Global Journal of

Sociology
Volume 04, Issue 1, (2014) 10-14
www.awer-center/gjs

Modernization of the Kazakhstan society: crisis of moral values

Myrzaly S.K. *, Department of Philosophy, Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Abdirajymova A.S., Department of historical sciences, Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Suggested Citation:
Myrzaly, S.K. & Abdirajymova, A.S., (2014). Modernization of the Kazakhstan society: crisis of moral
values. Global Journal of Sociology, 4(1), 10-14.

Received December 15, 2013; revised January 19, 2014; accepted February 25, 2014
Selection and peer review under responsibility of Dr. Hasan Alicik, International Cyprus University, Cyprus
©
2014 SPROC LTD. Academic World Education & Research Center. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Today, after more than 20 years from the date of independence, Kazakhstan became recognized state in
the world community. Having refused the totalitarian past, we have carried out system transformation of
the Kazakhstan society, integrated into world economy, have generated interest of many leading
countries of the world on multilateral cooperation, the new generation of the people has grown living in
the free country. If in due time Bolsheviks have balanced all people in their poverty on the basis of total
nationalization of all resources, the neoliberal course of the present authorities has led to sharp social
differentiation on the basis of the spent privatization where fantastic reaches of the few on one pole of a
society and a poverty and misery - on other were generated. It has led to sharp growth of criminality,
unmotivated violence among teenagers, to suicides, sale of bodies of the person, theft and sale of
children and other forms of social anomalies. Thanks to authoritative democracy, through a principle of
appointment and formation of an executive vertical it was possible in most difficult years of formation of
independence of the country to keep integrity of a society and operatively to solve sharp social problems.
But at the given stage of development of a society the principle of the appointment discredited by grate
wave of corruption, has definitively become obsolete. That in the developed countries has been gained
within centuries and realized in life, cannot automatically transferred to other society, it is necessary their
adaptation to local conditions, the account of mental features of the people etc. Despite all difficulties of
the next stage of modernization, the understanding grows in a society that all of them can be overcome
on the basis of the further increase of political culture of the population, deepening of democratic
processes, humanitarian, ethical education of youth that gives confidence of overcoming of difficulties of
the next stage of modernization of a society

Keywords: modernization, system transformation of a society, totalitarianism, social anomalies.

*ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Myrzaly S.K., Department of Philosophy, Kazakh National University, 97,
Shevchenko Street, Almaty, 050012, Kazakhstan. E-mail address: myrzaly44@gmail.com / Tel.: +7-701-379-4105
Myrzaly, S.K. & Abdirajymova, A.S., (2014). Modernization of the Kazakhstan society: crisis of moral values. Global Journal of
Sociology. 4(1), 10-14.

All times of civilized history thinkers primarily concerned by the question of how a man
should live. Starting from Lao Tzu, Confucius, Zoroaster, Plato and Aristotle, and ending by
Schweitzer, Fromm and others - all of them in relation to their time have tried to solve the
question above. It seems appropriate to quote Confucius, who laid the foundations of moral
philosophy to the Chinese people with its maxims "Golden rule of morality", "Ethics of
reciprocity" and the "Middle Way"(Kitajskaja Filosofija, 1968). Other thinker - Epicurus
considered that the satisfaction of base requirements of people will open a gate for a happy life
of people, their spiritually-moral perfection. However he was afflicted with that people have
invented so much new artificial requirements which sometimes are not necessary to the person
(Jepikur, 1983). Since then have repeatedly increased and there were more refined these
artificial requirements. It seems that the mankind again comes back to the Ancient Roman
principle in its decline: «Bread and shows!».
Today, living in conditions of rapid growth of scientific and technical progress, there is more
and more obvious a crisis of spirit which worries modern mankind. Let’s remember I. Kant,
which expected danger of backlog of spiritually-moral life of people from quickly developing
material side of a society. In the middle of the past century the great religious thinker P. Т. dе
Chardin prophetically warned mankind that in the future the main problem will be where to put
the released power of mankind?( Sharden, 1965).
In our opinion American thinker S. Huntington, correctly noted the main problem of modern
civilization, which is the relativization of moral values (Hantington, 2003), when by various
sophistical contrivances can justify any act, especially in the international policy. Since
Renaissance when the Western civilization has wrested the historical initiative, many efforts
have been spent for development of the new vital orientations corresponding to quickly
changing reality. J. Manetty has admired by corporal beauty of the person and his universality,
P. dеllа Mirandola with grate inspiration wrote that thanks to divine gift of freedom, the person
is the bridge between Heaven and Earth, and L.Valla has definitively rehabilitated corporal
intensions of the person, declaring that the person is fine not only by spirit, but also a body
(Jestetiki, 1962). Further - more. The French educators (Montesquieu, Voltaire, Diderot, etc.)
have especially tried to smash Christian mythology. After this F. Nietzsche declared that «God
has died. God is dead» (Nicshe, 1990). And in XX-th century M. Foucault has told about death of
the subject (Fuko, 1996).
Not less a difficult situation today there are also Islam which needs obviously modernization.
Difficulties here, in our opinion, consist in how to enter innovations, keeping a kernel of the
given religion - social justice.
Here, probably, pertinently to open shortcoming of reasoning of the thinkers. The essence of
the matter consists not on unmasking of religious mythology. Any educated person does not
trust today in religious mythology. We never can prove neither presence, nor absence of God.
Even L.Feierbah, a fierce critic of religion, said in due time that God is necessary for moral health
of people. Because all religions of the world contain those moral precepts thanks to which
human relations are regulated, there is a mutual understanding of people of the Earth. The idea
of God was born in due time in heads of prophets because the person cannot be criterion of
morals for ethical standards call not for what that is, but should be. Therefore it is necessary to
start with a certain ideal which could be criterion of morals. Let’s analyze from aforesaid the
situation in Kazakhstan.
Today, after more than 20 years from the date of independence, Kazakhstan became
recognized state in the world community. Having refused the totalitarian past, we have carried
out system transformation of the Kazakhstan society integrated into world economy, have
generated interest of many leading countries of the world on multilateral cooperation, the new
generation of the people has grown living in the free country. On this way we have gone
through some difficulties connected with one-sided mining economy adhered to a former
economic complex and ineffective agriculture. In such hardest conditions when the state
treasury was empty, all vertical economic communications have been torn off, all mining
enterprises have practically stopped, there was a mass unemployment in the cities serving these
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Myrzaly, S.K. & Abdirajymova, A.S., (2014). Modernization of the Kazakhstan society: crisis of moral values. Global Journal of
Sociology. 4(1), 10-14.

complexes. Sharp social problems almost have not blown up the young state. In such most
complicated situation the President of the country, having shown remarkable activity, flying to
all developed countries, invited businessmen to Kazakhstan to take in trust management of the
enterprise of the country, promising to create a favorable investment climate. This activity of
the President of the country has deduced republic from this deadlock in which it has appeared.
Nevertheless, for years of independence we became the taken place state about which today
knows the whole world, we are integrated into world economy, have generated interest of
many leading countries of the world on multilateral cooperation, the new generation of the
people living in the free country has grown. We have constructed a wonderful city which admire
all - new capital Astana in the heart of steppes Sary-Arka. We successfully adopt high
technologies, life shows that our people quickly enough master new equipments. Art workers
began to acquaint world community with original culture of our country. On last London
Olympic Games our sportsmen have occupied 12 places among 205 national teams. In a foreign
policy we have carried out an unprecedented step in a world history, having refused arsenals of
the nuclear weapon, and, thereby, showing to all world community of the people initially
peaceful character of our young state.
However these iridescent prospects, unfortunately, do not remove sharp social problems in a
society. Still at a significant amount of people’s expectations from independence are not
realized in practice. Unfortunately, in the course of radical reformations of society there was a
change of living values. If in due time Bolsheviks have balanced all people in their poverty on the
basis of total nationalization of all resources, the pseudo liberal course of the present
authorities has led to sharp social differentiation on the basis of the spent privatization where
fantastic reaches of the few on one pole of a society and a poverty and misery - on other were
generated. It has led to sharp growth of criminality, unmotivated violence among teenagers, to
suicides, sale of organs of bodies, theft and sale of children and other forms of social anomalies.
All was accompanied by falling of educational-cultural level of the population when year from
year there was reduction of the hours necessary for humanitarian preparation. Obviously,
without spiritually-moral acceptance of reforms by broad masses it is difficult to expect their
successful realization.
In connection with there is a question: whether the way of radical liberal reforms will lead to
those results of which are expected a society? Here followed only to specify in a number of
objective and subjective factors which have led to a choice of political elite of the country of
model of "shock therapy" of a society. Here much depended on a choice of the former
metropolis. On the other hand, not free from a vice of totalitarian thinking, heads of the country
have imposed to the country a course of total negation of the previous stage of development.
Not last role has played the mercenary interest of the former party-state nomenclature before
which has opened favourable unprecedented conditions for fast privatization of state property.
Ethno-demographic structure of Kazakhstan in which the share of "a Slavic component»
gravitating since Peter’s 1 times to the western standards of life is considerable, and also
marginality of Kazakhs, not so deeply implanted in spiritual experience of Islam, have played
also the role in a choice of model of development. And, at last, there were "rosy-romantic"
illusions concerning fast construction of "market paradise”. Concluding told, followed assume
that this way which has been passed by the country, was in some measure inevitable. At the
same time, has not led to appropriate results.
Anywhere in the world descent from a totalitarian society to the democratic was not carried
out without the latent or open authoritative power attached to democratic values. Thanks to
authoritative democracy, through a principle of appointment and formation of an executive
vertical it was possible in most difficult years of formation of independence of the country to
keep integrity of a society and operatively to solve sharp social problems. But at the given stage
of development of a society the principle of the appointment discredited by grate wave of
corruption, has definitively become obsolete. The matter is that in process of construction of
bases of new statehood enormous work has been done on its transformation in the manner of
the western developed countries. Today, at least, in the opinion of a certain part of world
commonwealth, we are quite modern state where there was a division of the authorities, the
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Myrzaly, S.K. & Abdirajymova, A.S., (2014). Modernization of the Kazakhstan society: crisis of moral values. Global Journal of
Sociology. 4(1), 10-14.

parliament of two houses is created, there is a freedom of speech, the set of public associations,
political parties etc. However, we have adopted only the form, an external cover, without being
at a loss of their internal contents. That in the developed countries has been gained within
centuries and realized in life, cannot transferred directly to other society, it is necessary their
adaptation to local conditions, account of the mental features of the people. From this point of
view modern Kazakhs, in our opinion, have inherited following positive cultural wealth from
ancestors-nomads:
- Respect, chanting, worship, It’s Majesty Nature" as well being a nomad depended a lot on it.
A few years continued mild winter made him rich, then coming jute (when in the late autumn
the cold rain turns to ice and covers a grass) ruined completely.

- Identical value of freedom and equality as a nomad is not tied to one place and is constantly
in motion. On the other hand, living within millennia in the conditions of the military democracy,
social little differentiated society, they developed an ineradicable sense of equality. This has
resulted today to the fact that the rate of radical liberal reforms has been adopted by the
people, but the sharp rest ratification painfully reflected in theirs social feeling.
- As social differences were mild, nomad committed acute sense of justice, of truth. Since
there was not enough judges who could "horse hair cut in half", then, for example, there is a
worsening of social tension in the country, where the new "land lords" selected the best land on
the part of ordinary villagers, and the latter cannot find the truth;
- A heightened sense of self-worth when honor above material wealth also derives from a
nomadic way of life. Kazakhs love till now a national song where there are such lines: if it is
necessary, Dzhigit (gentleman) will slaughter last horse and remains only with a bridle on hands;
- Strongly pronounced feeling of a collectivism when any form of self-interest, self-love is
condemned. When today a collectivism almost that became an abusive word at reformers,
people feel acute sense of spiritual discomfort, alienations run into various forms of social
anomy;
- Unaccountable heroism in protection of interests of the Native land which has been caused
besides by a way of life of nomads when often it was necessary to face other tribes. Affairs in
most cases dared on the battlefield. That is why he already at the age of 5 years played on a
mane of a horse, 14-15 - married and at 20-22 - perished on the battlefield, protecting interests
some kind or a tribe. There is no doubt that these people will show these noble qualities in case
of threat of safety of the country;
- As life of the nomad was short and dramatic, he preferred being, rather than possession.
The problem thus put forward before person was to be universal - «octahedral, but with one
secret essence». Today, when the developed countries have appeared in a captivity of the crude
materialism, the given spiritual value gets planetary sounding;
- The following, not less important value - «kanagat» - i.e. satisfaction by small, that you have,
feeling a beauty of small. Insatiability, moneymaking - not in character of the people;
- At last, - an openness, courageous contact with other people and the valid relation to their
cultures, cultural wealth. Except other factors, not last role in preservation of stability in
multiethnic community belongs to this quality of the people;
- Disinterested help to the sufferer, ability to compassion, generosity of soul as are
historically gained fine qualities of nomads.
- Laziness and the inactive contemplate relation to life which, however, owing to the
developed drama circumstances of last decades, is gradually overcome;
- Mainly rough egalitarian relation to the difficult social processes occurring in a society,
accompanied by social envy to succeeding citizens. The last, in turn, give soil for their
preservation as speaking by words of the poet « to live hurry up and hasten to feel». Transition
of elite layers to open demonstrative consumption on western manners, their aspiration to
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Myrzaly, S.K. & Abdirajymova, A.S., (2014). Modernization of the Kazakhstan society: crisis of moral values. Global Journal of
Sociology. 4(1), 10-14.

luxury among the poverty sea irritative impacts on simple people, accumulating negative social
energy;
"Buck Daulet (fortune-wealth)" - wealth for thousands of years been associated with the fate,
fortune - luck, not hard work, thrift. It so happened that during the privatization were again
amassed by chance - Fortune - hence wasteful attitude through the dispensation of various
magnificent celebrations, in the manner of competition: Who has surpassed etc. Related to this
is the slow accumulation of domestic capital, which may, in fact, raise the real economy;
- Unity achievement always was a problem for nomads as the cattle gave all necessary for
satisfaction of base requirements and consequently there was no economic interdependence
between various tribes which felt always self-sufficient unless there come threat from the
outside. It is expressed today that businessmen cannot consolidate the capitals and put them in
large industrial projects.
Apparently from above stated, Kazakhs on the mentality gravitate to social democratic
development. For years of reforms, having received a fair share of an injection from a neoliberal
course, we now move in a direction of socially-democratic development. Railway and highway
building «the Western China - the Western Europe» comes to an end - we want to be the bridge
between two continents. Realizing the program of industrially-innovative development of the
country, we are building hundreds enterprises in metallurgical, chemical and other industries.
Through the free courses opened by the government, thousand people receive new specialties
and find workplaces. The program of building of accessible habitation for youth is started etc. As
the President of Kazakhstan N.A.Nazarbaev has noted «Kazakhstan today - dynamically
developing state. We have successfully overcome some crises... I think that we leave on a
trajectory of steady economic growth with high rates, at level of seven percent» (Vystuplenie
N.Nazarbaeva).
Now the understanding grows in a society that all of difficulties can be overcome on the basis
of the further increase of political culture of the population, deepening of democratic processes,
humanitarian, ethical education of youth etc. It means that we only rise to the original reforms.
And they should begin with spiritually - moral improvement of a society, with overcoming of
various technocratic illusions, blind imitation to standards of other countries, whence they
proceeded. And the most important thing - only in this case we will keep the originality, instead
of we will turn to new outcasts from transnational corporations.

References
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Jepikur. P. M. (1983). V kn.: T.L.Karr. O prirode veshhej, M., 307-308.
Sharden, P.T. (1965). Fenomen cheloveka. M.Progress, 200.
Hantington, S. (2003). Stolknovenie civilizacij. M. AST, 149.
Jestetiki, I. (1962). Pamjatniki mirovoj jesteticheskoj mysli., .507-509.
Nicshe, F. (1990). Veselaja nauka. Sochinenija. 2(1), 592.
Fuko, M. (1996). Volja k istine: po tu storonu znanija, vlasti i seksual'nosti. 40.
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