Public consciousness should be understood as a set of ideas, theories, views, feelings, moods, habits, traditions, reflecting the public being of people, conditions of their life, existing in the society.
The subject considered at different levels of the community - humanity, state, ethnos, family, individual - corresponds to his or her type of consciousness. An individual- subject, logically completing the hierarchy of the structural organization of society, is always "rooted" in these or those social communities and bears in its consciousness the imprint of social and group interests and requirements presented in an individual form. Characterizing the structure of public consciousness according to the degree and methods of comprehension of the real world, it is possible to allocate levels (ordinary-practical and scientifically-theoretical) and the forms which differ by methods and means of reflection of the reality and influence on a real-life of people.
The everyday consciousness includes the consciousness of masses of people formed in the practice of everyday life, indirect interaction with the surrounding world in work and life. It includes 1) centuries' experience of labor activity, empirical knowledge, skills, ideas about the world around, spontaneous worldview, formed from facts; 2) everyday norms of morality, customs, spontaneously formed ideas about their position, their needs; 3) folk art. Ordinary consciousness does not have a depth of rational understanding, clear consciousness, scientific validity and in this aspect is inferior to the consciousness of the theoretical level. Nevertheless, the ordinary consciousness has such advantages over the theoretical one as completeness, versatility, and integrity of the worldview. Also, everyday consciousness is closer than theoretical to the immediate real life, so it reflects the peculiarities of the current social reality in more detail. At the level of ordinary consciousness develops social (or social) psychology, which is one of the components of everyday consciousness. It covers the field of social feelings, moods, perceptions, emotions, traditions, customs, prejudices, views that are formed in different social groups of people in their daily life: in work, in communication with each other. Social psychology is the first, immediate stage of reflection of a social being.
Theoretical consciousness is a reflection of essential connections and regularities of reality. It tends to penetrate its inner side, so it finds its expression in science. The theoretical level of public consciousness is transformed into ideology. Ideology represents a set of theoretically justified political, philosophical, aesthetic views, legal and moral norms and principles, which are systematized in nature. Ultimately, ideological views are conditioned by economic relations and express the interests, goals, aspirations, ideals of certain classes and other social strata and groups. In ideology, ideas and views are systematized, developed theoretically, and acquire the character of ideological systems and concepts.
Theoretical consciousness is a reflection of essential connections and regularities of reality. It tends to penetrate its inner side, so it finds its expression in science. The theoretical level of public consciousness is transformed into ideology. Ideology represents a set of theoretically justified political, philosophical, aesthetic views, legal and moral norms and principles, which are systematized in nature. Ultimately, ideological views are conditioned by economic relations and express the interests, goals, aspirations, ideals of certain classes and other social strata and groups. In ideology, ideas and views are systematized, developed theoretically, and acquire the character of ideological systems and concepts.
Among the main forms of public consciousness it is customary to distinguish political consciousness (reflection in the public consciousness of the political life of the society), moral consciousness (reflection in the public consciousness of the accumulated potential of moral values and the system of norms existing on their basis), legal consciousness (reflection in the public consciousness of specific norms and ways of their protection by means of punishment, as well as the principles of regulation of relations between people), religious consciousness (reflection in the public consciousness of existing religious).