger of “losing his own face”. In other words, a person, having believed in the omnipotence of technological achievements, can imperceptibly lose humanitarian values, such as the ability to sympathize and compassion for one's neighbor, the values ​​of goodness and beauty. In this case, there would be a threat dehumanization social, interpersonal relations. This threat is quite real, and its reality can be observed everywhere, including in our country. Therefore, in what follows, we will mainly adhere to the humanitarian approach.

Over the course of the century, waves of technocratic sentiments and expectations arose repeatedly. As a rule, they were associated with a new breakthrough in science and technology. Yes, in the early 1960s. special hopes were placed on automation. Somewhat later - to solve the problem of thermonuclear fusion, which would provide mankind with practically inexhaustible sources of energy. In the 70-80s. hopes for the progress of biological science became popular, promising tempting prospects in the field of genetic engineering and in other directions. It is characteristic that each time the next achievement was perceived as a kind of "magic wand", as a magic key that opens the door to an instant solution to all problems. Today, some authors place the same hopes on informatization and the computer.

Of particular importance is the fact that technological progress is characterized by the property of fundamental unpredictability their consequences, among which are those that have a negative significance. Man, therefore, needs to be in constant readiness to be able to respond to the challenges of what he created: the artificial world technical devices can bring not only benefits, but also cause irreparable damage to humans and the environment.

History of philosophical development of the XX century. testifies to an intense search for answers to the challenges of technology, to the dramatic difficulty of realizing the impending dangers, when in place of a frivolous confidence in the transient and insignificant nature of difficulties, on the one hand, and a panic fear of the negative consequences of technological progress, on the other, comes a courageous awareness of the need for tireless and painstaking work. Hardly any major philosopher of the 20th century left unattended questions of understanding the role of technology. It is obvious that the result of the philosophical understanding of scientific and technological progress, first of all, should be recognized as an understanding of the importance of constant “monitoring” negative consequences development of science and technology. The task of realizing the danger and developing an adequate response, excluding both the immoderate praise of technology and the curse addressed to it, is not the task of a one-time solution. She gets up again and again, each time as if anew. Each subsequent generation must solve it independently, however, not forgetting the lessons of the past and thinking about the future.

• See, for example: Avdeev R F. Philosophy of Information Civilization. M., 1994.

Society and scientific and technological progress

Option 1

The current state of scientific and technological progress is determined by the concept of scientific and technological revolution. Scientific and technological revolutiontion(NTR) is a qualitative leap in the development of the productive forces of society, its transition to a new state based on fundamental changes in the system of scientific knowledge.

In the scientific and technological revolution, there are two stages

1) 50s - late 70s. 20th century (the main engine of change is automation production processes);

2) the end of the 70s. to the present (the main engine of change is the development of microelectronics, the introduction of computers, the technological revolution, computerization).

The main directions of scientifictechnical revolution:

automation and computerization production;

introduction of the latest infomationtechnologies

development biotechnology;

Creation new structural materials;

mastering the latest sources energy;

revolutionary changes in means of communication and connections.

Socio-economic consequencesscientific and technical rerevolutions:

the nature of labor changes in the direction of its complication, Youcrowding out the share of simple labor, increasing the requirements for qualifications and education of employees;

increase capital investmentscience And knowledge-intensive industries production;

changes social structure society, a significant increase in the number of people with highereducation;

intensifies social orientation economic growth;

problems are getting worse employment of the population;

environmentally e problems

Option 2

Society and scientific and technological progress

Scientific and technological progress (STP) is an interdependent, progressive development of science and technology, production and consumption. Scientific and technological progress first began to converge in the 16th-18th centuries, when the development of manufacturing, trade, and navigation required the theoretical and experimental solution of practical problems. Since the end of the 18th century, science and technology have finally converged, which determines their interconnected, interdependent further development.

The current stage of scientific and technical progress is characterized by a sharp acceleration of its pace, which gave rise to the introduction of the term "scientific and technological revolution" (NTR). Scientific and technical revolution includes: carrying out fundamental and applied scientific research; bringing their results to practical use in the form of scientific and technical developments, engineering solutions; organization of production new technology; improvement of the organization of production, labor, management; constant technical re-equipment of enterprises.

The scientific and technological revolution has identified such innovations of modern society as integrated automation, computerization, robotization, informatization, radioelectronicization, chemicalization, biologization, genetic engineering, application atomic energy, creation of new materials, etc.

Scientific and technological revolution covers all spheres of society, exerting a huge influence on politics, ideology, international relations, and the development of countries. It involves the expansion of the sphere of human activity, the development of new areas of the biosphere and outer space. The main feature of scientific and technological revolution is the intellectualization of all types of human activities.

However, the scientific and technological revolution is also fraught with serious dangers to public life. According to social scientists, the abuse of the achievements of scientific and technological revolution, even under conditions of a certain control over their use, can lead to the creation of a totalitarian technocratic system in which the overwhelming majority of the population will be under the rule of a privileged ruling elite for a long historical period. If the scientific and technological revolution takes the form of an uncontrolled process, then it can lead humanity to a thermonuclear, environmental or social catastrophe.

Thus, science and technology in their development bring not only benefits, but also a threat to man and mankind. This has become a reality today and requires new constructive approaches in the study of the future and its alternatives. Already in today's reality, the prevention of undesirable results and negative consequences of scientific and technological revolution has become an urgent need for humanity as a whole. It offers timely anticipation of specific dangers, coupled with the ability of society to counteract them. The problem of the humanistic use of the achievements of scientific and technological progress in the interests of society, in the interests of the spiritual enrichment of all mankind, comes to the fore today.

Option 3

The current state of scientific and technological progress is determined by the concept of scientific and technological revolution.
The scientific and technological revolution is a qualitative leap in the development of the productive forces of society, its transition to a new state based on fundamental changes in the system of scientific knowledge.
There are two stages in the scientific and technological revolution:
1) 50s - late 70s. 20th century (the main engine of change is the automation of production processes);
2) the end of the 70s. to the present (the main engine of change is the development of microelectronics, the introduction of computers, the technological revolution).
The main directions of the scientific and technological revolution:
1) automation and computerization of production;
2) introduction of the latest information technologies;
3) development of biotechnologies;
4) creation of new structural materials;
5) development of the latest energy sources;
6) revolutionary changes in the means of communication and communications.
Socio-economic consequences of the scientific and technological revolution:
1) the nature of labor is changing in the direction of its complication, the displacement of the share of simple labor, the increase in requirements for the qualifications and education of workers;
2) investments in science and knowledge-intensive industries are increasing;
3) the social structure of society is changing, the number of people with higher education is growing significantly;
4) the social orientation of economic growth is enhanced;
5) the problems of employment of the population are aggravated;
6) environmental problems are rising to their full potential.

Scientific and technological progress is a continuous process of introducing new equipment and technology, organizing production and labor based on the achievements of scientific knowledge. As a result of scientific and technical progress, all elements of the productive forces develop and improve: means and objects of labor, work force, technology, organization and production management.

Culture is a way of activity of a social person and the result of this activity, characterizing the qualitative state of a certain stage of social progress.

The idea of ​​a conflict between technical and cultural progress has been and is being expressed by many philosophers. There is a point of view that under the influence of technological progress, the death of culture will come, it will submit to technology and collapse, die. That technological progress has given rise to cultural regression: painting has been replaced by photographs, bacchanalia is in fashion, polygamy, belts, bracelets and necklaces have replaced clothes, a complete fall of all arts and poetry, instead of music - waves of meaningless tones and sounds without passion and expression, melodies have disappeared, and all that which does not lead to practical, ordinary, permanent benefit is despised. Other main cause of social disasters modern society see in the ever-increasing disproportion between the level of development of technology and morality.

There is also a statement about the existence of two cultures between which there is no understanding, I understand technology as an element of culture and they are separated by a wall of misunderstanding.

A number of scientists oppose the division of a single human culture into two segments. Explaining this by the fact that scientists in their activities proceed not only from their own scientific principles but also from the values ​​of humanism. Humanitarians, in turn, enjoy using technology.

Many Western philosophers of technology believe that culture is essentially one and that this unity is based on creative material and spiritual activity. What is the connection between technology and culture? First of all, technology is the most important cultural value. The sphere of culture is not limited to the classical values ​​of art, ethics, science. In addition to the spiritual, there is a material part of culture, which includes technology as an activity and its means, embodying human knowledge. Progress technical means, the acquisition of skills and abilities to use them, their improvement are the most important factor in the development and functioning of culture. A modern cultured person must be able to use many technical means.

Technology plays a huge role in this development of human culture. Of course, other important cultural values, For example, fiction or science. But society in its daily hectic life does not deal with scientific achievements, but with their technical implementation.

The connection between art and technology is also realized through the technique of art itself. The impact of technology on art is organically accompanied by the impact of art on the design, construction and operation of technology. The relationship between the design solution and the aesthetic properties of a technical object existed before, manifesting itself in different ways in various types technology and art forms. So, in architecture, excessive material has always caused the impression of excessive heaviness, and the lack of material has been associated with instability, unreliability and caused negative emotions. here design, aesthetic and functional qualities were connected together.

In the conditions of modern scientific and technological progress, the connection between the utilitarian design and aesthetic qualities of the created technology is unusually enhanced and implemented in the design, which has taken shape in an independent form. creative activity and includes both the theoretical part - production (or technical) aesthetics, and the practical - artistic design. It is quite natural that the creation of technical means that meet the basic requirement of design - the relationship of function, design and content of products - is in principle incompatible with imperfect technology, requires a high production culture and improves the quality of products. So design acts as a stimulator of technical progress, there is Feedback art with technology.

Scientific and technological progress (STP) became possible thanks to the scientific and technological revolution (STR), which took place in the 40-50s. XX century. STP has affected all spheres of society. This lesson is devoted to the main achievements of the NTP.

background

The main characteristic of the scientific and technological revolution (NTR) of the second half of the 20th century. - the transformation of science into the main factor of socio-economic development. Thus, the scientific and technological revolution contributed to the transformation of industrial society into a post-industrial one.

post-industrial society- a society in which science becomes a factor of production, and the predominant type of labor is employment in the service sector (in contrast to the industrial society, which is dominated by work in factories, and pre-industrial, in which agricultural labor prevailed).

Such changes were only possible thanks to the technological development that made it possible to replace a person in factories with a machine (automated, computer-controlled production).

Events

1942- created the first atomic reactor in USA.

1953- studied the molecular structure of DNA, which stores the genetic code. This discovery marked the beginning of the development of genetic engineering.

1957- Launch of the first satellite into space (USSR).

1961- the first manned flight into space (USSR).

1965- the first manned spacewalk (USSR).

1969- manned flight to the moon (USA).

1953- Deciphered the structure of the DNA molecule.

1976- The personal computer appeared.

In the 1960s-1990s. experiments in physics, chemistry, engineering, etc., were particularly successful. Since the 1970s developed at an accelerated pace electronics and computerization. The point was that all the achievements of science were processed in one way or another and served man. Chemistry supplied man with new fabrics, paints and varnishes, etc., physics and engineering - televisions, receivers, etc.

Starting from the 1980s, scientific and technological progress began to take place in a new form. That "revolutionary base" of the 1950s-1970s, which was truly a breakthrough, began to be used to improve and develop the new. So, from primitive huge mobile phones by the beginning of the new millennium, the world came to almost invisible devices (Fig. 2). From powerful computers occupying entire floors to portable gadgets.

Rice. 2. Cell phones over the past 40 years ()

The main emphasis at the present stage of scientific and technological progress is on the so-called. nanotechnology, new sources of energy, for universal automation, and so on.

The world has entered the era of post-industrial society. This society is characterized by the primacy of high technology, informatization and computerization of all spheres of society. High tech should further facilitate the daily life and work of a person. Internet has become integral part human society. Appeared new way communication. Human life has practically ceased to be any secret from others. Information society- it's a societyXXIcentury and subsequent centuries (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. Information society ()

Coming at present post-industrial society characterized not only by universal informatization, but also by the fact that its main resource is a person, or rather, his intellectual abilities. It is scientists, and not the military, that have become more valued at the present stage of human development.

On the other hand, it is impossible not to note the disadvantages of NTP. Science not only began to serve man, but also began to serve the military. It was in the twentieth century that the world "acquainted" with such new types of weapons as the atomic, hydrogen and neutron bomb. Appeared nuclear weapon. With the development of technology, new types of "killing devices" have appeared.

Thus, scientific and technical progress helps people (although many believe that such help will lead to the final replacement of a person by a machine), and at the same time can destroy him.

1. Aleksashkina L.N. General history. XX - beginning of the XXI century. - M.: Mnemosyne, 2011.

2. Zagladin N.V. General history. XX century. Textbook for grade 11. - M.: Russian word, 2009.

3. Plenkov O.Yu., Andreevskaya T.P., Shevchenko S.V. General history. Grade 11 / Ed. Myasnikova V.S. - M., 2011.

1. Describe the information society.

2. How is the NTR different from the NTP? Give examples.

3. Why has intelligence become the main investment in a post-industrial society?