What is man's spiritual activity? This creative activity of people, which is not aimed at changing the nature, the surrounding world, but at changing social actors, that is, other people. The main feature that determines the content and forms of spiritual activity is the ideality of the phenomena attributed to the spiritual. A person learns the old and creates new spiritual values in his historical development.
Historical overview of the main types of spiritual activity
The society is constantly evolving, generations, values, ideals are being replaced. This is a natural and orderly process. Throughout the development of mankind there were various historical forms of spiritual activity, the main purpose of which was determined by the demands of society at each stage of development. These include the following: morality, religion, science, art, philosophy, political ideology, law. Each stage of the formation of mankind in the spiritual plan determined the content and forms of spiritual activity most appropriate to the situation. Each form is important and can not be replaced by others, however, in different historical periods, some one came to the forefront. As is known, the Middle Ages were characterized by the undivided power of religion, as the Church controlled all spheres of life. Since the 17th century the situation has changed somewhat, religion has ceased to dictate the content and forms of people's spiritual activity. New time is characterized by the advancement of philosophy, science, and political ideology. It should nevertheless be noted that for each country these changes occurred in their own way. There were periods in history when one kind of spiritual activity sought to displace the other (for example, science - religion), but this did not bring significant results. Today , the media claim to be the leading form of spiritual activity, and this is not surprising. The media impose norms, values, ideas through various channels of communication. Of course, this contributed to the emergence of certain problems, for example, strengthening the importance of market relations and reducing the role of the assimilation of spiritual values.
Philosophy as a Specific Type of Spiritual Activity
The content and forms of spiritual activity are determined by the world view, which is the basis of philosophy. Man in the process of his life tries to know the world and himself, facing a lot of existential problems. Philosophy as a form of spiritual activity explores the relationship of man and the world, as well as man with himself. It contributes to the formation and assimilation of the main landmarks in life and the acquisition of vital meanings. Philosophy gives a person an idea of the world, a kind of true knowledge about him, which serves as the basis of the worldview. In this regard, the person formed certain life principles and ideals, beliefs, value orientations. Philosophy has many connections with reality, it requires a person to go beyond the immediate, sensual cognition, and also to give up stereotyped thinking.