Averina O. Variability of social systems: theoretical and methodological analysis

This thesis represents the research of the principle of variability, its essense, contents, forms and role in the existence and development of social systems. The author proves that the principle of variability - one of the three famous Ch.Darwin's laws - can be applied to analyzing the social systems. Variability is defined as a principle that assures flexibility of the social systems and provides their rennovation by means of taking new forms and states of existence for further evolution. The scholar introduces two heuristic models of social variability. The first one shows its role and function in the culture of society. The second one allows describing a mechanism of variability, pointing out its driving forces, as well as conditions and factors that cause it. It also permits to indicate the main alternatives of choosing the further development direction. It is proved that the pecularity of variability in the Ukrainian society is determined by some mental features (social limitations), excessive fragmentariness of the political sphere and the tension of contemporary globalization.