Social philosophy
Social Philosophy ( Philosophy and Society ) deals with questions about the meaning and essence of a society. In particular, it examines the relationship between the individual and the community as well as the structures of living together. In some cases it is regarded as a variant of the philosophy as it contacts with the sociology. Apart from the humanities perspective, the term is also related to journalistic or essayist works.
Topics
When the objects of social philosophy, ethics often plays a role. In social ethics is an independent area of ethics has emerged are discussed systematically in the moral issues to the society.
The social philosophy it comes to the basic clarification of questions such as:
- What is the nature of a society? ( Organism, process ... )
- What are their functions? ( Common good, subsidiarity ... )
- Need people a social contract?
- Why do people need other people at all?
- How can the coexistence of people be regulated?
Even if these questions have been addressed in most philosophies from Plato to each his own way in the concept of social philosophy is used only since the 19th century with the realization of the bourgeois revolution and the reflection on alternative state concepts.
Some mutually partially contradictory, positions are:
- Thomas Hobbes represents the assumption that the absolutist state was necessary to prevent the constant struggle of people against each other ( Bellum omnium contra omnes ).
- Max Stirner assumes that the individual is completely unbound ( solipsism ).
- Karl Marx formulated the social conditioning of the people ( dialectical materialism ).
- Amitai Etzioni et al develop ideas on communitarianism.
- Rudolf Steiner developed ideas for the threefold social organism.
- Erich Fromm differentiated the relationship between individual and society in Have or to Be and The Art of Loving.
- Joseph Beuys coined the " extended definition of art " social sculpture, or social sculpture, and calls for a creative Shaping in society.
- Kurt Röttgers goes instead of "people pictures" from the medial process between the people from whom he calls the " communicative text".
By the " overall context " of the social should be considered - including its historical, political-economic, cultural, social, moral and pioneering conditions - social philosophy lives usually also an idealistic element held. Constitutive it is supported by a " guiding principle ", which, as Adorno once put it, in the " driving desire that it finally become something else " has its secret power center.
Intersections of social philosophy consist, inter alia, with anthropology, sociology, political science, business philosophy, political philosophy, law and political philosophy.
Development
If you want to bring the beginning of Western social sciences with the Enlightenment in context and Henri de Saint -Simon as their " father" look, there is shown the effort recognizable - like his more famous successor Auguste Comte - first the found social reality to collect and subsequently submit a draft of their future state.