The concept of reality in the mass consciousness

Annotation

The ontological status of reality is studied in relation to the subject and its life activity. The concept of reality in the mass consciousness of modern society is largely shaped by myth. The problem of worldviews through the lens of myth is examined from a dialectical-materialistic and phenomenological perspective. The association of the image of reality with myth has allowed for the justification of the ontological status of reality in the mass consciousness. Myth, as a source of worldviews, gives reality a dual nature, revealing its ontological contradictions, and determines the patterns of social behavior. The bearer of mass consciousness lives in an “empirical reality” in which much of what is available to him appears as a space of transformations with stated representations of consequences. Such acts are a process of structuring the world, where the perception and reflection of an object enters the matrix of a mythologem and appears in a clear form: a real or potential possibility of being. The type of reality in mass consciousness is located at the boundary between objective and subjective realities (in terms of origin). Mass consciousness, as a cultural and historical phenomenon, perceives reality empirically, rationally, and mythologically. Its bearer's urgent requirement for the image of reality is communication and understanding. Communication is specific and accurate, and understanding is the only meaningful aspect, ensuring effective adaptation to the social environment and communication between individuals.

Keywords

• mass consciousness
• reality
• worldview
• myth-making
• actuality
• possibility
• social development
• utopia
• information society
• everyday life
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Contribution of the authors

Svoboda N. F. – formation of the concept of the article; writing the main text. Vorobeva O. B – working with source materials and refining the text.

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