In the article features of evolution of the sociological approaches formed in the western sociology to the analysis of an information society are considered. Ideas and ideas of foreign and domestic sociologists, offering their own interpretations of the term information society were considered. The stages of the formation and development of the idea of the information society are revealed. At the first stage, the conceptual foundations of the information society as a special social reality are being formed (the 70s – the mid 90s of the XX century).