The article presents a social-philosophical analysis of the role of classical fiction in developing social responsibility among students of New Uzbekistan. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to identify effective means of developing a student personality capable of understanding the relationship between personal actions and their social consequences, making responsible decisions, and participating in solving social problems. Fiction is considered not only as a cultural and aesthetic phenomenon, but also as a socio-moral and axiological resource that contributes to the development of worldview, self-awareness, empathy, moral choice, and readiness for socially significant activity. The article reveals the interrelationship of social axiology, social epistemology, and social ethics in the process of reading classical works. Particular attention is paid to the motivational-value component of reading, which includes knowledge, interests, motives, and beliefs and directs students’ cognitive and practical activity. The necessity of interaction among the state, higher educational institutions, information and resource centers, and youth organizations in using the educational potential of classical literature is substantiated. Propositions are formulated that can be used to optimize the process of developing students’ social responsibility.