SOCIAL-PHILOSOPHIC RETHINKING OF THE MAIN THEORIES ON THE ORIGIN OF CONSCIOUSNESS

The relevance of the article is connected with the fact that the problem of consciousness is one of the key issues in modern philosophy, cognitive, natural and social sciences, since it is directly related to the issues of self-perception, cognition and interaction of a person with the world.The article emphasizes that consciousness is not only a mechanism for human adaptation to the social and natural environment, but also a tool for creativity and rational understanding of reality.Modern concepts of consciousness combine social, cognitive, biological and neurophysiologic aspects, which raises a number of questions about the nature of consciousness and requires a comprehensive analysis.A correct understanding of the mechanisms of consciousness is important for the development of cognitive technologies, artificial intelligence and neural networks, and behavioral sciences.The purpose of the research is to offer a socio-philosophical rethinking of the phenomenon of consciousness.Such an analysis is associated with a thorough study of the most relevant theories on the origin of consciousness, which allows for a better understanding of the main aspects concerning the functioning of consciousness, and helps to clarify its essence.The methodological basis.For this study, the interdisciplinary and systemic approaches, the dialectical method, as well as common scientific logical techniques were used.Research results.Today, it is impossible to affirm the existence of any single universal theory that would explain all the causes of emergence, and development patterns of such a complex phenomenon as consciousness.At the same time, the article examines the main concepts that explain the possible reasons for the origin of human consciousness through the prism of social, cognitive, religious, informational, evolutionary, neurophysiologic, and transcendental aspects.The article analyzes historical approaches to the understanding of consciousness, as well as their evolution within the philosophy of mind.Particular attention is paid to the differences between human consciousness and the behavioral reactions of other living beings.The major theoretical approaches to explaining the phenomenon of consciousness can be reduced to such general methodological attitudes as dualism, physicalism, and panpsychism.Thus, the article contributes to the current discussion on the nature of consciousness by summarizing its theoretical foundations and outlining prospects for further research.