Philosophical foundation of social responsibility

The emergence of interest in the phenomenon of social responsibility as an essential mechanisms underlying human behavior occurred in the very early stages of development of philosophical knowledge. Later ideas about social responsibility are presented in a variety of philosophical and moral and ethical concepts, the earliest of which is distinguished by the predominance of the collective over the individual.

In ancient Chinese ethics widespread notion of «proper justice», which was interpreted by representatives of Taoism and Confucianism as a selfless responsibility or natural disinterest and carried the idea of «the right conformity» of subjective needs and the internal sense of justice to objective requirements and the imperatives of external public debt [1, p. 130].

In ancient thought the formation of ideas about social responsibility was accompanied by the formation of the ideas of the ideal state. Moreover, the notion of responsibility was seen in close connection with the concept of freedom. The basis for the formation and existence of Socrates responsibility was morality. And in his understanding the person becomes moral only when he is consciously seeking to improve not only their lives but also the lives of others [2, p. 28]. Plato believed that the responsibility depends on the compliance with the laws. In the ideal understanding of Aristotle responsibility is an individual activity, which is subject to the principles of ethics and morality, and it is understood as the fulfillment of their civic duty.

In the future, it is the ancient idea of the public good as a result of the selfrestraint of individual selfishness will form the basis of the modern concept of social responsibility.

In European countries, the introduction of the term «responsibility» in the different spheres of society tacitly accepted to the XVIII century. One of the first who started to use the term was Kant. However, this concept is a scientific term was introduced the researcher Alexander Bain in his book «Emotions and Will», where responsibility is considered in the context of the definition of punishment as a measure placing the responsibility for their actions.

According to Kant the responsibility is an entirely subjective phenomenon, which manifests itself in a free and informed choice of rational desire, which is based on ethics and moral consciousness. Schopenhauer criticized the interpretation of the concept of morality which was actual at the time. He put forward the idea that the individual has a propensity to both the virtues and the propensity to vice. And for an explanation of these propensities philosopher refers to subjective meaning of justice, self-denial, compassion and moral responsibility. Schopenhauer argued that the basis of all efforts of faith is selfish, but at the same time he pointed out the possibility of manifestation of altruistic principle in man.

In contrast to the moralistic doctrine of free will and responsibility Feuerbach developed the concept of psychological grounds, according to which the basis of moral and ethical action is a feeling, not a rational choice or calculation which is internally manifested as pity and compassion for the other person [1, p. 132].

Special attention was paid to the issue of responsibility in the writings of the German philosopher Max Weber. Comprehension of the essence of this phenomenon Weber takes place in a political context. Despite the political and moral opposition, he recognizes the need to influence morality policy taking into account features policy. In his reasoning philosopher concludes that «all ethically oriented action may be subject to two different maxims: the ethics of responsibility or ethical persuasion» [3, p. 54].

A significant contribution to the development of the concept of social responsibility was made existentialist philosopher. J.-P. Sartre associates responsibility with a rush of existence, which is understood as a set of individual actions, and by which man becomes who he is. A representative of existentialism emphasizes that when choosing their way of life, a person thus has a direct or indirect effect on all of humanity. In turn, this involves establishing full responsibility of the individual not only for his life, his personality, but also for all the people. H. Jonas addressed the issue responsibility in the light of the ethics of technological civilization. In his work «The principle of responsibility: Experience of ethics for technological civilization», he considers the complex ethical issues that have arisen as a result of the rapid expansion of the technosphere. He also considered the problems associated primarily with new technical capabilities, as well as long-term and global nature of the impact of human actions that give rise to responsibility not only to his contemporaries but also to future generations.

Thus, comprehension of the phenomenon of social responsibility in the philosophical reflection is expressed in the tendency to transform the structure of the analyzed concepts. Some approaches to the definition of this category is directly dependent on the specific historical conditions, as well as the needs and expectations of society. As one of the manifestations of freedom, social responsibility seems expression of important hierarchically actualized moral values. But we can not lose sight of the aspect of social responsibility, which involves obedience to the individual regulations and laws prevailing in the society.

Bibliographic list:

• 1.    Белов А. В. Теоретико-методологические основания исследования ответственности // Вестник ВолГУ. – 2010. – №1(11). – С. 130-134.

• 2.    Завьялова Г. И. Становление категорий ответственности и свободы в античной философии // Вестник ОГУ. – 2013. – №1 (150). – С. 27-31.

• 3.    Семенова Р.У. М. Вебер: этика ответственности и этика убеждений (к вопросу о соотношении политики и морали) // Вестник ТюмГУ. 2006. – №2. – С. 51 – 55.

«Экономика и социум» №10(29) 2016