What is voluntarism in simple terms?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:53

Sometimes, starting to find out what an unfamiliar word means, you may come across a large amount of various information, full of no more understandable terms, complex formulations and many references to dictionaries of all specializations. Curiosity in such cases sometimes fades a little.

There is a chance that this is how the attempt to figure out what “voluntarism” is. A word that periodically catches the eye or touches the ear has a lot of interpretations and areas of application, respectively, a lot of definitions. The concept of "voluntarism" is used by philosophers, sociologists, political scientists and psychologists, it is used in social science, as well as to indicate a position in relation to ethics and morality. And what is it in simple words?

Voluntarism: the history of the development of the concept

The term was introduced at the end of the century before last by the sociologist F. Tennis, but the ideas themselves existedmuch earlier, since the Middle Ages, when the will was recognized as dominant over thinking.

The word "voluntarism" comes from the Latin voluntas, which means "will". Depending on the field of application (politics, philosophy, ethics, sociology, social science, psychology, economics), the will is interpreted differently, but everywhere it plays a decisive role in the development of man and society.

In the 19th century, voluntarism turned into a philosophical doctrine, its supporters did not have a common opinion and recognized the most important element of all things either rational will, or blind and unconscious. At the end of the same century, voluntarism also appeared in psychology.

Voluntarism in philosophy

The concept of voluntarism refers to idealistic theories - of paramount importance in the origin and existence of everything and everything is given to non-material categories.

Representatives of various schools of thought interpret the concept of will ambiguously, but all idealist philosophers give the leading role in the development of everything that exists to the will of God or man. They deny objective, from the point of view of realism, the needs of society and the laws of nature.

From the point of view of the historical change in philosophical views, voluntarism characterizes the period of change in the belief that a person is the bearer of the theoretical consciousness that he is an active and active being, focused on the result and achieves it. The problem of freedom of choice and decision-making by a person exists and will always exist. As opposed to currents with a fatalistic understanding of the structure of the world and society (alla foregone conclusion, the system decides everything, etc.).

One can meet a very categorical understanding of what voluntarism is in philosophy. It is based on the belief that the will is what started everything and what makes everything happen. It is the unconscious root cause of all things and the basis of the spiritual life of man. Absolutely concrete, yet abstract, will itself - out of nowhere.

The meaning of the word "voluntarism" in the field of morality and ethics

In the field of morality, voluntarism is the conviction that everyone should establish moral standards for himself, regardless of the choice of the surrounding society. This is one of the most radical ideas based on the notion that good and evil are relative. In everyday life, it is expressed as a denial of everything known, established, accumulated by the experience of generations, giving the main importance to individual decisions in everything. Leads eventually to the loss of morality.

In modern bourgeois society, the voluntaristic understanding of moral laws is a rather wide phenomenon. This is explained by the crisis of the system and the widespread civic position of opposing oneself to society.

Socio-political definition

What is voluntarism in relation to social and political activities? There is a rather radical understanding that highlights the main role of the will of man and can be an explanation for the adventurous military activities and ideas of neo-fascism. The philosophy and ethics of voluntarism are criticized withpoint of view of Marxism-Leninism.

Also, in some sources, there is another meaning of voluntarism - it is understood as a social system created by means of commands, by an effort of will, and not by natural development processes. Such a society is considered unnatural, uncharacteristic of the human race, in contrast to those formed during the natural course of history: feudal, capitalist, socialist, etc. etc., but voluntarism has one of these directions.

Voluntarists overestimate the role of the will in the development of human society. They believe that it is possible to successfully influence social processes and rebuild society by conscious effort, regardless of the natural course of history. They build their opinion on an analysis of a rather superficial acquaintance with the situation, and not on an in-depth scientific study of it.

Economy and politics

With regard to specific economic and political practice, it can be said, making the term extremely simple, that voluntarism is decisions made under the guidance of personal desires and beliefs, contrary to the recommendations of specialists and common sense, real conditions.

In the economic and political spheres, the definition of "voluntarism" is often used in relation to the style of activity of a leader. For example, the position of I. V. Stalin in relation to people, the incorrect behavior of N. S. Khrushchev, who at one time created a certain opinion about the country as a whole.

Voluntaristic politics is one that does not take into account objective possibilities, conditions,natural laws ignores the likely consequences of its activities. For example, changing the direction of rivers, building enterprises and facilities critically violating the laws of nature by their existence.

It is characterized by spontaneous actions, based not on a deliberate program of action, but on a series of irrational decisions that are not aimed at a thoughtful purposeful development of the state. Considered destructive.

The nature of the emergence of political voluntarism

The emergence of political voluntarism is influenced by social and economic factors, but the main reasons can still be called the problems of the social state system - the remoteness of the people and different groups of the population from each other and from the sphere of decision-making important for the country, the model of society built on the principle of supreme leadership, disinterest in participating in decision-making by citizens, and often a lack of understanding of this issue, lack of political culture and consciousness.

Positive interpretation of voluntarism in politics

There is a different understanding of what is voluntarism in politics. In this case, we mean such a socio-economic model of the organization of society, which is built on the free will of all its members, without coercion from outside.

Social science and sociology

Social science and sociology sometimes interpret voluntarism more narrowly - as a variety of forms of influence of people's activities and their interaction with each other on circumstances and conditionstheir lives, as well as on the development, change of society as a whole. Then the individual activity of each is considered as one of the main driving forces for the development of the entire society. It is personal choice, decisions, goals that play a leading role.

Most sociological theories are not considered purely voluntaristic. They also contain opposite features. For example, giving due credit to the role of each individual and his personal choice, the significant influence of certain objective factors is recognized.

Psychology and voluntarism

In psychological science, two voluntaristic approaches are distinguished:

1. Will is recognized as a mental process, qualitatively unique and complex.
2. Giving the will even more importance. Its supporters recognize the presence of a primary, innate will in people as an ability that depends only on them. It determines all other mental activity. The possibility of volitional actions is explained by the existence of this spiritual essence. Will in this sense is not consciously controlled and does not depend on society. At the same time, some adherents of this approach did not deny the diversity of mental processes, although the principle of their implementation was considered the same as volitional.

Voluntarism in psychology characterizes the superiority of free will over reason and natural laws, its decisive role in people's lives, exaggerates the influence of consciousness and the psyche in human activity, but underestimates the importance of objectivereality, believing that the will does not depend on it. The opposite of voluntarism, determinism, recognizes the importance of external influences.

You can also find the opinion that voluntarism is such subordination by a person with a strong will to a weaker one, in which the desires and capabilities of the latter are not taken into account.