The question of the origin of humanity has interested people since ancient times. The search for ancestors is associated with myths and legends that tell about the “spontaneous origin of life, the emergence of living beings from inanimate matter.” For a long time, the most common approach to the problem of human origins was religious theory, according to which Almighty God created man and the world around him. Another theory explaining the emergence of humanity is paleovisit theory, according to which life was brought to earth from space, either by aliens, or as a result of the accidental transfer of the germ of life and protein elements from another planet. But the most reasonable approaches to this problem are natural scientific theories of human origins.
Research process of human origin (anthropogenesis) was founded in the 19th century with the publication of Charles Darwin’s book “The Descent of Man and Sexual Selection,” where it was formulated the idea of human evolutionary descent from apes. Another factor of anthropogenesis is revealed by the work of F. Engels “The Role of Labor in the Process of Transformation of Ape into Man,” in which the author substantiated the vital role of labor in the transformation of the ancient ancestor of man into a social and cultural being. In the twentieth century, these ideas were combined into a common concept of biosocial human nature.
In addition, scientists suggest that the process of human development was influenced by other factors, which include the degree solar activity, changing radiation levels, climate change. Under the influence of these external circumstances, higher primates dramatically changed their behavioral stereotypes: they began to prefer meat to plant foods, retained the ability to bear children throughout the year, and freed themselves from the power of animal instincts.
One of the possible conditions for the final transformation of apes into humans could be change in brain structure, which led to the separation of the functions of the different hemispheres. Instead of primitive adaptation to the environment, man began to change his own behavior and environment.
Thus, the essence of the theory of anthropogenesis is the idea of labor activity, as the main reason for the formation of man and humanity, but exclusively in interaction with such factors as language, consciousness, morality and culture, which are possible only in society. A person becomes fully human only in unity with other people.
It should be noted that in the process of evolution, not only the way of behavior changed, but also the forms of organization of people. Initially, they lived in unstable groups called the human herd, which was little different from the animal. But gradually the cohesion of human groups became more and more stable. This is how it appeared simple society, which was based on consanguinity, joint labor and did not know property stratification.
With the transition from an appropriating to a producing economy and a sedentary way of life, a multilateral education, a complex interweaving of various connections and relationships—society—gradually took shape. It was in it that values were formed that could not be created by one person - language, art, morality, technology, science, religion, etc. Based on a common history, it was formed humanity (the community of all people inhabiting the Earth).
A distinctive feature of humanity is its ability to meaningfully create a “second nature” - culture. Man, unlike animals, is capable of combining practicality and sublime spiritual creativity, which at first glance is not useful, but in fact is necessary both for himself and for people in general. Culture satisfies the spiritual needs of society, which are the highest needs. Achievements in the spiritual sphere are passed on from generation to generation through training and education. Whatever factors scientists explain the process of anthropogenesis, no one denies that humanity does not exist outside of culture.
Small groups
A person cannot live completely alone.
A social group is an association of people with the aim of satisfying the needs of individuals in carrying out joint actions. People unite according to a variety of criteria: belonging to a nation (historical and cultural community of people united by language, common features of psychological makeup), profession, age group, citizenship, ideology, religion, and common interests. A group can be defined as an association of people based on a certain characteristic. Groups have certain norms (rules of behavior) and values, deviation from which is punishable by sanctions (from condemnation to boycott and exclusion from the group).
All groups of people can be divided into big(nations, classes) and small(family, group of friends). The difference between them is not only quantitative (according to various estimates, a small group includes 7-20 people), but also qualitative (a feature of a small group is the possibility of direct contacts between all representatives of the group).
Small group is a small association of people whose members have a common goal and are in direct personal contact with each other. Quantitative composition: from 2 to 40 people.
A small group is characterized by: the presence of a common goal, joint activities, personal (direct) interaction of group members, a certain emotional background, duration of existence, voluntary nature, the presence of mutual expectations
There are small groups:
Conditional (group members do not have constant contact with each other);
Real (group members have constant contact with each other);
Natural (folding on their own).
Natural groups are divided into:
Formal - groups that are created and exist only within officially recognized organizations;
Informal - groups that arise and exist on the basis of the personal interests of their members and operate outside of official organizations.
Ticket 7
The essence of man as a problem of philosophy
The question of the essence of man, his nature, origin and purpose, place in the world, values, death and immortality, the meaning of human life is one of the main problems of philosophical thought. The problem of the essence and existence of man belongs to the category of eternal philosophical problems. It has attracted the attention of philosophers since ancient times. This problem is eternal and ever new, since the conditions of life, its content, scientific knowledge, and man himself are constantly changing. Each time it is the problem of a different person, living in different historical conditions, solving specific problems of his time, a person who thinks, feels and understands the world differently. We have already noted that philosophical understanding of the problem of man becomes especially acute during critical crisis periods in the life of human society, requiring maximum effort of all spiritual and physical forces of man. The problem of man concentrates around itself all other philosophical questions, since any of them presupposes at its core a solution to the problem of man, his nature, position in the world and society.
Communication as understanding
Full communication becomes possible only if people interacting can assess the level of mutual understanding and understand what a communication partner is like. Participants in communication strive to reconstruct each other’s inner world in their minds, to understand feelings, motives of behavior, and attitudes towards significant objects.
The perceptual aspect of communication is the perception, understanding and evaluation of a person by a person. By getting to know other people, an individual gets the opportunity to better and more reliably determine the prospects for joint activities with them. The success of coordinated actions depends on the accuracy of “reading” their inner world.
During the communication process, there must always be at least two people present. Each of them focuses on the externally manifested behavioral characteristics of the other, thus forming ideas about him, about his inner world. This is facilitated by the following mechanisms of mutual understanding in communication.
Lesson: Social science – 10 Class
Subject: The origin of man and the formation of society
Educational: Expand and deepen students’ knowledge about the origins of man and the formation of human society. Show students that human development is the result of a biological and sociocultural revolution.Educational: Develop the ability to analyze material, work with tests, generalize, work in a group, and the ability to present material.
Educational: Cultivate the desire to realize one’s capabilities and abilities, the desire to acquire knowledge.
Lesson type: Learning new material.
Textbook: Social studies: profile level for 10th grade. general educationinstitutions/[L. N. Bogolyubov, A. Yu. LazebniKova, N.M. Smirnova and others]; edited by L. N. Bogolyubova and others - M.: Education, 2007. 416 p.
Lesson progress
1. Organizational moment.
2. Studying new material.
Lesson Plan
1. Motivation to learn new material.
2. The science of human origins.
3. Formation of society.
4. Humanity as a result of the biological and sociocultural revolution.
5. The formation of culture is an integral part of the formation of man and humanity.
3. Work according to the lesson plan.
1. Motivation. The question of origin and ancestors worries people both at the individual level and globally. “Where did people come from?” and how did society arise? No less than the past, a person is concerned about the prospects. Where is humanity heading?
Today research into the process of human development are moving in three main directions.
Firstly, the so-called branching points of various lines from a common ancestor on a single scale of human development are clarified, the stages of the emergence of modern humans are identified, and the missing links are established.
Secondly, the biological prerequisites and genetic mechanisms of transformation of human ancestors and the formation of distinctive human properties are studied (upright walking, the use of the forelimbs as natural tools, the development of speech and thinking, complex forms of labor activity and sociality).
Thirdly, the general theory is clarified anthropogenesis(the process of separating man from the animal world) as a complex, integrated process carried out on the basis of close interaction of biological and social factors. The process of formation of society is studied (sociogenesis) and the dual process of development of man and society (anthroposociogenesis).
Among the sciences that study the problems of human origins are history, philosophy, anthropology, psychology, genetics, cultural studies, and demography. Much of what becomes the property of science is the result of a deep study of scattered facts and brilliant guesses, since these processes took place long before the advent of scientific research.
2. THE SCIENCE OF HUMAN ORIGINS
1. The search for ancestors is associated with brilliant guesses and wonderful legends.
2. Scientific research into the process of human origin (anthropogenesis) began in the 19th century. the publication of Charles Darwin’s book “The Descent of Man and Sexual Selection.” (the idea of the origin of modern humans and modern apes from a common ancient ancestor).
3. The work of F. Engels “The role of labor in the process of transformation of a monkey into man” (it was labor that was the decisive factor in the evolutionary transformation of the ancient ancestor of man into a social being)
4. In the 20th century. these ideas were combined into a common the concept of biosocial human nature.
The process of becoming a person
1. Space factors: the degree of solar activity, the periodic change of the Earth's magnetic poles, during pauses between which the shield of electromagnetic fields protecting the biosphere weakened so much for several millennia that ionizing radiation of cosmic origin increased, according to estimates, by 60%. This significantly increased the frequency of mutations in hominid germ cells.
2. Archaeologists noticed that the discovered sites of ancient people coincide with places of intense movement of lithospheric plates, faults and cracks in the earth’s crust, which caused an increased level of radiation.
3. It is possible that tectonic, volcanic, seismic and radiation cataclysms had a significant impact on the plant and thereby climatic panorama of the ancestral home of man (the period of change of magnetic poles occurred exactly 40 thousand years ago).
4. One of the possible reasons that served as the impetus for the crisis of the purely animal way of existence of our distant ancestor is a change in the structure and structure of the brain (damage to one of the parts of the brain connected to each other - the amygdala, cingulate gyrus or medullary vault - a change in the structure of the medial sides of the cerebral hemispheres, fixed genetically), which led to differentiation of the functions of the hemispheres themselves. In animals, the hemispheres essentially duplicate each other, doubling the body's capabilities and allowing, in the event of damage to one, the other hemisphere to take over all the functions of the damaged one. In humans, both hemispheres operate according to different programs. Thus, the capabilities of the psyche and its plasticity increase significantly.
5. Under the influence of radiation, the higher herbivorous primates dramatically changed their behavioral stereotypes: they began to prefer meat to plant foods, and they began to have the ability to bear children throughout the year. And what is even more important - there was liberation from the blind power of animal instincts.
Factor that accelerated hominid evolution
1. Stress.
Interesting: However, there is a limit to the growth of head size (the impossibility of a normal birth of such a “tadpole”). Selection for high intelligence came into conflict with selection for female survival during childbirth. As a result, the advantage turned out to be on the side of those individuals whose degree of “filling” of the skull with brain matter increased (complication of the structure of the hemispheres, differentiation of their functions, the birth of a child with a relatively undeveloped brain, developing over a longer period of childhood than in other animals). Caring for offspring, bearing a fetus, learning basic behavior after birth - all this required changes in the organization of life in the hominid community.As for the general theory of anthropogenesis, its basis throughout the 20th century was amounted to idea of work activity as a leading factor in the formation of man and human society. But it did not remain unchanged during all this time. The main change in this theory is associated with the awareness of a whole complex of conditions in which tool activity and labor are considered as the most important factors of social development only in interaction with such factors as language and consciousness.
3. FORMATION OF SOCIETY
1. “What came first - man or society?” - a question that interested scientists. On the one hand, it is obvious that there is a lot of natural in man, and on the other, in the words of the philosopher N.A. Berdyaev, “man is a fundamental novelty in nature.” This expression emphasizes that man not only exists in the world according to natural laws, but goes beyond the framework of behavior programmed by nature. The same idea was expressed by the German educator Johann Herder, calling man a “freedman of nature.”
2. In the process of evolution, not only the way of behavior changed, but also forms of organization of human community.
Warm up on cold days
Fought for the female
They continued the family line and raised offspring.
a more stable human collective - society.
simple:
Based on blood relationship;
Joint ownership of property;
Teamwork;
They did not know the wealth stratification.
complex:
Complication of work activity with the help of improved tools and technology,
Specialization of labor efforts.
3. Essentially, the boundaries of perception of the experience of ancestors and the fairway of the individual’s activity were, as it were, outlined by existing taboos (prohibitions), acted as a guide to action. Taboo is a system of prohibitions on performing certain actions, the violation of which, according to primitive beliefs, is punishable by supernatural forces. A number of researchers associate the emergence of taboos with the needs of society to curb the natural instincts of individuals and subordinate them to the interests of the collective.
4. A set of beliefs, myths, rituals and customs associated with the idea of a fantastic kinship between groups of people and the so-called totems - species of animals and plants (less often with inanimate objects), was linked into a certain system called totemism. There is debate among researchers about the nature of totemism. Some believe that this was the original form of religion, others that it was a primitive system of classification of surrounding objects and phenomena.
5. At the same time, the growth of the human population and its spread across the Earth are closely related to the changed conditions. A sufficient amount of food and relative safety of existence allowed people to devote more time to caring for their offspring.
6. Managing the life of a human collective, in which connections between its members were built not only on blood relationships, but also on joint activities, exchange, and subordination, required multi-level relationships. Thus, a multilateral formation, a complex interweaving of various connections and relationships, which does not exist among other living beings, gradually took shape - society. It was in society that values were created that were beyond the power of an individual to create. Such values include language, art, morality, technology, science, religion, etc.
4. HUMANITY AS A RESULT OF BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL REVOLUTION
What is humanity? The dictionary defines this concept as a collective one, characterizing the community of peoples inhabiting the Earth, uniting all representatives of Homo sapiens.
Oswald Spengler (1880-1936).
argued that peoples live on Earth, but in space at different times. This is due to the fact that cultures live and die, and in different areas. Humanity “has no idea, no plan, just like any species of butterfly or orchid does not have them.”
Nikolai Nikolaevich Trubnikov (02/14/1929 -05/19/1983)
He believed that victory over the finitude and mortality of an individual is achieved by the immortality of humanity, the involvement of each person in this category through a real contribution to culture.
“Humanity arises when this community is realized. It is the gradual recognition of the sameness of fate that contributes to the birth of such a universal formation as humanity.”
G. Lessing
Two understandings of the term “humanity”.
K. E. Tsiolkovsky (1857-1935), Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky (1863-1945).implied common destiny of peoples, inhabiting the globe. It is noted that, despite the differences between ethnic groups, races, and cultures, we can talk about universal human interests and values. The Earth is a single ship, humanity unites into a “collective of earthlings”
In the second case we are talking about collective concept which expresses a high degree of abstraction. The idea of a single global culture is rejected. Universal human unity is conceived as a mosaic of cultures connected by invisible bonds.
Conclusion: However, all researchers agree that the concept of humanity is associated not only with the biological nature of man, whose body was formed under the influence of certain living conditions. An equally significant characteristic of humanity is its sociality and connection with culture.
5. FORMATION OF CULTURE - AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE FORMATION OF MAN AND HUMANITY
1. A distinctive feature of man is his ability to create a “second nature”, transforming the world around him through his practical and spiritual activities.
2. Formation of a purely human, social memory (Transformation of the primitive human herd into a social collective)
3. Unlike genetic memorysocial memory
inherits not biological characteristics, buta set of knowledge, values and ideals, forms of activity of a social person.
4. The above-mentioned labor theory of the origin of humanity in man does not provide a complete and clear picture of the emergence of such a phenomenon as the culture of mankind. Other living beings on Earth also work. It is not for nothing that the hard work of a bee or an ant has even become a proverb. But only man meaningfully creates the second nature - culture.
5. There is a point of view according to which, historically, the first form of human cultural creativity was magic. Before man learned to use fire, he already worshiped it in cult practices. Today we can only guess how it really was, but even modern people are fascinated and fascinated by the fire of the fire and the stars in the night sky.
6. Another view on the origin of culture is related to the fact that the basis of cultural creativity is a person’s ability to create symbols, mental models of those practical actions that are yet to come. In this respect, man surpasses all the “craftsmen” of the animal world, creating a special world of images. Before acting, a person creates an image of his action. Image is one of the most important means of culture.
Conclusion: No matter what factors one or another scientist explains the process of anthropogenesis, no one denies that humanity does not exist outside of culture.
4. Consolidation of the studied material. Work in groups.
1. Confirm or refute the opinion of the French thinker J. P. Sartre, who emphasized that humanity consists of all people who lived before, are living now and have not yet been born.
2. Express your own opinion in the following discussion.
a) A number of anthropologists, citing preserved stone tools, associate the appearance of Homo sapiens with the creation and use of tools.
b) Other scientists believe that the motor-sensory coordination necessary to produce elementary tools from stone or wood does not require any mental acuity.
3. Using the data of modern sciences, agree or refute one of the hypotheses explaining the origin of man. Man became human: 1) thanks to life in water; 2) as a result of a mutation in the brain cells of hominids (the family of the order of primates includes both fossil humans and modern humans), caused by hard radiation from a supernova explosion or geomagnetic field reversals; 3) as a result of heat stress, a mutant appeared among hominids.
5. Homework.
Read paragraph 5-6, Answer the task in writing.
Reveal the philosophical meaning of the following statement by I. Mechnikov: “A gardener or cattle breeder does not stop at the given nature of the plants or animals that occupy them, but modifies them according to need. In the same way, a scientist-philosopher should not look at modern human nature as something unshakable, but should change it for the benefit of people.” What is your attitude to this point of view?
The video lesson “The Origin of Man and Society” will tell you what anthroposociogenesis is. You will learn more about how society and people interact with each other, how mutual influence occurs. The teacher will explain what views on the origin of society and man are accepted in the modern world.
Topic: Society
Lesson: Origins of Man and Society
Hello. Last time we talked about what society is, what its structure and functions are. The topic of today's lesson is “The Origin of Man and Society.”
In science, this complex process is called “anthroposociogenesis.” Let's figure out where this term comes from.
“Anthropos” in Greek means “man”, “socium” in Latin means “society”, “genesis” in Greek means “emergence, origin” (Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. Anthroposociogenesis
There are various theories of anthroposociogenesis. Chronologically, the first of these is creationism. According to this theory, about 6 thousand years ago, God created the Universe, heaven, earth and all living beings, including humans.
Another theory is called gradualism or evolutionism. Its founder is considered to be Charles Darwin (Fig. 2). According to this theory, all living things develop in the course of evolution - gradual changes, and at the beginning of these changes there were the simplest creatures. Of course, today the theory of evolution differs significantly from what Darwin proposed: many factors in the development of man and society were still unknown in his time.
Rice. 2. Charles Darwin
Some researchers believed that Darwin was wrong, if only because we cannot observe manifestations of evolution today.
As a result, a third theory emerged, known as catastrophism. Its founder is considered to be the naturalist Georges Cuvier. Within the framework of catastrophism, it is believed that life is the result of planetary catastrophes, and its forms do not develop. Some scientists explain many significant events in the history of the Earth precisely by catastrophes - volcanic eruptions, collisions of our planet with comets, catastrophic earthquakes. For example, this is how many explain the death of dinosaurs.
All these theories have great difficulty explaining where life came from. The fourth theory, known as panspermia, appeared in the mid-19th century. Its authors are considered to be German physician Hermann Richter and Swedish physicist Svante Arrhenius. But one should not think that in the 20th century no one adhered to this theory; Among her supporters was even Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky.
Academician Alexander Ivanovich Oparin proposed his own theory. According to it, life on Earth originated as a result of a chain of chemical transformations.
In the scientific world in the 20th century, the theory of evolution almost reigns supreme. However, supporters of creationism from time to time go on the offensive.
Let's see how and when, from the point of view of modern science, man and society appeared.
The process of human emergence is called “anthropogenesis”. In modern science, this process is briefly described as follows.
Australopithecus (homo habilis) is considered the first stage of anthropogenesis (Fig. 3).
Rice. 3. Australopithecus
The second stage of anthropogenesis is Pithecanthropus (Fig. 4).
Rice. 4. Pithecanthropus
The third stage is the Neanderthal (Fig. 5). Finally, the last stage is homo sapiens sapiens. This is you and me.
Rice. 5. Neanderthal
Let's move on to the process of sociogenesis, that is, the emergence and development of society. It has three stages, but if anthroposociogenesis proceeds across the planet at approximately the same pace, then sociogenesis in different regions of the earth proceeds at different speeds.
The first stage of sociogenesis is the ancestral community (the human herd).
The second stage is the clan community - an association of people based on consanguinity.
The third stage is the neighboring community - an association of people along territorial lines.
Let's summarize. The process of sociogenesis takes place in three stages.
Different peoples undergo sociogenesis at different rates. Many ethnic groups have long lived in a neighboring community, but there are also tribes that are still at the stage of a tribal community.
The processes of anthropogenesis and sociogenesis are closely related. This once again proves that man, despite his social essence, still remains a part of nature. Next time we will talk about how nature and society influence each other. And our lesson today is over. Thank you for your attention.
Is evolution happening today?
Evolution continues constantly. Over the past hundreds of years, man has been continuously changing.
The average height of the Japanese has increased over the past 100 years by at least 15 cm. Young people with a height of at least 170 cm were taken into the guard under Peter the Great (Fig. 6).
Rice. 6. Average height
Monkey Processes"
Rice. 7. John Scopes
In 1925, Tennessee passed the Butler Act, prohibiting the teaching of Darwin's theory. That same year, the state brought a case against teacher John Scopes (Figure 7), accused of violating the act. Scopes was found guilty and ordered to pay a fine of $100.
In 2006-2007, a similar process took place in Russia.
How the Neanderthal was acquitted
Our understanding of Neanderthals has changed greatly in recent years.
In 2005, the oldest musical instrument, the Neanderthal flute, was discovered on the territory of Slovenia (Fig. 8).
Rice. 8. Neanderthal flute
In 1938, Soviet archaeologist Alexei Okladnikov (Fig. 9) discovered the burial of a Neanderthal boy in the Teshik-Tash cave (Fig. 10).
Rice. 9. A. Okladnikov
Rice. 10. Neanderthal boy
The most backward tribe
In the early 1970s, the Tasaday Manube tribe, considered the most backward tribe in the world, was discovered in the forests of the Philippine island of Mindanao. The Tasaday still live in a tribal system. The reason for this is that over the last thousand years they have evolved in isolation.
Literature for the lesson
Textbook: Social studies. Textbook for 10th grade students of general education institutions. Basic level. Ed. L. N. Bogolyubova. M.: OJSC “Moscow Textbooks”, 2008.
Tasaday-manube (continued) ().
New data on Neanderthals ().
Changes in average height among different nations in the twentieth century ().
