Social Consciousness

The Primary Forms of Social Consciousness

Aesthetic Consciousness

This form of societal consciousness is one of the oldest. It also arose from social relations, primarily aesthetic relations, which collectively shape aesthetic existence. These relations manifest in human labor, daily life, social interactions, and the arts, all of which are fundamentally oriented toward beauty and the exquisite. Here, beauty is understood as the perfection of objects and phenomena in reality. It is worth recalling that M.G. Chernyshevsky highlighted this quality in his work "On the Aesthetic Relations of Art to Reality," emphasizing that "an object must be magnificent in its own right to be called beautiful."

Moreover, it is essential to recognize that the understanding of beauty and the notions surrounding it are not immutable; they evolve and develop over time.

In this light, aesthetic existence can be defined as a collection of relationships among social subjects towards one another and their surrounding reality, based on the ideas and views about beauty and perfection that have formed within society at a particular stage of its historical development.

Aesthetic consciousness emerges as a process of forming concrete-sensory, artistic images of objects and phenomena from objective reality, based on a system of ideas and views regarding beauty and perfection that have developed within the social organism through the retention, preservation, and transformation of information about them.

At times, aesthetic consciousness is equated with art, which is not entirely accurate. "Art," as S. Krapivensky rightly points out, "includes the activity of society in producing artistic values and the results of this production—artistic images—yet a very important component of aesthetic consciousness remains outside its scope: the consciousness of consumers of artistic values. Therefore, it is evidently appropriate to examine the problem of art and its epistemological specificity in connection with the issue of mass aesthetic consciousness, which defines the societal functions of art and the trends of its development."

Endowed with characteristics shared with other forms of societal consciousness as a whole, aesthetic consciousness is also distinguished by its inherent peculiarities.

Firstly, aesthetic consciousness is directly connected to aesthetic relations and aesthetic existence. This connection is not one-sided but rather bidirectional, functioning as a interrelation wherein, on one hand, the aesthetic assimilation of reality shapes one's attitude toward it, while on the other hand, the aesthetic relations themselves serve as a foundation that influences human consciousness.

Secondly, aesthetic consciousness is characterized by imagery that combines the general with the individual and personal.

Thirdly, stemming from the previous feature, aesthetic consciousness is marked by sensibility and emotionality, which take precedence over rationality.

Fourthly, aesthetic consciousness is characterized by wholeness. In creating artistic works, the artist expresses their feelings, emotions, and moods, embodying them in specific material forms. This evaluative attitude towards the world is transmitted to the viewer or reader who engages with the artistic work, either agreeing or disagreeing with the artist's interpretation; however, they remain within the axiological field of perception of the object, providing their own value-laden interpretation.

Fifthly, reflecting the life of the social individual, the richness of their social connections, ideology, and psychology, aesthetic consciousness is closely intertwined with other forms of societal consciousness, primarily moral and political consciousness, through the propagation and promotion of moral and political ideas from specific classes and other social groups. Like other forms of societal consciousness, aesthetic consciousness possesses a multi-layered character, encompassing:

• Everyday aesthetic consciousness—a system of elementary notions and views about beauty and perfection inherent to nearly all people;
• Aesthetic psychology—the moods, thoughts, feelings, and value orientations that arise in individuals during artistic creativity or under the influence of artistic works;
• Theoretical aesthetic consciousness or aesthetic theory, which focuses on investigating the laws governing the aesthetic assimilation of the world by humans and the forms of creativity according to the laws of beauty.

The path of researchers working on aesthetic issues and uncovering the essence of beauty is complex and contradictory. In this regard, the reflections of one of the characters in I.O. Efremov's novel "The Razor's Edge," Dr. Girin, appear particularly intriguing. "It is now quite clear," he notes, "that the sensation of beauty is embedded deep within our essence; we must delve further to establish the causal laws by which certain forms, lines, and colors are reflected in our consciousness as 'incomparable beauty.' If we speak of human beauty, it is impossible to separate it from the feeling of passion because its primordial aim is a compass in the search for the perfect, the best for the continuation of the species… The taut spring of energy, coiled by the harsh conditions of life, is perceived in the living body of a person as beautiful, attracting us and thereby fulfilling the task set by nature to unite the most suitable individuals for the struggle for existence, ensuring the right choice. Such is the biological significance of the feeling of beauty… But this is only the first degree of beauty, albeit the fundamental one… The anatomical sense embedded within us is very delicate. Subconsciously, we instantly distinguish and perceive as beauty the traits opposed for different sexes, but we never mistake what each sex needs… Thus, we have dissected the second main degree of beauty—the harmonious resolution of seemingly fatal contradictions, a resolution brought to that singular perfect possibility which, like the edge of a razor, oscillates between opposites. The path of our cognition of the beautiful, our searches for it everywhere, evidently lies through the quest for this fine line, which has formed over a long history and signifies perfection in the multifaceted continuation of the immense complexities of existence within the nature of living, thinking beings—humans…"

• Aesthetic ideology—a collection of theoretically grounded ideas and views expressing an understanding of beauty, perceived by social subjects as correct and necessary, which guide them in their practical activities;
• Aesthetic self-consciousness—a specific characteristic of the social subject, expressed in their differentiation of themselves within aesthetic existence, assessing themselves and their capabilities within the aesthetic process.

As one of the facets of aesthetic relations among people and their reality, aesthetic consciousness plays a significant role in the development of both individuals and society.