THE PHILOSOPHY OF FICTION AS A SPACE OF MEANING-MAKING AND A FACTOR IN THE FORMATION OF 21ST-CENTURY COMPETENCIES AND SOCIAL MATURITY OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

The article examines the role of fiction in shaping 21st-century competencies and the social maturity of university students in the context of “New Uzbekistan.” It is argued that literature fosters critical and creative thinking, the development of values, social responsibility, and civic engagement. Drawing on the works of Alisher Navoi, Abdulla Qodiriy, Cho‘lpon, Abdulla Qahhor, William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, the paper demonstrates its role in fostering humanistic values and moral choice. Methodological approaches for integrating literature into the educational process are proposed. It is concluded that literature is an important tool for forming a socially responsible and mature personality.