Phenomenon of sophistication as universal principle of development

Appeal to universal laws and principles, finding them and ascertaining remain the central task of science. Thanks to science, with its reliance on objective, fundamental laws of existence the development of all modern forms of productive human activity is come true. This article analyzes the phenomenon of refinement (fineness or finesse), which, as the extreme of the principle of development is actively present in the evolution of nature, culture and society, finds its expression in a wide variety of complex phenomena, such as the sharp (keen), exacerbation, sophistication and more others. On the broad cultural and historical material shows how this principle helps to illuminate the underlying mechanisms of self-development and self-organization of various systems, while performing an important criterion of development, indicator of the progressive movement.