UDC

141.333

Authors

Zadvornov Andrey Nikolaevich
Branch in Naberezhnye Chelny, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University
10 (1/15) Akademika Rubanenko St., Naberezhnye Chelny, 423810, Respublika Tatarstan, Russian Federation;
e-mail: egpi-PF@yandex.ru

Abstract

This paper suggests an approach to the origin of social consciousness, based on the synthesis of philosophical anthropology, paleoanthropology and paleogenetics. This synthesis evolved from the concept of individualization by B.F. Porshnev supplemented by new scientific data. The paper postulates a socio-communicative nature of the origin of social consciousness. It was based on the verbal and preverbal opposition of neanthropines to cannibal paleanthropines. Social consciousness is a result of not so much natural as artificial selection by paleanthropines. Large forehead became a selection criterion as people with more developed frontal lobes of the brain were able to control their passions and be more submissive. However, large forehead contributed at the same time to the development of speech centres, allowing neanthropines to form inherently social groups and rebel against paleanthropines. In the course of a long confrontation between paleanthropines and neanthropines, the thinking of Homo sapiens gradually turned from collective forms (gregarious consciousness) to individual ones. When paleanthropines ceased to present any threat, as well as due to the transition to farming, the individualization of Homo sapiens resulted in the struggle with gregarious mentality and in the formation of social consciousness. It is shown here that the mechanism of social consciousness origination was created during the divergence of paleanthropines and neanthropines. The driving forces behind this mechanism were interdiction, suggestion, contra-suggestion and contra-contra-suggestion. The historical purpose of contra-contra-suggestion was that individualized social persons would create ideological programmes (religious, political, etc.) and start a mechanism of struggle between these programmes. This struggle resulted in the formation of public consciousness in the totality of its manifestations.

Keywords

paleanthropines, neanthropines, origin of social consciousness, interdiction, suggestion, contra-suggestion, collective thinking, individualization of Homo sapiens

References

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