CONSUMER CULTURE AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF SCIENCE
The consumption society is characterized by a trend towards monetization and utility. Benefits become the dominant value in a consumer-oriented capitalism. The article proves that the shift of scientific research towards the applied direction is peculiar to the consumer society. Basic differences between applied and fundamental scientific researches are explained. The characteristics of the "utility principle" and the "truth principle" are described. The author points to a close relationship between fundamental and applied research. A gap in the development of one of these areas leads to a gap in the development of another area. The broad role of fundamental science in various areas of the functioning of society is described. A large number of critical arguments regarding the utility and commercialization of science are cited. Not all projects realized with the help of applied developments differ in social benefits. Business structures are not able to support the development of science and education sufficiently. The business orientation on profit in many respects contradicts educational and scientific goals and values. Therefore, the main subject of support for these spheres of human culture is the state. The following approaches were used in the work. The neo-Marxist approach allowed us to evaluate consumer trends in science critically. The dialectical approach was used to expose the contradiction between the commercialization of science and the need to support basic research attributive to the consumption society. Using the cultural philosophical approach – through the notion of science as the most important component of the culture of society – the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of fundamental science and the development of fundamental research is actualized. The article contains an indication of both reality and norm in matters of the state of science.