ABSTRACT
Over recent years, the general psychological theory of activity initiated by A.N. Leontev and S.L. Rubinshtein has been successfully developing in an operational and structural direction with reference to activity of an individual (Bedny and Karwowski 2007). But this theory has good potential for developing population direction as well. According to Brushlinsky et al. (2000), a certain community can be considered as a collective subject. We will call a goal for such a collective subject a collective goal. This term is, to some degree, similar to the collective goal introduced by praxiologist K. Marek (1993). The difference is that Marek utilized this term to study cooperation of small groups. We utilize this term to study the country population. Hence, to analyze the collective goaloriented activity of a given individual, we may use basic provisions of activity theory. The rst such proposition is that activity is initiated by certain domineering needs. There are reasons for considering the whole mankind as the ultimate collective subject. This subject is comprised of different individuals at different times, but basic needs of such individuals remain unchanged. This consideration might help to develop a hypothesis of a collective goal-oriented mega-evolution of mankind, which would be better scientically grounded than the existing hypotheses. It is relevant because today, the mentality of people is exposed to the inuence of a considerable number of inconsistent and often destructive ideas and worldviews. And it is becoming dangerous for sustainable development of mankind as a whole. Friedrich Nietzsche (1990, p. 43) had a reason for saying: “A thousand goals have there been hitherto, for a thousand peoples have there been. Only the fetter for the thousand necks is still lacking; there is lacking the one goal. As yet humanity hath not a goal.”
