Social inequality. § X

Nature has endowed people with the same differences that we observe among other creatures she created. People differ greatly from each other in their physical and spiritual strengths, passions and ideas, ideas about well-being and the means chosen by them to achieve this well-being. This is the source of inequality among people. This inequality not only does not harm society, but also contributes to the preservation and maintenance of its existence.
If people were completely the same, i.e., equal in their physical strength and talent, if their organs and manner of perception had no differences, then as a result of this they would all inevitably have a love for the same thing and would be seized the same passions. Always agreeing in opinions and in the way of thinking (since they would feel and see everything in the same way), in practical activity they would forever be in discord and would only be engaged in exterminating each other, seeing their happiness in the same items. Human society, consisting of rivals, competitors and enemies, if it had existed for some time, it would have disintegrated one way or another very soon.
In order to be convinced of this truth, it is enough to remember what happens when several people are seized with a strong passion for something or someone (for example, for the same woman). Being in agreement in the assessment of the corresponding object, they become enemies, and between them there is such a strong rivalry that in an effort to take possession of the object of their passion, they reach mutual destruction. When two rival nations strive for the same object in this way, enmity flares up between them and their dispute is decided by war.
The inequality of people and the differences that exist between them are the reason that, being basically similar to each other, they almost do not agree with each other and each of them in his own way strives for what seems to him useful for his own happiness. . This gives rise to the very activity by which each person seeks to hide his imperfection, weakness or backwardness, making every effort to achieve advantages and successes that he thinks others have achieved.
So, let's leave aside the assumptions about the imaginary equality, which supposedly existed between people from the very beginning. People have never been equal. Let us not make pompous speeches against this inequality, which has always been inevitable. Features of physique, different degrees of physical strength, dexterity and agility must have caused significant differences and very noticeable inequalities between individuals who were members of one society, or, if you like, members of the first family. This inequality of people is even more striking when it comes to human abilities, called spiritual or intellectual, that is, about the energy and strength of a person’s passions, about his judgments, perseverance and insight, about his mind. A person weak physically or mentally has always been forced to recognize the superiority of the stronger, gifted, enterprising and skillful, more developed spiritually; a man who excelled others in strength and industriousness could cultivate a large plot of land and at the same time achieve greater fertility than a man who was weak by nature. Thus, from the very beginning, people were unequal both in their personal qualities and in the size of their property and possessions.

Even a superficial look at the people around us gives reason to talk about their dissimilarity. People are different by gender, age, temperament, height, hair color, intelligence level and many other features. Nature endowed one with musical abilities, the other with strength, the third with beauty, and prepared for someone the fate of a weak invalid. Differences between people, due to their physiological and mental characteristics, are called natural.

Natural differences are far from harmless, they can become the basis for the emergence of unequal relationships between individuals. The strong force the weak, the cunning triumph over the simpletons. Inequality resulting from natural differences is the first form of inequality, in one form or another manifested in some species of animals. However, in human main is social inequality, inextricably linked with social differences, social differentiation.

Social those are called differences, which generated by social factors: lifestyle (urban and rural population), division of labor (manual and manual workers), social roles (father, doctor, politician), etc., which leads to differences in the degree of ownership of property, income, power, achievement , prestige, education.

The different levels of social development are basis for social inequality, the emergence of rich and poor, the stratification of society, its stratification (a stratum layer that includes people with the same income, power, education, prestige).

Income- the amount of cash receipts received by a person per unit of time. It may be labor, or it may be the possession of property that “works”.

Education- a complex of knowledge obtained in educational institutions. Its level is measured by the number of years of study. Let's say, incomplete secondary school - 9 years. The professor has more than 20 years of education behind him.

Power- the ability to impose your will on other people, regardless of their desire. It is measured by the number of people to whom it applies.

Prestige- this is an assessment of the position of the individual in society, prevailing in public opinion.

Causes of social inequality

Can a society exist without social inequality? Apparently, in order to answer the question posed, it is necessary to understand the reasons that give rise to the unequal position of people in society. In sociology, there is no single universal explanation for this phenomenon. Various scientific and methodological schools and trends interpret it differently. We single out the most interesting and noteworthy approaches.

Functionalism explains inequality based on the differentiation of social functions performed by different layers, classes, communities. The functioning and development of society is possible only thanks to the division of labor, when each social group carries out the solution of the corresponding vital tasks for the entire integrity: some are engaged in the production of material goods, others create spiritual values, others manage, etc. For the normal functioning of society an optimal combination of all types of human activity is necessary. Some of them are more important, others less. So, on the basis of the hierarchy of social functions, a corresponding hierarchy of classes, layers is formed performing them. Those who carry out the general leadership and administration of the country are invariably placed at the top of the social ladder, because only they can support and ensure the unity of society, create the necessary conditions for the successful performance of other functions.

The explanation of social inequality by the principle of functional utility is fraught with a serious danger of a subjectivist interpretation. Indeed, why is this or that function considered as more significant, if society as an integral organism cannot exist without functional diversity. This approach does not allow explaining such realities as the recognition of an individual as belonging to the highest stratum in the absence of his direct participation in management. That is why T. Parsons, considering the social hierarchy as a necessary factor that ensures the viability of the social system, links its configuration with the system of dominant values ​​in society. In his understanding, the location of social strata on the hierarchical ladder is determined by the ideas that have formed in society about the significance of each of them.

Observations of the actions and behavior of specific individuals gave impetus to the development status explanation of social inequality. Each person, occupying a certain place in society, acquires his own status. is an inequality of status, resulting both from the ability of individuals to perform a particular social role (for example, to be competent to manage, to have the appropriate knowledge and skills to be a doctor, lawyer, etc.), and from the opportunities that allow a person to achieve one or another position in society (ownership of property, capital, origin, belonging to influential political forces).

Consider economic view to the problem. In accordance with this point of view, the root cause of social inequality lies in the unequal attitude to property, the distribution of material wealth. most brightly this approach appeared in Marxism. According to his version, the emergence of private property led to the social stratification of society, the formation antagonistic classes. The exaggeration of the role of private property in the social stratification of society led Marx and his followers to the conclusion that it is possible to eliminate social inequality by establishing public ownership of the means of production.

The lack of a unified approach to explaining the origins of social inequality is due to the fact that it is always perceived at least at two levels. First, as a property of society. Written history knows no societies without social inequality. The struggle of people, parties, groups, classes is a struggle for the possession of greater social opportunities, advantages and privileges. If inequality is an inherent property of society, then it carries a positive functional load. Society reproduces inequality because it needs it as a source of life support and development.

Secondly, inequality always perceived as unequal relations between people, groups. Therefore, it becomes natural to seek to find the origins of this unequal position in the peculiarities of a person's position in society: in the possession of property, power, in the personal qualities of individuals. This approach is now widely used.

Inequality has many faces and manifests itself in various parts of a single social organism: in the family, in an institution, at an enterprise, in small and large social groups. It is necessary condition organization of social life. Parents, having an advantage in experience, skills, and financial resources in comparison with their young children, have the opportunity to influence the latter, facilitating their socialization. The functioning of any enterprise is carried out on the basis of the division of labor into managerial and subordinate-executive. The appearance of a leader in the team helps to unite it, turn it into a stable education, but at the same time it is accompanied by the provision leader of special rights.

Any, organization strive to save inequalities seeing in it ordering beginning, without which it is impossible reproduction of social ties and integration of the new. The same property belongs to society as a whole.

Ideas about social stratification

All societies known to history were organized in such a way that some social groups always had a privileged position over others, which was expressed in an unequal distribution of social benefits and powers. In other words, social inequality is inherent in all societies without exception. Even the ancient philosopher Plato argued that any city, no matter how small it may be, is actually divided into two halves - one for the poor, the other for the rich, and they are at enmity with each other.

Therefore, one of the basic concepts of modern sociology is "social stratification" (from Latin stratum - layer + facio - I do). Thus, the Italian economist and sociologist V. Pareto believed that social stratification, changing in form, existed in all societies. At the same time, as the famous sociologist of the XX century believed. P. Sorokin, in any society, at any time, there is a struggle between the forces of stratification and the forces of leveling.

The concept of "stratification" came to sociology from geology, where they denote the location of the Earth's layers along a vertical line.

Under social stratification we will understand the vertical cut of the location of individuals and groups in horizontal layers (strata) according to such characteristics as income inequality, access to education, the amount of power and influence, and professional prestige.

In Russian, the analogue of this recognized concept is social stratification.

The basis of stratification is social differentiation - the process of emergence of functionally specialized institutions and division of labor. A highly developed society is characterized by a complex and differentiated structure, a diverse and rich status-role system. At the same time, some social statuses and roles are inevitably preferable and more productive for individuals, as a result of which they are more prestigious and desirable for them, and some are considered by the majority as somewhat humiliating, associated with a lack of social prestige and a low standard of living in general. It does not follow from this that all statuses that have arisen as a product of social differentiation are arranged in a hierarchical order; some of them, such as age, do not contain grounds for social inequality. Thus, the status of a young child and the status of a nursing infant are not unequal, they are simply different.

Inequality between people exists in every society. This is quite natural and logical, given that people differ in their abilities, interests, life preferences, value orientations, etc. In every society, there are poor and rich, educated and uneducated, enterprising and unenterprising, those in power and those without it. In this regard, the problem of the origin of social inequality, attitudes towards it and ways to eliminate it has always aroused increased interest, not only among thinkers and politicians, but also among ordinary people who consider social inequality as an injustice.

In the history of social thought, the inequality of people was explained in different ways: by the initial inequality of souls, divine providence, imperfection of human nature, functional necessity by analogy with the body.

German economist K. Marx linked social inequality with the emergence of private property and the struggle of interests of various classes and social groups.

German sociologist R. Dahrendorf also believed that the economic and status inequality underlying the ongoing conflict of groups and classes and the struggle for the redistribution of power and status is formed as a result of the market mechanism for regulating supply and demand.

Russian-American sociologist P. Sorokin explained the inevitability of social inequality by the following factors: internal biopsychic differences of people; the environment (natural and social), which objectively puts individuals in an unequal position; the joint collective life of individuals, which requires the organization of relations and behavior, which leads to the stratification of society into the ruled and the managers.

American sociologist T. Pearson explained the existence of social inequality in every society by the presence of a hierarchical system of values. For example, in American society, success in business and career is considered the main social value, therefore, scientists of technological specialties, plant directors, etc., have a higher status and income, while in Europe the dominant value is “preservation of cultural patterns”, in connection with what society gives special prestige to humanities intellectuals, clergymen, university professors.

Social inequality, being inevitable and necessary, manifests itself in all societies at all stages of historical development; only the forms and degree of social inequality change historically. Otherwise, individuals would lose the incentive to engage in complex and laborious, dangerous or uninteresting activities, to improve their skills. With the help of inequality in income and prestige, society encourages individuals to engage in necessary, but difficult and unpleasant professions, encourages more educated and talented people, and so on.

The problem of social inequality is one of the most acute and topical in modern Russia. A feature of the social structure of Russian society is a strong social polarization - the division of the population into poor and rich in the absence of a significant middle stratum, which is the basis of an economically stable and developed state. Strong social stratification, characteristic of modern Russian society, reproduces a system of inequality and injustice, in which the opportunities for independent self-realization in life and raising social status are limited for a fairly large part of the Russian population.

OCR: Allan Shade[email protected] , http://janex.narod.ru/Shade/socio.htm

Jean JacquesRousseau

DISCUSSION ON THE ORIGINS AND GROUNDS OF INEQUALITY BETWEEN PEOPLE

Non in depravatis, sed in his quae bene secimdum naturam se habent, considerandum est quid sit naturale.

Aristot. Politic[a], lib. I, cap. II*.

REPUBLIC OF GENEVA 1

THE MOST OUTSTANDING, HIGHLY REPRESENTED

I INFLUENTIAL GOVERNERS!

Convinced that it is only fitting for a virtuous citizen to give his country the honors that it could openly receive, I have been laboring for thirty years 2 to earn the right to pay you a public tribute; now a happy chance partly makes up for what my efforts could not do, and I thought that I would be allowed to conform more to the zeal that animated me than to the right, which should have given me sufficient authority to do so. Since I had the good fortune to be born among you, how can I reflect on the equality between people, which is ordained by nature itself, and on the inequality that is established by people 3, without thinking about the deep wisdom with which both are happily combined in this Does the state contribute, in the manner closest to natural law and in the most favorable way for society, to the maintenance of public order and the happiness of private individuals? Seeking out the principles that common sense might suggest regarding the constitution of a Board, I was so amazed to see them all in action in your Board that even if I hadn't been born within your walls, I couldn't, I guess, not give that picture. of human society to that of all peoples, which, it seems to me, enjoys the greatest benefits of such a Government and is best able to prevent possible abuses.

* Not according to what is perverted, but according to what is quite in accordance with nature, one should conclude about what is natural.

Aristotle 4 . Politics, book. I, ch. And (lat.)

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If it were given to me to choose the place of my birth, I would choose a society, the number of which would be limited to 5 human abilities, that is, the ability to be well governed, a society where everyone would be in their place and therefore no one would be forced to transfer to others the official duties entrusted to it - the State, where all private individuals would know each other, from the eyes and judgment of the people, therefore, neither the dark machinations of vice, nor the modesty of virtue could hide, and where this pleasant habit of seeing and knowing each other would make love to to the fatherland rather by love for fellow citizens than for this or that territory.

I would like to be born in a country where the sovereign and the people could have only the same interests, so that all the movements of the machine were always directed only to the general happiness; and as this can only happen when the people and the sovereign are one and the same person, it follows that I would like to be born under a government that is democratic, reasonably moderate.

I would like to live and die free, i.e., in such a way subject to the laws that neither I nor anyone else could throw off their honorary yoke, this saving and light yoke, under which the proudest heads bow the more obediently. that they are incapable of bowing down to anything else 6 .

So, I would like that no one in the State could place himself above the Law and that no one from outside could impose any law that the State would be obliged to recognize. For, whatever the structure of the Board, if there is at least one single person who will not be subject to the Law, then all the rest will inevitably be in the power of this last (1) ; and if there is one ruler belonging to a given people, and another alien to it, 7 then no matter how they divide power among themselves, it is impossible that both should be given due obedience to both and that the state be properly governed.

I would in no way want to live in a newly formed Republic, no matter how good its laws, for fear that the form of Government, arranged, perhaps differently than it would be required at the moment, would not correspond to new citizens or citizens would not corresponding-

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a new form of government would be accepted, and the State would be in danger of upheaval and destruction almost from its very birth. For freedom is like that coarse and succulent food or those noble wines, which nourish and strengthen the strong and those who are accustomed to them, but only weigh down, weaken and intoxicate the weak and pampered who are not accustomed to them. The peoples, already accustomed to having overlords, are no longer able to do without them. If they try to overthrow the yoke, they move farther away from freedom, because they take for freedom unrestrained licentiousness, which is its opposite; such upheavals almost always leave these people in the hands of seducers who only increase their chains. Even the people of Rome, this model of all free peoples, were not able to govern themselves when they emerged from the yoke of the Tarquins 8 . Having already fallen low in slavery and in the shameful work that Tarquinias piled on him, he was at first only a senseless mob; it had to be handled with care and managed with the greatest wisdom, so that, gradually getting used to breathing the beneficial air of freedom, these souls, weakened, or rather, hardened under the power of tyranny, gradually acquired that severity of morals and that courageous pride, which turned them, after all, into the most worthy of respect of all peoples. I would therefore try to find a fatherland for myself in a happy and peaceful Republic, in which antiquity would be lost, so to speak, in the darkness of time, which would be subjected only to such trials that they were able to strengthen courage and love for the fatherland in its inhabitants, and where citizens long accustomed to wise independence, would not only be free, but worthy of freedom.

I would like to choose for myself a fatherland, alien, thanks to a happy inability to them, a bloodthirsty passion for conquests and delivered, thanks to an even more fortunate geographical position, from the fear of becoming itself the prey of another State; a free city located among many nations, none of which would benefit from capturing it 9 ; in a word, a Republic which would not in any way tempt the ambitions of its neighbors, and which could justly count on their help in case of need. It follows from this that in such a happy

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in her current position, she would have nothing to fear but herself; and if its citizens practiced the use of weapons, they would do it rather to maintain that militant ardor and that courageous pride, which is so in the face of freedom and nourishes the love of freedom, than from the need to take care of self-defense.

I would try to find a country where the right to legislate would belong to all citizens, for who can know better than the citizens themselves under what conditions it is fitting for them to live together in the same society? But I would not approve of plebiscites like those of the Romans, when the leaders of the State and the people most interested in its preservation were excluded from the consultations on which its salvation often depended, and where, as a result of the absurd inconsistency of laws, the magistrates would be deprived of those rights that used by ordinary citizens.

I would, on the contrary, close the way to selfish and ill-understood bills and dangerous innovations, which finally ruined the Athenians, and that therefore not everyone should be able to propose new laws when and how he pleases; that this right should belong to the magistrates alone 10 ; that the magistrates themselves use it very carefully; that the people, for their part, should be just as careful when they give their assent to these laws; so that their promulgation could only take place under such a procedure that, before the state structure was shaken, people would have time to convince themselves that it is the great antiquity of the laws that makes them sacred and revered. Because people soon begin to despise such laws, which change daily before their eyes, and because, accustomed to neglecting old customs, people often bring in a greater evil in order to correct a lesser one.

And especially I would flee, as inevitably ill-governed, such a Republic, where the people, believing that they can do without their magistrates, or that they can give them only an illusory power, imprudently retain in their hands the administration of civil affairs and the implementation of their own laws. : this should have been the imperfect structure of the first Boards, "coming directly from the natural

reasoning about the origin of inequality 57

state, and this was one of the vices that ruined the Athenian Republic.

But I would choose such a Republic, where private individuals, content with the fact that they would approve the laws in common and, on the recommendation of the rulers, decide the most important public affairs, establish respected governments, carefully delineate individual departments, elect from year to year the most able and most incorruptible of their fellow citizens to administer justice and rule the state; and where the virtues of the magistrates would thus testify to the wisdom of the people, both the former and the latter would deeply revere each other. So, if at some time pernicious misunderstandings violated social harmony, 12 then these times of blindness and error would be marked by a manifestation of restraint, mutual respect and general admiration for the laws: this is the foreshadowing and guarantee of a sincere and eternal inner peace.

Such are the essence, most illustrious, highly esteemed and sovereign sovereigns, of the advantages that I would like to find in the fatherland that I would choose for myself. And if Providence added to this a lovely location, a temperate climate, fertile soil, and the most delightful view that exists under heaven, then for the fullness of my happiness, I would only want to enjoy all these benefits in the bosom of this happy fatherland, living peacefully in pleasant fellowship. with my fellow citizens, showing humanity, friendship and all the virtues towards them and following their example, and leaving a good memory of myself as a virtuous person and an honest and valiant patriot.

If, less happy or too late in wisdom, I were forced in other parts to end a fading life burdened with illnesses, regretting the rest and peace that my imprudent youth deprived me of, I would at least harbor in my soul the same feelings, which I could not give an outlet in my country, and, imbued with tender and disinterested love for my distant fellow citizens, I would address to them from the depths of my soul such a speech, approximately:

“My dear fellow citizens, or rather my brothers, because the bonds of blood, like laws, bind us almost all. I am glad that I cannot think of you without thinking

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at the same time about all the benefits that you use and the price of which, perhaps, no one knows better than I, who lost them. The more I think about your political and civil position, the less I can imagine that there can be a better state of human affairs in nature. Under all other forms of Government, when it comes to securing the greatest good of the State, everything is constantly limited to one project, or, at the most, only opportunities. As for you, your happiness is completely created, it remains to use it, and in order to become completely happy, you only need to be able to be content with your happiness. Your sovereignty, acquired or won back by the edge of the sword and guarded for two centuries by your valor and wisdom, is finally fully and universally recognized. Your state system is excellent, it is dictated by the highest reason and guaranteed by friendly and respected powers; your State is peaceful: you have no fear of wars or conquerors; you have no other rulers than the wise laws that you have drawn up, enforced by incorruptible magistrates, chosen by you. You are not so rich as to be weakened by effeminacy and lose your taste for true happiness and true virtues in vain pleasures, and not so poor as to need help from outside to make up for what your diligent work does not provide you with. And it costs you next to nothing to maintain this precious freedom, which the great nations maintain only with the help of exorbitant taxes.

May this Republic exist forever, for the happiness of its citizens and as an example to the peoples, so wisely and so happily arranged! This is the only vow you have left to proclaim, and the only concern is yours. From now on, it depends on you not to create your own happiness - your ancestors saved you from this work - but to strengthen it, using it wisely. From your constant unity, from your obedience to the laws, from your respect for their servants, your well-being depends. If the slightest germs of malice and distrust remain among you, hasten to destroy them as pernicious seedlings, from which sooner or later your misfortunes and the death of the state will sprout.

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stva. I urge you all to look into the depths of your soul and listen to the secret voice of your conscience. Do any of you in the whole universe know a corporation more enlightened and more worthy of respect than the corporation of your magistracy. Do not all its members give you an example of moderation, simplicity of manners and the most sincere consent? Grant unreservedly to such wise leaders that saving trust which reason owes to virtue; remember that they have been chosen by you, that they justify this election, and that the honors due to those whom you have placed in high positions are inevitably transferred to you yourself. There is not a single person among you who is so little enlightened as not to know that where the power of laws and the strength of their defenders cease, there can be neither security nor freedom for anyone. What is required of you but to do with due confidence what you would still be obliged to do, following your true interests, duty and in the name of reason. Let no criminal and pernicious indifference to the maintenance of the state never induce you to disregard the wise opinions of the most enlightened and most zealous among you; but may justice, moderation, and most of all respectable firmness, continue to govern all your actions, and in you show to the whole world an example of a proud and modest people, as jealous of their glory as they are of their freedom. Be especially wary - and this will be my last advice - ever listen to sinister rumors and poisonous speeches, 13 whose secret motives are often more dangerous than the actions they have as their goal. The whole house wakes up and becomes alarmed, as soon as the voice of a kind and faithful watchman is heard, who barks only at the approach of thieves; but everyone hates the importunity of these noisy animals, who incessantly disturb the public peace and whose constant and inappropriate warnings are not even heard when they are needed.

AND YOU, THE MOST OUTSTANDING AND HIGHEST REPRESENTED GOVERNERS, YOU,

worthy and respected magistrates of a free people, allow me to bring you personally my tribute and reverence. If there is a position in the world capable of glorifying those who occupy it, then this is certainly

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the position that talents and virtue bring, the position that you have become worthy of and to which your fellow citizens have elevated you. Their own merits give new brilliance to yours, and because you are chosen by people capable of governing others in order to govern themselves, I find that you stand as much above other magistrates as a free people, and especially the people whom you govern. you have the honor, stands in your enlightenment and in your mind above the mob of other states.

May I be allowed to give an example of which a more lasting memory should remain and which will always live in my heart. I cannot remember, without feeling the sweetest emotion, the virtuous citizen 14 to whom I owe my birth and who often spoke to me in childhood about the respect that you should show. I still see him, living by the labor of his hands and feeding his soul with the most exalted truths. I see the books of Tacitus, Plutarch and Grotius 15 lying before him, mixed with his working tools. I see beside him his beloved son, listening with too little profit to the tender instructions of the best of fathers. But if the errors of reckless youth made me forget such wise lessons for some time, I still got the happiness to experience for myself in the end that, however strong the propensity to vice, it is difficult to expect that the fruits of education, in which part souls are lost forever.

Such are the essence, the most illustrious and highly esteemed sovereigns, citizens and even simple inhabitants 18, born in the state that you govern; such are these experienced and sensible people, about whom, under the name of workers and people, other nations have such low and so false ideas. My father - I gladly admit it - did not stand out among his fellow citizens at all: he was like them all; and whatever he may be, there is not a single place where the most worthy people would not seek his company and maintain relations with him, and even for their own benefit. It does not befit me, and, thank God, there is no need to tell you about the respect that people of this temper, equal to you both in education, can expect from you,

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so by natural right and birthright, but having placed themselves below you of their own free will, on account of your merits, to which they ought, and have, preferred, and for which you in turn owe them some kind of gratitude. I notice with lively satisfaction with what meekness and condescension you soften the severity that befits the servants of the laws; how generously do you repay them with respect and attention for the obedience and respect they owe you: this behavior, full of justice and wisdom, is able to more and more obliterate the memory of those unfortunate events 17, which must be forgotten, so that never again see them again; this behavior is all the more thorough because this just and generous people turns their duty into a pleasure, because they naturally like to honor you, and that those who most ardently defend their rights are most inclined to respect yours.

It should not seem surprising that the leaders of civil society love its glory and happiness; but it is more than surprising to the tranquility of men when those who look upon themselves as magistrates, or rather as lords of a more sacred and exalted homeland, show love for the earthly homeland that feeds them. How gratifying it is for me that I can make such a rare exception in our favor and place in the ranks of our best citizens these zealous guardians of the sacred dogmas approved by the laws, these venerable shepherds of souls, whose lively and sweet eloquence all the better confirms the commandments of the Gospel in our hearts, that they always start by doing them yourself. Everyone knows with what success the high art of preaching is perfected in Geneva. But since people are too accustomed to seeing that they say one thing and do another, only a few know to what extent the spirit of Christianity reigns in the corporation of our clergy, the holiness of morals, strictness towards oneself and gentleness towards others. Perhaps only one city - Geneva - should show the world an edifying example of such a perfect unity in the ranks of a society of theologians and writers 19 ; and on their recognized wisdom and moderation, on their zeal for the prosperity of the state, I and

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I largely hope for his eternal peace; and I note with pleasure, mingled with astonishment and reverence, how they shudder at the principles of those barbarians who are considered sacred, 20 of whom history gives us more than one example and who, in order to protect the so-called divine rights, that is, their interests, poured human blood is all the more generous because their own, as they flattered themselves with hope, must always be spared.

Can I forget about that precious half of the Republic, which is the happiness of the other, and with which meekness and wisdom maintain peace and good morals in it. Kind and virtuous citizens, your sex will always be destined to rule ours. How joyful if your chaste power, manifested only in marital union, makes itself felt only for the glory of the state and universal happiness! This is how the women in Sparta commanded, and this is how you are worthy to rule in Geneva. What barbarian man can resist the voice of honor and reason in the mouth of a tender wife? and who does not feel contempt for useless luxury at the sight of your simple and modest attire, to which your personal dignity gives such brilliance that this outfit already seems to be the happiest addition to your beauty? It is up to you always, by your amiable and innocent power and your subtle mind, to maintain the love of the laws in the State and harmony among citizens, to unite hostile families through happy marriages and above all to correct, by the convincing meekness of your instructions and the modest elegance of your conversation, the bad manners that our youth adopts. in other lands, from where, instead of so many useful things that could be useful for them, our young people bring with them, along with a childish tone and ridiculous manners borrowed from fallen women, only admiration for I don’t know what so-called ideals, outwardly brightening slavish state, before ideals that will never replace sacred freedom. Be always what you are - chaste guardians of morals and gentle bonds of the world; and continue to defend on every occasion the rights of the heart and nature for the benefit of duty and virtue.

Reasoning about the origin of inequality 63

I want to think that I shall not be refuted by the facts when I base on such pledges my hope for the general happiness of the citizens and the glory of the Republic. I admit that, having all these advantages, the Republic will not shine with that brilliance that dazzles most eyes and the childish and pernicious passion for which is the deadliest enemy of both happiness and freedom. Let the perverted youth look elsewhere for easy pleasures and then for a long repentance; let so-called people of taste in other places admire the splendor of palaces, the beauty of carriages, the refinement of furniture, the pomp of spectacles, and all the refinements of effeminacy and luxury. In Geneva, you can only see people; but such a spectacle, of course, has its price, and those who seek it, of course, are worth more than the admirers of everything else.

Deign, most illustrious, highly esteemed and sovereign sovereigns, all with the same kindness, to accept respectful evidence of how dear your general well-being is to me. If I have turned out to be so unhappy that I am guilty of a somewhat immodest enthusiasm for this living outpouring of my soul, then I beg you to forgive me this enthusiasm, seeing in it only the tender affection of a true patriot and the ardent and legitimate zeal of a person who knows no greater happiness for himself than see you all happy.

With deepest respect,

THE GREATEST, -

HIGHLY RECOGNIZED AND POSSESSIVE GOVERNERS,

your humble and obedient servant and fellow citizen Jean Jacques Rousseau.

FOREWORD

The most useful and least advanced of all human knowledge seems to me to be the knowledge of man (P); and I dare say that one inscription of the Delphic temple 22 contained an instruction more important and deeper than all the thick books of the moralists. Therefore, I look at the subject of this discussion as one of the most interesting questions that philosophy can put forward for discussion, and, unfortunately for us, as one of the most delicate questions that philosophers could solve, for how to know the source of inequality between people if you do not start with the knowledge of themselves? and how will man be able to see himself as nature made him, through all the changes that the successive change of times and things had to make in his original organization, and to separate what was inherent in him from the very beginning, from what circumstances and development was added to its original state or changed in it? Like the statue of Glaucus 23, which time, sea and storms disfigured so much that it looked not so much like a god as like a wild beast, the human soul, perverted in society due to a thousand reasons, constantly renewed, due to the acquisition of a lot of knowledge and delusions, changes in physique and constant conflict of passions, has changed, so to speak, her appearance almost beyond recognition, and we now find in her, instead of a being who always acts according to certain and unchanging principles, instead of that heavenly and majestic simplicity that her creator captured in her, only an ugly contradiction between passion, which believes that it is reasoning, and reason in delirium.

It is even more cruel that all the successes of the human race constantly move it away from its original state, and, consequently, the more we accumulate new

Reasoning about the origin of inequality 65

knowledge, the more we deprive ourselves of the means to acquire the most important of all; so that, as we go deeper into the study of man, we, in a certain sense, lose the ability to know him.

It is not difficult to see that it is precisely in these successive changes in the nature of man that we must look for the first sources of differences between people, who, according to the general opinion, were as equal among themselves, as animals of each species were equal, before various physical causes caused formation among some species. of the varieties now noted by us in them. Indeed, it would be incomprehensible if all these changes, whatever their cause, should immediately and in the same way reshape all individuals of this species; but while some became more perfect or degenerated and acquired various new qualities, good or bad, which were not inherent in their nature, others remained longer in their original state. And such was the first source of inequality among men, which is easier to show, therefore, in a general form, than to indicate with precision its true causes.

Let not my readers think that I dare to flatter myself with the hope that I have seen what seems to me so difficult to see. I began a few discussions, I ventured to make a few conjectures, not so much in the hope of resolving this question, but with the intention of making it clear and bringing it into its true form. Others will easily go further along the same path, but it will not be easy for anyone to reach the limit, for it is not an easy undertaking to single out what is innate and what is artificial in the present nature of man, and to fully know a state that no longer exists, which may never be. there was 24 which will probably never exist, and of which one must nevertheless have a correct idea in order to properly judge our present state. Even more than is thought, firmness of mind will be required for one who will undertake to determine exactly what precautions to take in order to make serious observations on this subject, and the correct solution of the following problem does not seem to me unworthy of the Aristotle and Pliny of our century 25: What experiments will be necessary in order to be able to know the natural man? and what are the means by which 3-3575

Author information

Polovnikova E.P.

Place of work, position:

MOU Gymnasium No. 2, Belgorod

Belgorod region

Characteristics of the lesson (classes)

The level of education:

Basic general education

The target audience:

Teacher (teacher)

Class(es):

Item(s):

Story

The purpose of the lesson:

1. Lead students to understand the causes of inequality between people.
2. Ensure the assimilation of the concepts of "inequality", "neighborhood community", "know".
3. To continue the formation of skills to retell the content of the text of the textbook, to compare and describe the tools of labor, to highlight the causes of historical events at an elementary level.

Used textbooks and tutorials:

Vigasin, Goder, Sventsitskaya, History of the Ancient World, Grade 5

Used methodological literature:

Araslavnoa. lesson developments on the history of the ancient world

Used equipment:

textbook, workbook, computer, projector.

Short description:

A lesson in learning new material and repeating what has been learned

During the classes

1. Organizational moment

II. Updating the basic knowledge of students on the topic: "The emergence of agriculture and animal husbandry"

1. Preparation of oral answers on cards No. 5 and No. 6.

Sample student response: The women noticed that the fallen grains were sprouting. They began to sow it. The first crops that man mastered were wild barley and wheat. The land was cultivated with a hoe (a wooden stick with a sharp knot). Coming from hunting, men sometimes brought the young of killed animals. They left them in their home. So the man got a dog. Later - sheep, goats, pigs, cows. The emergence of cattle breeding and agriculture gave man permanent food.

Sample student response: People learned to weave baskets from branches, began to coat them with clay. But when it rained, the clay got wet. Then they began to dry and fire clay containers. To give strength to clay dough, sawdust and crushed shells were added. The fabric was made from flax and hemp fibers. Wool was spun. The appearance of these occupations gave man clothes and utensils.

2. Work with the class.

Fill in the missing words:

The first farmers dug up the earth with a wooden __________ - (hoe).

The ears were cut with _________ (sickle).

The grains were ground on _____________________ (grain grater).

They cut down trees _____________________ (with a wooden ax).

Agriculture and cattle breeding originated in Western ____________ (Asia).

They learned to make ____________ (dishes) from clay.

Women learned to _________ (weave) and ______ (spin).

3. Detailed answers of students on cards No. 5 and No. 6.

III. Transition to the study of a new topic

Introduction by the teacher. So, agriculture and animal husbandry provided additional food for humans. Getting them to a greater extent now depended on himself. Therefore, a person improves his skills in these activities. Individual masters appear among people who do something better than others. They are called artisans, and what they do is a craft. The emergence of artisans (professionals) will cause changes in the tools of human labor, and this will lead to the appearance of inequality among people.

Task for students: What is inequality ?

IV. Exploring a new topic

1) Processing of metals.

2) The invention of the plow.

H) The collapse of tribal communities.

4) The emergence of inequality and the nobility.

The topic of the lesson is written on the board, new words: hoe, plow, inequality, classes, state.

1. Teacher's story.

A very long time ago, people noticed that some stones do not crack on impact. Once in the fire, they soften and harden into a new shape. Have you guessed what these stones are? (These are copper nuggets. They could be smelted and made tools that were stronger than wood.)

This is what the old man did. He learned how to make a mold out of stone, pour it with molten copper, and make metal tools. It happened about nine thousand years ago in Western Asia. Thus began the development of metals by man.

2. Work with the illustration of the textbook (p. 23 of the textbook).

• How was the copper ax cast?
• What was the significance of the development of copper for man? (Tools and weapons made of copper were stronger than wood. This means that they could work the land better).

Conversation with students on the read text.

• Find out how the plow came about.
• What was the significance of the plow? ( Harvests have become better, it has become easier to cultivate the land. Now some people could work in the field, while others could do crafts. So they could exchange their products).

4. Solving a creative problem.

During archaeological excavations, archaeologists found two burials. In one of them, beads made of precious stones were preserved on the chest of the deceased, on his forehead - the remains of a golden crown. Copper axes and a dagger lay next to the body. Near the wall of the grave stood gold and silver vessels with images of a leopard, a lion, a horse, and an antelope. In the other - only a copper axe. What conclusions about people's lives can be drawn from these data? ( emergence of rich and poor).

5. Working with new concepts. On the board and in the notebook.

Inequality the emergence of rich and poor people.

6. Teacher's story.

Why is there inequality? ?

We found out that a person learned to process metal, invented a plow. Now each family could independently cultivate the land. tribal community breaks up into separate families. In relation to each other, relatives become neighbors. The tribal community is being replaced by the neighboring community a.

But how to divide the land among relatives? Probably, this issue is decided by the elder, who reserves the best plots of land for himself and his close relatives. This is how the rich and the poor appear, i.e. inequality.

Now the tribesmen are divided into more "strong", powerful and more "weak", dependent. In other words, there is hierarchy. The tribal society becomes much more complexly organized. It needs special management tools - military force, bureaucracy.

Thus, the state is born.

State- this is an organization of society in which there are boundaries, power, laws and tax collection.

U. Consolidation of the studied material

• The solution to the crossword puzzle "Be able to read."

1. A means of human transportation on water from ancient times to the present day.

2. A group of relatives who worked together and had common property.

3. One of the first occupations of man.

4. The first metal mastered by man.

5. The first tool for cultivating the land.

6. A farmer's tool 5-6 thousand years ago.

7. Pet.

8. Material for the cultivation of dishes on a potter's wheel.

9. The first tool and weapon of the most ancient man.

10. The union of clans living in the same area.

Answers: 1. Boat. 2. Rod. 3. Hunting. 4. Copper. 5. Hoe. 6. Plow. 7. Dog. 8. Clay. 9. Chopped. 10. Tribe.

UI. Lesson summary

• What new did we learn at the lesson today? ( With the development of metals, the tools of labor change, the tribal community is replaced by the neighboring one, and inequality appears. Those. separation of rich and poor people.)
• Homework: 1. Prepare for a recapitulation lesson.

3. Repeat new concepts from the entire section:

history, historical source, human herd, tribal community, tools, inequality, religion, art.

12. The stratification of society

Inequality between people exists in any society. This is quite natural, given that all people have differences, and it is just as impossible to make them equal as it is impossible to make everyone the same externally and internally. Even with the same income, some live economically, while others experience a constant shortage of funds. Absolute equality is a dream that allows one to hope that a society of complete social justice will one day be built.

People have repeatedly made attempts to build a socially just society. Almost constantly, with varying intensity, there is a struggle between the rich and the poor. Sectors with low and middle incomes do not want to put up with the fact that a significant part of social wealth belongs to a narrow circle of people, so they are trying to eliminate the existing injustice.

The greed of the rich, their unwillingness to share funds with the rest of society - this is one of the reasons leading to unbridled stratification. Bloody revolutions, change of political regimes - these are the consequences of the indifferent attitude of the "elite" to ordinary people, to those who actually create all material wealth, receiving little in return.

At the moment, it has not been possible to achieve social justice in society. Not a single revolution was able to eliminate inequality, and after any of them stratification arose again, the spiral of the class hierarchy twisted in a new way, accumulating energy for the next social upheavals.

Significant inequality polarizes society, perpetuates social injustice, making some masters of life and eternal executors (slaves) of others. Inequality is accompanied by poverty, which creates fertile ground for the marginalization of the population, inciting a person to join criminal communities, extremist, terrorist organizations. It is because of poverty that people often fall under bad influence, follow where they promise quick earnings and a good life.

It seems that the easiest way to eliminate inequality, to take and equally share all public wealth. But how then to evaluate the work of an idler and a hardworking person, how to encourage the best? This issue should not be looked for simple solutions. Achieving equality among people is not easy, if only because there are too many reasons due to which there is a stratification among people. The civilized approach does not consist in striving to completely eradicate the causes of inequality, but in fighting so that it does not take on excessive, depressing forms.

The emergence of inequality in society can be explained by:

• natural differences between people;
• social and public factors;
• features of the social and state structure.

1. Natural differences between people (differences due to the natural data of a person)

All people differ in their possession:

• mental abilities, talents;
• entrepreneurial skills;
• knowledge and experience;
• moral, value orientations;
• physical, external data.

Mental capacity help a person in any activity. They allow you to acquire knowledge, help you solve problems, find non-standard solutions, make discoveries, and develop the right behavior strategy. All this contributes to the material well-being of a person and the appearance of inequality.

Talented people have unequal opportunities compared to the rest. If their unique natural talents are in demand by society, and not wasted, then they achieve success and recognition.

Entrepreneurial ability include a set of qualities, skills that allow a person to find opportunities for profit while engaging in any type of activity, make reasonable consistent decisions, create and apply innovations, and take acceptable, justified risk. Entrepreneurial skills are to some extent related to mental abilities, but still have some differences. These additionally include the ability to communicate, establish relationships, establish contacts with people and maintain relationships with them. There is also an entrepreneurial instinct that allows a person to intuitively make the right decisions.

Knowledge and experience important in any business. An experienced person has undeniable advantages over a person who for the first time decides on a new business for himself. Without experience and knowledge, it is easy to make mistakes. It takes time to accumulate experience, and during this period a person often acts recklessly, acting "at random". However, it is much more rational to study the knowledge gained by other people. This will avoid many wrong actions.

In the modern world, moral attitudes do not help, but, on the contrary, interfere with earning big money. Positive moral qualities do not allow the use of dishonest methods for enrichment. Those who use such techniques usually win. However, in order to create an equal competitive environment, where everyone succeeds with their skills and abilities, and not with cunning and deceit, compliance with moral rules is a necessary condition.

External Data play a significant role in life. It is easier for a beautiful person to achieve greater success with the opposite sex, it is easier to successfully marry, marry, and also get a job where external data matters.

Physical Data allow a person to feel good, work without significant stress. Lack of physical data can become a limitation for work in some areas. It can be hard for a person with poor health or a disabled person to work, even at the easiest job.

Alas, in modern society, cases are not uncommon showing that the advantages described above do not work. So, situations arise in teams when, in the general mass of employees, the most intelligent, talented person is "overwritten", they do not give him the opportunity to open up, show himself to the fullest. Often, management fears smart, responsible employees, assuming that they can take their place.

2. Inequality due to social and social factors:

• having unequal opportunities at birth;
• different levels of education;
• gender inequality;
• inequality due to age;
• inequality by nationality, race;
• inequality in place of residence;
• inequality due to family composition;
• possession of a profitable profession, position;
• a fortunate combination of circumstances conducive to the enrichment of a person.

Possession of unequal opportunities at birth

A child born in a family of wealthy parents has more opportunities. His parents can afford to hire tutors for individual lessons, pay for classes in circles, sports clubs, and take care of the child's leisure. Financial resources are a guarantee of good education and full development. Of course, all this is true if parents really care about their children and their future, and are not preoccupied with demonstrating their own superiority, turning a child into an obligatory attribute of personal success.

Material possibilities dictate the way of life, create the illusion that one has only to wish, how everything will be fulfilled. In rich families, the problem associated with a lack of love and attention is very common. People busy with work, satisfaction of personal ambitions, deprive children of the most necessary thing - communication in the family. A child locked in a "golden cage" narrows the social circle, he becomes a stranger to peers from less wealthy families.

In low-income families, children are sometimes deprived of the most necessary: ​​good nutrition, quality clothing, normal living conditions. But it happens that difficulties do not always act negatively, sometimes they temper, teach to fight, to defend one's own position. As a result, a person adapts better to living conditions, gets used to achieving everything on his own, without relying on anyone.

The division of people into classes based on their origin is wrong. A person from a poor family who has received an education, has shown diligence and has gone through several levels of the social hierarchy, can be much better than a person with wealth from birth, devoid of understanding how difficult it is to achieve a high social position.

Different level of education

The lack of education in modern society is seen as a serious disadvantage that creates obstacles to employment. Even for unskilled positions, the employer prefers to hire a person with an education, because it raises labor discipline and cultural level. Uneducated people are more likely to work in less profitable sectors of the economy and are almost always in lower positions, resulting in low incomes.

The ongoing penetration into all spheres of life of computer science, electronics, technology makes new demands on modern workers, increases the demand for qualified, educated specialists. Now a person is required to have a high level of knowledge, the ability to learn quickly, assimilate new information, etc.

gender inequality

Biological differences between men and women create an insurmountable barrier to eliminating gender inequality. To overcome differences completely, for example, a woman will have to become as strong as a man, and a man will have to learn how to bear children. Differences between the sexes are manifested in thinking, temperament, perception, psyche, etc.

A woman will not be able to work in many male professions, especially where physical strength is required, and a man in women's. The division of professions by gender is quite natural. So, it is rare to meet a woman who wants to work as a loader, bricklayer, security guard or driver. It is also difficult to find a male caregiver, a nanny, a nurse, a seamstress, etc.

Society evaluates women's and men's labor differently. For some reason, women's professions are usually low-paid, even for the same job as a man, a woman often receives a lower salary. Perhaps this is because low wages for women are not seen as a serious problem, since it is assumed that most of them should be supported by the spouse. But this deprives women of independence and does not take into account the fact that, in fact, most of them do not receive any support from men.

The birth of a child by a woman is an obstacle to building a career. A woman drops out of work for some period, taking on a significant amount of unpaid, unappreciated domestic work. Burdened with children, she is simply forced to devote a significant part of her time to the house.

The structure of modern society is still very patriarchal: as a rule, men are engaged in highly paid and prestigious work. In countries with a low standard of living, low literacy and education, agriculture or other jobs with a predominance of manual labor remain the most important source of employment for women. In developed countries, women have the opportunity to study and work. They are more employed in health care, education, and other areas related to intellectual activity.

The double standard in relation to women is determined by traditions, customs, family values, existing ethics and morality. Gender inequality harms the entire society and negatively affects economic development. Countries where women enjoy equal rights are more developed and prosperous.

Inequality due to age

At each age, a person has different learning abilities, different creative and physical activity. It is not necessary to expect from an elderly person that he will be the same as a young one. Due to physiological changes with age, it becomes harder to absorb and remember information, harder to work. This is largely due to the negative attitude of employers towards people of pre-retirement age.

Young people also have problems with employment. A young man, a recent graduate of an educational institution, finds it difficult to find a job due to lack of experience. It turns out a vicious circle when there is no experience and nowhere to get it. Some employers discriminate against young people, pay lower wages than older employees, believing that they must first earn equal treatment. If society is aimed at the future, at development, then young people should integrate as quickly as possible into adult working life on equal terms. A person at a young age wants to earn money, live well, start a family, this requires significant funds.

Inequality by nationality, race

Apparently, the remnants of the slave system have not yet been completely eliminated, if people of a different nationality, race are limited in their choice of work and are forced to go to low-paid, hard work, change their place of residence, country in search of a better life. Integration into normal life in another country may take more than one decade, and all this time there will be obstacles to equal membership in society, especially if there are external differences, poor knowledge of local traditions, language.

But it's not just migrants who face challenges. Modern migration flows are gaining such strength that the population historically residing in a given territory may be in an unequal position, in the minority. National diasporas and clans defend their interests, ignoring the laws adopted in society, create the environment they need, frankly ousting the indigenous population from some areas of activity.

An employer who hires a migrant who is willing to work for "penny" harms, first of all, his fellow citizens, depriving them of employment opportunities. An excess number of migrants leads to a drop in wages in some sectors of the economy. When cheap labor is available, there is no need to improve production processes and increase labor productivity.

Inequality by place of residence

Discrimination at the place of residence is associated with unequal access to educational, medical and other services, with the inability to find a job in the specialty. This is clearly seen in cities, where there is only one city-forming enterprise, or in rural areas, where the range of occupations is limited to agriculture.

An obstacle to moving a person to more prosperous regions can be a lack of funds, lack of housing, unwillingness to part with loved ones. If a person decides to change the country of residence, then there will be additional difficulties in obtaining citizenship.

An ordinary person is not to blame for the fact that he was born, grew up and lives in a depressed region or country, that his social status is predetermined by unequal territorial opportunities.

The state itself differentiates the regions, establishing differences between them. People for equal work, depending on the region, receive different wages. Such differences can be justified only if there is an urgent need to attract the missing specialists, or as compensation for difficult climatic conditions. In all other cases, discrimination of people by place of residence cannot be justified in any way.

Possession of a profitable profession, position

Usually young people want to learn and get one of the prestigious professions in order to be in demand, highly paid specialists in the future. But this is not always possible to achieve for various reasons, one of them is unequal access to educational services. A person who is capable by nature can study at a school with "weak" teachers. As a result, his abilities will remain undiscovered by anyone.

A large difference in wages for individual professions gives rise to social inequality. The overvaluation of some of them leads to a significant difference in salaries by dozens of times, in relation to the average earnings of all other workers. The criteria for such differentiation are unclear. Indeed, with the appropriate organization of training, it is possible to fill the deficit of any specialists within a few years, or even months. Only a person with unique abilities and talents really deserves a high assessment of society, including in material terms. However, there are relatively few such people.

Managers have the highest salaries today. A manager, even a middle manager, can receive a salary equal to the salary of a small team. Is his contribution to the work so significant? Probably not. It's just that such a system has developed under which it is quite legal, commonplace for the appropriation of the results of social labor, which manifests itself in the form of inflated payments to the administrative apparatus. Otherwise, as legalized theft, this state of affairs cannot be called. A doctor who saves lives or a scientist who conducts important research receives a meager amount of money compared to the directors of large companies whose salaries can support entire organizations. The benefits from the activities of the management are not comparable with their income, in addition, it should be taken into account that the appointment to leadership positions is not always done in an honest, open way.

Inequality due to family composition

Let's take a family of two as an example. They are successful and make good money together. They can be attributed to the notorious middle class. At some point, they decide to have a baby. After a certain period of time, a woman goes on maternity leave, family incomes decrease. With the advent of a child, expenses increase, which further reduces the standard of living of the family. As a result, the middle class family will move closer to the less wealthy segments of the population. But what if there are already several children in the family?

To ensure the average per capita income of the middle class for a family of four or five people, the head of the family will have to work hard, losing health, sacrificing personal time, life. The situation is even worse when a woman is a single mother, deprived of support. Her social position is very precarious and almost always borders on poverty.

A fortunate combination of circumstances that contribute to the enrichment of a person

It's rare to win the lottery, but it does happen. A person can become a millionaire in an instant. Chance plays a big role in our life. Even many scientific discoveries were made completely by accident.

Some people are always in search of their soulmate and cannot find it in any way, they change jobs all their lives in search of more money and cannot earn anything. In contrast, others immediately get a good job, earn decent money, get married and live with one person all their lives. Here, luck plays a significant role. Winning the lottery, receiving an inheritance, unexpected success in business - all these events are random in nature and have a noticeable impact on a person's life.

An active life position will help to increase the likelihood of a successful combination of circumstances, because, as you know, water does not flow under a lying stone.

3. Inequality generated by the peculiarities of the social and state structure

The inequality associated with the existence of the state is expressed:

• the need to maintain a hierarchy;
• in possession of material values, property;
• in belonging to a certain group of persons, parties, diaspora, sects, etc. ;

Hierarchy in the state

In any control system there is a certain hierarchy, there are control centers and transmission links through which a separate object or objects is managed. When the hierarchy is eliminated, the system will be destroyed as a single integral structure.

In the state, the hierarchy is expressed in the form of the presence of branches of power and structures that perform the functions of management, execution and control in society. Power by its very existence creates inequality between those who have it and those who do not. It is not possible to eliminate such inequality, otherwise, the state itself will have to be destroyed.

The need to maintain control in society gives rise to the division of people into classes:

• managers, directly to whom the power belongs;
• people close to power, i.e. officials called to control and execute the will of the authorities;
• people protecting the authorities: the police, other law enforcement agencies;
• people occupying a privileged position in society, thanks to their position, wealth;
• ordinary people: workers, employees, intellectuals, who perform the main work of maintaining and servicing the entire state system.

People with public authority have special powers through which they can influence any organization, which puts them in the hierarchy above any head of a commercial company. Big business, realizing this, is trying to bring into power structures the people they need, organizes the defense of their interests. The merging of business and power is a problem of modern society, leading to the fact that a relatively small layer of the richest people begins to have full power, acting in purely personal interests, not paying attention to the opinion of the majority, putting proprietary interests above state ones.

Possession of wealth, property

The possession of the means of production, financial assets, and other types of property is one of the sources of social inequality between people. Property can be obtained by inheritance, gift, acquired with personal or borrowed funds, seized by force or through financial fraud.

Property, properly disposed of, is capable of generating profit for its owners. The money that is in circulation creates new money and makes those who possess it even richer, increasing social stratification.

Under the capitalist system, capital tends to be concentrated in a relatively small stratum of society - the financial elite. The concentration of significant resources in one hand creates an obstacle to the realization of the abilities of other people. Most of the society is forced to work for already successful people. Ordinary people are partly deprived of opportunities to realize their professional preferences, because they may not have enough funds to organize their own business, and it is very difficult to break into already occupied market niches. And yet, sometimes, an ordinary person manages to start his own business and successfully develop it.

In any field of activity, success is helped by several factors, among which the personal qualities of a person and a successful combination of external circumstances are especially significant. Having accumulated some funds, the owner of his own business seeks to expand it in order to feel more confident. Having reached a certain level in business, he joins a special privileged part of society. People with financial resources have significant opportunities and carry out managerial functions. They can set up businesses, hire workers, set wages. The owners of large commercial companies have a significant impact on the economy, on the lives of ordinary people.

The class of owners tries to fix its exclusive position in society by creating special living conditions for itself. Accumulated wealth is passed down from generation to generation, creating inequality regardless of human ability.

Belonging to a certain group of persons

A group of people, united by some common interests, is able to accumulate forces and means to maintain its existence. Adjacency of a person to a group promises him certain benefits. In case of life problems, there will be someone to turn to for help. The simplest and most famous example of a group of people is a family. It is in it, most often, that a person finds spiritual and material support.

Belonging to a political party, to a religious sect, or even to a criminal organization are all examples of groups that people usually belong to. They help their members in moving up the career ladder, assist in business. This is done with the expectation that, in the future, from a successful person it will be possible to receive any dividends for the rest of the group.

Ways to eliminate inequality

1. It is impossible to eliminate the causes of inequality due to internal and external differences between people. It is unfair to reduce everything to a simple "leveling", not paying attention to personal achievements and results. People who work better should earn more, this is quite logical. But it should be understood that no matter how unique talents a person possesses, he is in demand only because he lives in society. Without society, none of us could express ourselves, realize our abilities.

What would a person do with his talents if he suddenly found himself alone in a dense forest or on a desert island? Surely he would have waged a constant struggle for his existence, trying to simply survive. The usual comfort will disappear from his life, there will be no things that people use every day without much thought. Any disease will become extremely dangerous when there are no doctors and medicines nearby. In such a situation, the maximum that a person can achieve is to build modest housing and create tools similar to those used in the Stone Age. No matter how hard he tries, he alone cannot do what people achieve by living in society.

The above example shows the existence of a person's dependence on society and suggests that the merits of individuals should not be overestimated. Everything that modern civilization has achieved is the product of the joint creation of many people, over several generations, and even very capable people should not be allowed to live in luxury, since they would not be able to prove themselves outside of society.

Money has never played a decisive role in the development of society. Many scientists and researchers were driven forward, first of all, by curiosity and the desire to understand the truth, and not by the desire to profit. Not money and wages are incentives for learning, getting something new, but a person's natural interest in everything unknown, the desire for knowledge, for understanding the world around him.

2. In a civilized society, there must be a system that provides control over people's income and expenses. This must be done in order to have an understanding of the origin of the funds, confidence that they were not obtained in any dishonest way. The excess of expenses over income indicates the receipt of money from unrecorded sources, and their origin should be explained. In principle, total control is not needed, it is quite enough to check what funds are used to make large purchases, especially luxury goods.

Control over income will help to avoid the existence of a shadow, unofficial labor market in the state, where relations between the employer and the employee are not regulated by law, and where it is impossible to determine the employment of a person, his income. Such a phenomenon as a salary "in an envelope" is an example of the unfair distribution of money and deception of the state. Additionally, control will help identify leaders who use their official position for personal enrichment.

The desire of a person to earn money is beneficial to society, since it constantly needs active people interested in their own well-being. Monetary reward helps to additionally motivate a person to achieve high performance in work. When money is earned by honest labor, and not acquired by deceit, then this is beneficial to the person himself and society.

3. The state is obliged to smooth out the difference in income between the lowest paid and highest paid segments of the population. It is unacceptable when some make ends meet, while others do not know where else to spend their money. In no case should the difference in incomes reach significant sizes, otherwise, it negatively affects the whole society. When a significant difference between the incomes of citizens is reached, the problem of inequality becomes acute. The state is obliged to provide support to socially unprotected segments of the population, people with low incomes, and, even better, to act proactively and prevent the emergence of a category of needy citizens.

Today, money has begun to define the face of power. The richest are people who are in power, close to her or serving her interests. Social justice will not be achieved in the state until it ceases to act in accordance with the will of people who have big money, does not begin to make and implement decisions that are beneficial to the whole society.

4. Equal access to educational services, regardless of social origin, place of residence, etc., will enable a person to reveal his abilities. Lack of equal access actually means perpetuating economic, social and cultural inequalities.

A prerequisite for maintaining equality in education is the availability of free education at all its levels, the creation of a sufficient number of places in educational institutions so that everyone who wants to study can realize their preferences. The only obstacle to getting an education can be an incorrect assessment of one's own capabilities by the person himself, the lack of sufficient physical and mental data necessary for training in the chosen profession. However, in a quality education system, abilities are identified, and training in accordance with them is recommended.

The state, which invests in education, invests in human capital, makes society more cultural and developed.

5. It is very difficult to eliminate social inequality as long as laws are preserved in society that allow inheriting material values ​​without any restrictions. Through inheritance, a person from a wealthy family will have clear advantages from birth.

To eliminate this cause of inequality, it is necessary to work out measures that limit the amount of inherited property and funds. The motive for the accumulation of wealth for children and grandchildren, as an incentive to increase savings, must be gradually destroyed. Such measures will ensure social justice and an equal start for young people, regardless of who their parents were.

6. The structure of the economic structure in any country is heterogeneous. There are highly profitable industries associated with mining, trade, IT, etc., and there are industries that, by definition, will never be able to make a profit (education, medicine, science). Without redistribution of financial resources in the state, organizations that perform social functions will not be able to exist. The work of a teacher or a doctor is no less important than the work of an oilman, gasman or programmer. In order to avoid injustice, the state should monitor the wages in different sectors of the economy and equalize them as much as possible.

7. Fair pay implies that people receive equal pay for the same job. This is possible if the organization has adopted a transparent, open system that reflects the income of each employee. However, today it is not customary to declare one's own income, which is explained by the existing injustice in the distribution of funds. If everything was without deceit, then there would be nothing to hide. Today, very often people, working in the same team, doing the same work, receive different salaries.

Employers contribute to the maintenance of inequality by creating an atmosphere of secrecy. The true purpose of such behavior is to save on employees, to extract the maximum benefit for yourself. They take into account the psychology of people, realizing that someone may agree to work for less money.

A civilized approach is to ensure that all people working in the same team know the income of their colleagues. Then it will become clear how fair the remuneration is, and whether it corresponds to the real return from each individual person.

Of course, the work of people who contribute more to the common cause should be valued higher, but this difference should not differ significantly. It should be borne in mind that the result of labor in a team is of a social nature.

To prevent the stratification of people, it is necessary to ensure a fair distribution of profits received in the organization, and to eliminate a significant difference in income between managers and subordinates.

8. If in any country there are uncontrolled migration processes, it means that it has internal sources of instability that contribute to the uncontrolled movement of people. Usually people do not leave their homeland because of a good life. For most of them, migration is a forced necessity, an attempt to escape from wars, violence, hunger, poverty, etc.

Countries that receive migrants have the responsibility of integrating newcomers into society. Provision of housing, teaching the language, professions are costly activities. Funds for all this are taken from the budget, which means they are taken from local residents. The manifestation of humanism is certainly a good thing, but not a single economically developed country will be able to accept everyone who wants to come to it, to shelter disadvantaged people from all over the world. Mass migration is a negative phenomenon, and it is necessary to fight not with the consequences, but with the causes that cause it.

To reduce migration flows, it is necessary to: prevent military conflicts, overcome backwardness in the cultural and educational spheres, and eliminate economic inequality between countries.

9. In any organization there are always people who perform managerial functions. They occupy a special position in society, because of this, inequality arises. To eliminate it, there is one universal recipe, it is necessary to ensure a periodic change of leaders.

The principle of change of leadership may well be applied nationwide. The turnover of the managerial staff creates conditions for ensuring social mobility and implies the movement of people from one social group to another.

At work, bosses must periodically replace each other, in the state - politicians, and all this must be taken as a mandatory rule to maintain social justice. To ensure that incapable or mercenary people do not get into leadership positions, it is necessary to conduct a thorough selection, first of all, according to the moral and mental qualities of a person.

10. It is very difficult to eliminate inequalities completely. Therefore, people need to educate an adequate perception of it. Condemn extreme manifestations of inequality, flaunting wealth, luxury. One should not measure the success of a person solely by the possession of material values ​​and prosperity. The real wealth of a person is his intellect and moral qualities. People should be aware of the exceptional value of human life, and that no things can be compared with it in value.

diary

capital deception

Money in the morning, chairs in the evening. This option still seems acceptable, compared to what modern officials offer us: money - today, and a service - in a few years. Doesn't this look like a scam?

About housing and communal services

In Russia, the annual increase in tariffs for housing and communal services has already become commonplace. The need for this is due to the fact that service companies and resource providers need to compensate for losses from inflation.