The order and chaos in human relationships: objective grounds and the ways of harmonization

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The order and chaos in human relationships: objective grounds and the ways of harmonization

V.M. Shapoval, Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs; I.V. Tolstov, Ukrainian State University of Railway Transport

Purpose. This article aims to provide a philosophical analysis of disharmonious relations between people in society, to reveal the causes of existing conflicts and to find ways to reduce the manifestations of chaos in human relations. Theoretical basis of the article is socio-cultural anthropology, the principles of the unity of the historical and logical, the ascent from the abstract to the concrete, the unity of analysis and synthesis. To solve the tasks set, authors also used the principles of objectivity, systematicity, and comprehensive development. Originality. The article goes beyond one-sided views on the relationship between people in society, reveals the causes of existing conflicts from a philosophical perspective and searches for ways to reduce chaosogenic manifestations in society. It is assumed that chaos and order in human relations arise not only due to the contradictory interaction between the fundamental components of the Universe - matter and energy, but also due to a lack of understanding of the laws of information use. Therefore, without the discovery and rational use of the basic laws and principles governing the functioning of information in the Universe, it is impossible to overcome chaos in human relations. Conclusions. Given the profound impact of information on human relations, it is possible to help reduce the manifestations of chaos in human relationships. The proper handling of information, along with the rational use of matter and energy, is crucial for overcoming the current state of disharmony and creating a more favourable and orderly future for humanity. Thus, the vector of harmonisation of human relations lies in the plane of comprehensive knowledge of mass-energy and information processes occurring in the Universe, focusing not on subjective, ill-considered shortterm goals, but submitting to them for consistent inclusion in these processes.

Keywords: human; universe; society; order and chaos; information; regulation of human relationships.

Порядок і хаос у людських стосунках: об'єктивні підстави та шляхи гармонізації

В.М. Шаповал, Харківський національний університет внутрішніх справ; І.В. Толстов Український державний університет залізничного транспорту

Мета. Основною метою статті є філософський аналіз дисгармонійних стосунків між людьми в суспільстві, розкриття причин наявних конфліктів та пошук шляхів зменшення проявів хаосу у взаєминах. Теоретичний базис. Підґрунтя дослідження становить соціокультурна антропологія, принципи єдності історичного та логічного, сходження від абстрактного до конкретного, єдність аналізу та синтезу. Для досягнення поставленої мети використано також принципи об'єктивності, системності та усебічного розвитку. Наукова новизна. У статті здійснено вихід за межі однобічних поглядів на стосунки між людьми в суспільстві, із філософських позицій розкрито причини наявних конфліктів та здійснено пошук шляхів зменшення хаосогенних проявів у соціумі. Зроблено припущення, що хаос і порядок у людських стосунках виникають не тільки через суперечливу взаємодію між фундаментальними складовими Всесвіту - матерією та енергією, але й через нерозуміння законів використання інформації. Тому без відкриття та раціонального використання основних законів і принципів, що керують функціонуванням інформації у Всесвіті, неможливо подолати хаос у взаєминах між людьми. Висновки. Зважаючи на глибокий вплив інформації на людські стосунки, можна сприяти зменшенню проявів хаосу в них.

Правильне поводження з інформацією, разом із раціональним використанням матерії та енергії, має вирішальне значення для подолання нинішнього стану дисгармонії та формування більш сприятливого і впорядкованого майбутнього для людства. Таким чином, вектор гармонізації людських стосунків лежить у площині всебічного пізнання масенергетичних та інформаційних процесів, які відбуваються у Всесвіті, орієнтуючись не на суб'єктивні, непродумані короткострокові цілі, а підпорядковуючись їм для послідовного включення в ці процеси.

Ключові слова: людина; Всесвіт; суспільство; порядок і хаос; інформація; регулювання людських стосунків.

Introduction

Amidst the unpredictable nature of human relationships, a perpetual interplay between order and chaos ensues, prompting an unyielding search for harmonization through objective grounds. There is a commonly held belief that order is closely connected to culture, but it should be defined as everything that makes a person more human, humane, and closer to high morality and perfection (Sklyarova, 2018). Culture is considered incapable of being anti-human or aggressive, and destructive manifestations that have occurred throughout human history cannot be classified as culture (Spengler, 1993). However, if we take a look at human history, it is absolutely clear that culture can not only be aggressive, but aggressiveness, conflict, and war are perhaps its most important characteristics.

"We have created a Star Wars civilization, with Stone Age emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology", writes Wilson (2012), "We thrash about. We are terribly confused by the mere fact of our existence, and a danger to ourselves and to the rest of life" (p. 15).

Conflicts in soft or more severe forms, sometimes leading to the total destruction of thousands of people and the collapse of entire civilizations, have constantly accompanied human history. This is due to the destructive nature of humans, examples of which include unwarranted aggression, violence, and war, which lie at the heart of the chaos in human relationships.

Many researchers have tried to understand the causes of conflicts in human relations and propose effective methods of their resolution. For example, Marx (2010) considered the existence of private property to be the cause of conflicts, revolutions, and wars, and its elimination could help to regulate human relations. Another thinker, Lorenz (2021), considered intraspecific aggression to be the cause of conflicts between people and associated the way to resolve conflicts with the ability of people to redirect aggression to a substitute object.

A simple and effective way of discharging aggression in an innocuous manner is to redirect it at a substitute object. It is sound reason for optimism that aggression, more easily than most other instincts, can find complete satisfaction with substitute objects. Redirection as a means of controlling the functions of aggression and other undischarged drives has been known to humanity for a long time. The ancient Greeks were familiar with the conception of catharsis, of purifying discharge, and psychoanalysis has shown very convincingly that many patterns of altogether laudable behaviour derive their impulses from the 'sublimation' of aggressive or sexual drives. (Lorenz, 2021)

Alexander's (2005) opinion that conflicts can be resolved by introducing order in human relations through legal coercion is also interesting. But, in our opinion, synergistic approaches to conflict resolution and harmonisation of human relations are more productive, as presented by Bushev (1994); Busov, Zobova, and Rodukov (2020); Khitaryan et al. (2022). It is also worth highlighting the interpretation of the causes of disharmonious relations between people proposed by Shapoval and Tolstov (2021).

The reason for the deep crisis that hit modern civilization is its imbalance as a system. The most important elements of this system are population size, resources and technology, and the core is consciousness in its individual and collective forms. The perception, processing, and use of information, which is a defining civilizational resource, as well as the stability of the entire system depend on the state of consciousness. (Shapoval & Tolstov, 2021, p. 23)

Purpose

The aim of this article is a philosophical analysis of the disharmonious relationships between people in society, uncovering the causes of the existing conflicts and searching for ways to reduce the manifestations of chaos.

Statement of basic materials

Various reasons, ranging from socio-political factors (Marx, 2010) to biological ones (Lorenz, 2021), have been put forth to explain the aggressiveness of human beings. However, recent research shows that human aggression, which is fully confirmed by history and immediate practice, has deeper roots than social or genetic determinants. To better understand the mechanisms of destructive relationships within human society, it is more appropriate to employ the methodology of synergy, which asserts that nonlinear processes dominate the world, where chaos and order inevitably transform into one another (Khitaryan et al., 2022). According to the principles of synergy, calm states - attractors - are inevitably replaced by bifurcation points, after which any system undergoes profound qualitative changes. Moreover, this occurs completely randomly and in a difficult-to-predict direction. As a result, chaos (destructive behavior, violence, war) is not merely a completely destructive force of nature; it contains significant constructive elements.

The regulation of human relationships in society, both legally and morally, is closely tied to a particular form of order. Any violation or complete destruction of this established order is deemed as anti-legal and immoral (Alexander, 2005). However, social order is not static; it evolves and necessitates changes in rules and laws, sometimes in a drastic manner. The transition from the old order to new forms of human relationships often involves substantial upheaval and sacrifices. In certain instances, these contradictions can escalate to the extent that society undergoes genuine chaos, such as in the case of a revolution (Marx, 2010). Legally, such processes are deemed illegal, morally they are viewed as a series of misfortunes afflicting humanity, and in a religious context, they are seen as divine punishment for human sins. In the field of synergetics, this state is referred to as a "bifurcation point", marking the transition to a new quality (Bushev, 1994). For this reason, conflicts, wars, and uprisings, often perceived as disruptions amid ongoing efforts to establish social order, play a crucial role in propelling society forward on the path of progress. Their significance extends beyond the fact that development relies on contradictions and the necessity to dismantle the old in order to create something new. Achieving a qualitatively new level of societal development requires the increasingly extensive utilization of objective knowledge about the past and present of nature and society. It also involves the ability to formulate reliable predictions for the future. This necessitates relinquishing stable and familiar notions such as eternal order, everlasting peace, and eternal happiness.

The evolution of both inanimate and living nature demonstrates that, contrary to the second law of thermodynamics, the general tendency of the universe's development is a sequential com- plexification of the structure and functions of various systems, transitioning to higher stages of existence. Physical structures give way to chemical structures, followed by biological and then mental structures.

We can fully agree with the opinion that

What the general scheme suggests is that life is, first and foremost, a highly complex dynamic network of chemical reactions that rests on an autocatalytic foundation, is driven by the kinetic power of autocatalysis, and has expanded octopus-like from some primal replicative system from which the process of complexification toward more complex systems was initiated. (Pross, 2011, p. 12)

The next stage of universal evolutionary development can only be speculated upon. It is possible that the general outlines of the future stage of development are associated with the expansion of the significance of intelligence in the Universe, which we currently know only in human forms. However, the realization of this tendency is inconceivable without understanding the role that information plays at all levels of existence.

People still do not fully understand the laws of the material world, let alone the mental world or the world of information, where myths, fantasies, religious beliefs, and other prejudices have prevailed for many centuries. The statements that "Ideas rule the world" (Johansen, 2019), or that "The development of this world is the self-manifestation of the Absolute Spirit" (Stern, 2001) are nothing more than brilliant hypotheses about the role of information in the Universe, which do not go beyond a very approximate indication of the actually existing but hidden from human eyes processes.

Despite its pursuit of objective knowledge and the discovery of natural and societal laws, science remained a peripheral field of activity for individuals or small groups of enthusiasts, lacking significant demand for a considerable period. There are at least two reasons for this. Firstly, people have always believed that the most important thing is to reach agreements with each other, and they will somehow manage with nature. That is why the main efforts were focused primarily on developing norms that regulate interpersonal communication in religious, moral, and legal contexts. With the growth of the population and the changing nature of human needs, society has constantly become more complex. Therefore, it has been necessary to continuously improve religious, moral, and legal norms that regulate human relationships.

Concentration of attention on the main Challenge facing humanity and the search for an appropriate Answer allows us to direct the spectrum of efforts towards mastering the objective opportunity to overtake the crisis aggravation of global problems at least "one step". The ecological movement, the fight against the militarization of outer space, the idea of sustainable development, etc. correspond to such directions. Global challenges, of course, force us to reconsider all traditional ideas about freedom and responsibility, about morality and civilizational achievements of mankind. But the fact is that, as B. Gischbert writes, the evolutionary process does not have an "external designer", it is not controllable, and therefore all its characteristics cannot be subjected to conscious adjustment from our side, except for social (ethical, legal, etc.) norms and ideals, which, although in part, are still the products of our creativity. (Busov, Zobova, & Rodukov, 2020, pp. 7-8)

Secondly, science was in low demand until nature seemed like an inexhaustible source of resources that humanity could exploit endlessly without considering the consequences. The scarcity of resources in one place forced the exploration of new territories until there were almost no uncharted areas left on our planet, and the abundance of resources was depleted. The realization of the detrimental nature of the extensive path of development led to an understanding of the special role of knowledge and information in the further progress of humanity, thereby changing the attitude towards science and cognitive activities in general. In the global evolution of the universe, an increasing tendency towards progressive enhancement of structures related to the acquisition, processing, and storage of information becomes increasingly apparent.

As Stonier correctly points out,

Information exists. It does not need to be perceived to exist. It does not need to be understood to exist. It requires no intelligence to interpret it. It does not have to have meaning to exist. It exists. Without this insight it becomes impossible either to understand the physical universe, or to try to develop a general theory of information. And without a general theory, it not only becomes impossible to convert knowledge engineering and software production into a science, it becomes impossible to truly understand the behaviour of advanced systems - biological, social and economic. (Stonier, 1990, p. 21)

For this reason, it has become clear that information, alongside mass and energy, plays a crucial role in the development of everything, and at higher levels of material development (such as human society), it acquires paramount importance.

The known part of the Universe harbors vast quantities of mass and energy on an incomprehensible scale. When considering the question of information capacity, the concentrated volumes of information within the Universe are incalculable. Information perception varies among different organisms, such as plants, simple animals, and higher mammals, leading to varying consequences. However, it is undeniable that informational influences consistently coincide with noticeable alterations in mass and energy. By expanding their informational capabilities, humans hold the potential to embark on the genuine possibility of conquering the Universe. With its boundless reserves of mass and energy, coupled with the immeasurable capacity for information, the Universe presents humanity with a profound opportunity to explore and harness its vast potential.

Earth's civilization is merely taking its first steps in exploring the vast realms of information. As is often the case with pioneers, these processes are accompanied by countless conceivable and inconceivable contradictions due to the profound disconnect between individuals, nations, and states. In this domain, much like in many other human endeavors, trial and error predominantly govern the course of action. However, the urgent need for conscious regulation of informational activities, both at the local and global levels, has become undeniable.

Nature often leaves us in awe of the intricately ordered and precise mechanisms of selfregulation at work. It may seem incredible, but the informational flows accompanying the ongoing mass-energy processes are finely tuned and directed towards the purpose of maintaining order within the vast cosmic scales, preserving relative stability and integrity (Bushev, 1994). Apparently, not only the dynamics of mass and energy but also the informational processes occurring in nature are subject to self-regulation. It is highly probable that there are strict regularities governing the specific mechanisms of this self-regulation. The dynamics of informational processes on the cosmic scale, just like the movement of mass and energy, adhere to special laws that exist as objectively as the laws of the physical world.

All in all, it can be said that the transition of civilization to the stage of an advanced information society, along with the expansion of information and communication technologies, represents merely the initial steps towards comprehending the logical-informational structure of the Universe.

The main problems of mass culture are related to the function of adequate and timely translation of the increasingly intensive flows of information and knowledge from highly specialized areas of various forms of social consciousness and social practice into mass consciousness. (Zekrist & Bakhtin, 2020, p. 8)

Humanity still has to uncover the corresponding laws. If this occurs (preferably before humanity unleashes a global war and exhausts all possibilities for further existence), a transition to a new stage of human development will be realized.

Originality

The article attempts to go outside the one-sided understanding of human relations and to look at the insurmountable destructiveness of relations between people in society from an extremely broad, philosophical perspective. This approach allows us to conclude that chaos and order in human relations are the result of the contradictory interaction of three main components of Universe - matter, energy and information. The reduction of chaosogenic manifestations of human relations and further development of civilisation is largely associated with the consistent use of increasingly large masses of matter and energy. However, this is quite problematic and even dangerous without the disclosure and reasonable use of the information component of the global universe, which is perhaps the main factor in everything that happens in existence.

Conclusions

The analysis conducted in this study leads to several key conclusions. Firstly, for many millennia, humans have sought to conquer the material world and gain mastery over new sources of energy, achieving significant success in this regard. However, this has been accompanied by substantial contradictions and conflicts between humans and nature, as well as conflicts within human society, sometimes pushing humanity to the brink of destruction. Secondly, alongside matter and energy, information is a crucial global characteristic of the universe.

The exploration of the objectively existing informational realm by humanity has been and continues to be as contradictory as the conquest of the material world, and at present, it is still in its early stages. Thirdly, one of the main reasons for the manifestations of chaos in human relationships lies in the unreasonable, inadequate utilization of information. Religious, mythological, and other illusory forms of information still hold sway over the minds of hundreds of millions of people. The modern level of scientific knowledge demonstrates that nature exhibits a remarkable balance between the flows of mass-energy and information, ensuring universal regularity and orderliness. Fourthly, the path to harmonizing relationships between humans and nature, as well as within society, lies in the comprehensive understanding of mass-energy and information processes occurring in the Universe. It involves not subjecting them to one's subjective and often inhumane goals but aligning oneself with these global processes for their consistent integration.

In essence, by recognizing the profound influence of information on human relationships and embracing a holistic understanding of the universe's workings, we can strive towards reducing chaos and fostering harmonious connections in our societies. The rational utilization of information, alongside matter and energy, is pivotal in transcending the current state of disharmony and shaping a more balanced and orderly future for humanity.

References

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chaos disharmonious conflict dispute

List Of Reference Links

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