Philosophy of Society

Social Philosophy (Theory of Society)

Definition

Humans live together, forming families, groups, nations, and states, assigning roles within society, and establishing rules to be followed—thus creating society itself. Society exists as a distinct reality that cannot be reduced to inorganic or organic nature, nor merely to the human spirit. If society exists, the inquisitive human mind cannot disregard it. Society is a crucial subject for philosophical contemplation. The uniqueness of society and its resistance to reduction to other phenomena gave rise to the theory of society as a separate branch of philosophy.

The primary questions facing social philosophy include: What is society? What laws govern the development and changes within society? How do society and the individual relate to each other? What is the nature of social action? These questions form the foundation of social philosophy, and throughout the history of this philosophical discipline, various answers have emerged.

Reflections on the nature of society have existed since the dawn of humanity and its membership in society. However, the study of society was sporadic and methodologically disorganized in the past. Historically, society and the state were often conflated, merging the domains of social and political philosophy. It was not until the 19th century, through the efforts of Auguste Comte, that sociology emerged as a distinct science focused on studying society. Following Comte, numerous scholars addressed societal issues, proposing general theories of society, each providing its own perspective on the fundamental questions of social philosophy. The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked the peak of social philosophy’s development, establishing its prominent place in academic discourse.

In the mid-20th century, significant changes occurred in the science of society. While earlier specialists built philosophical concepts of society, social groups, institutions, the role of the individual, and the influence of society on individuals, researchers in the mid-20th century adopted a new methodological approach. They began collecting empirical data through surveys, data gathering, document analysis, and statistical information, analyzing and synthesizing these data to draw conclusions. Thus, empirical sociology emerged. This new direction established a boundary between social philosophy or theory of society, which develops general concepts, and sociology as an empirical science that collects, processes data, and makes general conclusions using rigorous research methods. Both branches of the science of society are closely intertwined, as social philosophy provides direction for empirical sociology, while empirical sociology offers verification tools for social philosophy.