Virtual reality of modern socio-economic transformations: conceptual bases and theoretical foundations

Dynamic and deep socio-economic transformations at the present stage of the development of social and economic life even more accentuate the attention of researchers and practitioners on the concentration of reflected forms that characterize their virtual nature. The superstructure of virtual forms, complementing the real basis of the economic system, transforms it in a similar way. Virtual signs, products, images form many-sided images, reproducing the mental activity of a person endlessly. Rapid flows of information are increasing, financial derivatives and currency transactions are multiplying, specific services are carried out that do not have a subject- object basis and form virtual reality, reflecting and multiplying. The article shows that behind the movement of reflected forms there is a certain essence containing past and future scenarios of the formation of a new way of organizing economic activity of people, designated in a number of works as “knowledge economy”. For effective management of such economy the system quality of communications in all spheres of social and economic processes and the phenomena at the present stage is important. The authors investigate the structural elements of virtual reality and their characteristics; consider synonymous categories denoting the interaction of socio-economic systems in the network space. The article demonstrates theoretical and methodological approaches that reveal the essence, nature and content of the “virtual economy” and “virtual reality” in the conditions of modern socio- economic transformations. The article uses the resources of knowledge economy, political economy, evolutionary and post-industrial methodology.