Public opinion - regular nature of the formation

Abstract

At the present stage of political life public opinion endures the increase of its role and significance thus determining the relevance of social and philosophical analysis of the public opinion phenomenon. This article aims to represent more profoundly the process of public opinion formation, and to substantiate its regular character. Theoretical knowledge of ontological foundation of the phenomenon under consideration requires the reliance on laws of the dialectic: unity and struggle of opposites (while creating public opinion social subjects together denote a unity in relation to the subject of dispute, and at the same time they are in conflict regarding its evaluation), transition from quantitative to qualitative changes (as public opinion changes and acquires new qualities at each stage of formation), negation of the negation (although public opinion endures typical formative stages, it nevertheless retains the holistic nature). Due to the analysis of public opinion definitions made by well-known representatives of internationl and national science (F. Allport, Ye.Noel-Neumann, O.Uledova, V.Shatun etc.) it was determined that the phenomenon of public opinion has subject-object nature, its formal trait is social activity and information and emotional interaction. It was established that public opinion is formed in accordance with the facts of human life, under conditions when human needs and interests are implemented due to the influence of the environment, public relations, and other realities of social life. However, the essential role in this process also belongs to the fundamental understanding and background assumptions, standards, ideas and values created by public conscience. So it is proved that the formation of public opinion is possible due to the interaction of two major components - a social being and social consciousness. It is the interaction of rational, emotional and conative components of social subjects and objects of public opinion. The relationship of social consciousness and social life is stable, objective, substantial, internal, necessary and repetitive, and, therefore, it appears as the main pattern of public opinion formation.