In modern philosophy, the principle of historicism is one of the main principles, determining the nature of cognition and explanation of social consciousness. The task of establishing the authenticity of the principle of historicism in the scientific analysis of mass consciousness in order to identify the latter is actual. The aim of the article is to apply the historical approach in the context of philosophical comprehension of the nature of mass consciousness. Two factors explain the choice of this position more than others: the subject of research is a matter of social philosophy, and the phenomenological characteristics of mass consciousness imply a holistic view. Philosophical understanding operates with such attributes of mass cognition as form and meaning. Thus, the point of reference can be a look at the history of the space of forms of this phenomenon, in which the meaning, prompted by culture and time, is produced. Mass consciousness is a holistic formation in the unity of empirical, existential and communicative aspects, not a mosaic set of different elements. This makes it a phenomenon not only of national culture or the culture of a certain historical period, but also of culture as a way of being human. In this respect, mass consciousness contains a protective mechanism for preserving the diversity of the historical process. The dialectical-materialist orientation makes it possible to generalize the theoretical and practical understanding of mass consciousness. This approach makes it possible to identify the trends of change and movement of its worldview; to develop recommendations of practical orientation; to theoretically substantiate the reasons for the existence of existing, especially in the media, misconceptions about this phenomenon.

In modern philosophy, the principle of historicism is one of the main principles, determining the nature of cognition and explanation of social consciousness. The task of establishing the authenticity of the principle of historicism in the scientific analysis of mass consciousness in order to identify the latter is actual. The aim of the article is to apply the historical approach in the context of philosophical comprehension of the nature of mass consciousness. Two factors explain the choice of this position more than others: the subject of research is a matter of social philosophy, and the phenomenological characteristics of mass consciousness imply a holistic view. Philosophical understanding operates with such attributes of mass cognition as form and meaning. Thus, the point of reference can be a look at the history of the space of forms of this phenomenon, in which the meaning, prompted by culture and time, is produced. Mass consciousness is a holistic formation in the unity of empirical, existential and communicative aspects, not a mosaic set of different elements. This makes it a phenomenon not only of national culture or the culture of a certain historical period, but also of culture as a way of being human. In this respect, mass consciousness contains a protective mechanism for preserving the diversity of the historical process. The dialectical-materialist orientation makes it possible to generalize the theoretical and practical understanding of mass consciousness. This approach makes it possible to identify the trends of change and movement of its worldview; to develop recommendations of practical orientation; to theoretically substantiate the reasons for the existence of existing, especially in the media, misconceptions about this phenomenon.