Ideas and Ideals

Religion is the dominant aspect of Rozanov’s creativity. The main topics of Rozanov’s spiritual search include: God, the world and man are focused around this dominant. The peculiarity of this topics is the explication of intuition of a single whole. This intuition was realized by means of symbols that belong to the world of traditional religions. Rozanov’s creativity actualizes the opportunity of vision of religion as a phenomenon despite the prevalence of images of material things in his texts. This vision is based on a metaphysical foundation of suggestions, examined in the work “On Understanding”, where he understands religion as a temporal undetermined phenomenon. Contact with the world of religion allows us to explicate the human spirit as unity. Rozanov’s vision moves from a description of religion as unity to the description of single images of paganism, Judaism and the Christianity. Rozanov emphasizes this particular content, but his search is inspired by the doctrine of religion as having a certain potency. The realization of this certain potency is the historical development of religions, that conditions the occurrence of new religion in a cultural vacuum, and appears after the distraction of Christianity. The presentiment of metaphysical emptiness is the culmination of Rozanov’s search for God and at the same time the tragedy. Rozanov conceptualizes this intention as the absolutisation of particular things. The transparency of the religious search and the concentration on religion itself makes Rozanov’s position in some aspects close to the narrative of the classic phenomenology of religion. We study the creativity of Rozanov by means of historical-philosophical reconstruction, using elements of hermeneutic analysis.

In less than a century, the stable concept of «French garden» is formed and consolidated, having become the result of the activity of very specifi c historical fi gures (André Lenôtre and Louis XIV) in the national consciousness of the French and in the language. The concept can be classifi ed as a linguocultureme with a clearly expressed nationally colored semantic meaning. The article proposes to explore the ethnocultural features of the linguocultureme «French garden», as well as to determine its role and place in the national consciousness of the French, and to outline its infl uence on the formation of the French national picture of the world. The concept of «French garden» in the linguocultural aspect is not well-studied, which emphasizes the novelty of this work.

The author conducts the research using a complex of scientifi c methods, including contextual-interpretive analysis, diachronic research, and analysis of linguistic and cultural objects. It is also worth noting that the author for the fi rst time cites, in the author’s translation from French, primary sources of French scientifi c research and publications on the topic of landscape gardening, unknown to Russian readers. As a result of a comparison of theoretical generalization and analysis of linguistic material, the author comes to the conclusion that at certain stages of history, some concepts and traditions are formed in the collective consciousness of a nation, which can become elements of the cultural code and form the basis of the national linguistic picture of the world. Such a concept and a tradition stretching back centuries for the French is the desire to cultivate a garden, in which its aesthetic component acquires particular importance.

The present research paper is devoted to philosophic motifs in the creative work of one of the leading cultural fi gures of the Silver Age, the poet, writer and philosopher N.S. Gumilyov. His personal fate (executed in 1921 by order of the Petrograd Cheka) is one of the examples of the sad poetic “tradition” of Russian culture: Pushkin, Lermontov, Mayakovsky, Yesenin and others. This paper analyzes philosophical and linguistic peculiarities of the “Akmeism” poetic and theoretical style, which was originated by Nikola Gumilev. In socio-philosophical aspect, Gumilyov’s intentions were associated with the formation of the concept of “Adamism”, which implied the analysis of man as a personality (most fully refl ected in the compositions “The Captains”, “The Conquistadors’ Way”, etc.) in comparison with the Nietzschean “superman”. For Nietzsche, his slogan ‘God is dead’ did not mean the exaltation of man, but merely stated the overabundance of the individual in every personality. In this case, Gumilyov adhered to the idea of “transcendental man”, which implied the unity of Man’s natural essence in synthesis with supernatural (higher, i.e. spiritual) origins. This was the purpose of this article. Analysis of Gumilyov’s poetic and publicistic works argues in favour of the proof of the philosophical idea of “transcendental man”, which was later developed in N.A. Berdyaev’s philosophy of personalism. Both Russian philosophers and writers defended the idea of a creative and free Man, capable of self-assertion. Self-affi rmation of Man for them is inextricably linked with the ability to Self-knowledge. But it should be noted that the views of Berdyaev and Gumilev on the role of society and the state in human life had certain differences.

One of the tools that participate in the transformation of the identity system at the stage of transition from modern culture to postmodern culture is rock culture. It offers a person a number of identifi cation opportunities that have different properties compared to the possibilities of defi ning oneself in a manner characteristic of modern culture. There is a partial rejection of identity markers characteristic to the modern era. The identity formed by rock culture, in accordance with current theoretical concepts, can be attributed to multiple, small narrative identities. As its fundamental characteristic feature, the presence of an indefi nite core of identity is considered, which is understood as a set of phenomena perceived and interpreted by the subject as a basis for establishing one’s own identity with other subjects. This uncertainty lies in the weak defi nitions of rock, in the desire of subjects to refuse to positively identify themselves with rock, in denying the existence of this phenomenon as such. At the same time, rock does not turn into its own opposite, does not assume the functions of the excluded Other, remaining an object of centrifugal or centripetal motion. In addition, the weakening of the core of identity is due to the fact that the concept of rock turns into the focus of axiological aspirations of the subject. Rock culture is appropriated by the subject, turning into an absolute epicenter of identifi cation. Subjectivity, thus, is taken out of the framework of one’s own personality and is endowed with the characteristics of an object, while receiving the name of rock.

The real object for building identity disappears, being replaced by a subject, or at least a separate segment of it.

This article comprehensively examines and analyzes the historical and cultural context of the transformation of a formerly consumer society into a society of impressions (“a society of experiences”), analyzed from J. Baudrillard and G. Debord to G. Schulze, whose work of the same name made a signifi cant contribution to the process of understanding the causes of change in the attitudes of consumer behavior recorded over the past decades. Developed by G. Schulze, the social concept of “consumption of experiences” of members of modern society is studied from the point of view of the growing crisis of the previous models of mass consumption, which are increasingly ceasing to meet the requirements of modernity. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the features of further development of all these ideas in the form of the emerging counter-culture of anti-consumerism, criticism of overconsumption and a number of psychologizing approaches to the study and search for solutions to the problems of the emerging “emotional economy” in its application to the broader concept of “emotional capitalism” in that form as it is presented in a number of works of domestic and foreign authors.

In the history of human thought, the question of the human wisdom nature, or the possibility to gain it, has never assumed a simple solution. Chinese thinkers and philosophers answered this question in different ways. The secular and practical character of understanding the concept of wisdom in the Chinese intellectual tradition was largely due to the infl uence of the ethical and political doctrine of Confucianism. From the point of view of Confucian ethics, the idea of using tricks and gimmicks was considered rather dubious. In the history of Chinese thought, there were periods when the intellectual elite had time to realize the beginning of a crisis in society and tried not only to theorize stratagem thinking, but also to fi nd suffi cient ethical grounds for applying stratagems in routine practices. The last third of the Ming dynasty reigning, when A Complete Book of Wisdom was written, was just such a period. At the same time, there was a serious value guidelines transformation of the educated class in China, which could also act as one of the factors in developing interest in stratagems and stratagem thinking. The aim of the article is to analyze the transformation of the value system of Chinese intellectuals, who lived in the last third of the Ming dynasty, and identify the value grounds of stratagem thinking described in A Complete Book of Wisdom.

The article presents a classifi cation of relevant factors that infl uenced the transformation of the value system of educated people under the late Ming. It describes and systematizes the data on the attitude of Ming emperors to educated people and Confucian ethical-political doctrine.  The struggle not only for real power but also for symbolic power in the area of values and ideals was one of the drivers for the transformation of the value system. In addition, the commercialization of life and mass culture was the main factor in the signifi cant change of Confucian philosophy. The article presents the analysis of educated people feelings and attitudes, which entailed changes in approaches to the process of knowledge and social practices. Thus, under the late Ming dynasty, there was the development of new models of social confl ict resolution and value grounds of stratagem thinking.

The author believes that the so-called cinematic speaking on the Soviet, that is, an array of texts, formulated within the contours of fi lm, television, and other screen arts, is one of the representative sources shaping the domestic discourse of the reception of the Soviet. Within the framework of this work, research attention is focused on the consideration of modern Russian fi lms about the legends of Soviet sports, which, in the area of the abovementioned cinematic speaking, appeal to a number of phrase themes, such as sports, personality, heroism, asceticism, service, and moral values. According to the author, the repetitive nature of references to Soviet sports mythology is associated with the dire need of having some kind of incredible task fulfi lled; but, unlike, for example, S. Toymentsev, the author considers this task to be cultural, educational and didactic rather than politically predetermined. The author sees Soviet sports biopics as a good opportunity for a large-scale conversation at the level of everyday consciousness, designed to ensure the galvanization of eidos, re-launch of values and remastering of meanings. However, despite the self-evidently noble nature of such intentions, modern sports dramas are unable to fully realize their mission for a number of reasons. The fi rst reason why biographical fi lms about Soviet athletes do not turn into a guide to action, and their protagonists do not become sought-after role models, is the dramatic discrepancy between the glorifi ed personal qualities of the heroes and the main plots of current popular psychology, which consistently inculcates the cult of hedonism and the so-called ‘positive mindset’. The second reason that determines the emergence of the viewer’s “cognitive lag” is associated with the unanimous silencing in such fi lms of the ideological component of Soviet social relations as a factor that necessarily shapes personality (or the reduction of this factor to requisite and decorative markers): a complex of behavioral patterns, choices and motives thus turn out to be impenetrable to the viewer in the absence of interpretative model. As the third reason, the author names the formal, ‘dotted’ manner of depicting Soviet temporality in “champion fi lm sagas” and comes to the conclusion that unpacking and appropriating the didactic, instructive potential of legendary sports stories is impossible without a thoughtful depiction of Soviet social time.

At the current stage of development, towns are in a diffi cult socio-economic situation, when the slowdown in economic and social development is caused by multilevel processes of an internal, regional and national nature. In many ways, the successful existence and functioning of a city depends on its image, i.e. attractiveness both for investors and tourists, and for the inner society – its citizens. In modern conditions, historical and cultural heritage is the basis of identity and continuity of generations, which, among other things, largely determines the image of each city. The relevance of the work is determined by the signifi cance of the historical and cultural heritage of towns of the Republic of Crimea in the socio-cultural and economic development of the region. The new economic reality actualizes the solution of a complex set of problems that hinder the attraction of investments in towns and are associated with the limited economic base, the low level of development of infrastructure facilities and the socio-cultural sphere. The study of the existing complex of monuments of historical and cultural heritage makes it possible to determine the cultural potential of towns in Crimea and the prospects for its use. The subject of the study is the analysis of the historical and cultural heritage of towns of the Republic of Crimea as an integral part of the urban image. The current development strategy of these cities is aimed at fi nding, developing and implementing effective methods of adaptation to modern realities, and creating more favorable living conditions for the population. As a result of historical-comparative and structural-functional analyses, the study identifi es a close relationship between the cultural potential of towns in Crimea and external factors of infl uence (geographical and historical-cultural conditions of settlement development).

The subject of the study is the concept of the historical hero as a victor ofthe gods and his role in contemporary Western cultural heritage, with a focus on the reinterpretation of Scandinavian culture in the works of Lars von Trier. The research methodology is based on the analysis of Hollywood’s reception ofneo-European rationalism and the ideas of individualism and free will in Euro­pean culture. The author examines the influence of the implementation of free­dom without morality on the exploration of the idea of the Übermensch (super­man) and discusses unresolved questions in this context. The research findingshighlight the importance of the themes of personal responsibility and freedom in Western culture, as well as the legacy of Scandinavian culture as a source ofthe manifestation of truths. The conclusions of the study emphasize the rele­vance and significance of the discussed issues in the contemporary cultural con­text. The main goal of the research is to identify the consistent stages of Lars von Trier’s apocalyptic consciousness, particularly in the context of resistance to the colonization of art by ontological philosophy and the dominance of Hol­lywood clichés and political sentiments in the film market. This work conducts a methodological investigation into how Lars von Trier applies the philosophy ofimages through cinematography as a tool to separate false and immaculate repre­sentations of the world, with a focus on the problem of sin in his composition. This work methodologically explores this process and analyzes how it interacts with contemporary culture and cinema. In the context of the scientifi c novel­ty of the research, a question arises about Lars von Trier describing himself as a ‘sadistic doctor’ who saves lives but remains, in the eyes of those saved, an an­tichrist and a criminal in the humanistic world and humanity’s defense of a world different from the existing one. The results of this research can be used to study philosophical anthropology in the fi eld of film studies and visual arts, as well as in related social and humanitarian disciplines, to analyze how this theme interacts with culture and society.

The article presents the idea of Transfiguration expressed and fixed in the semantic potential of language, sign and symbol as the initial, fundamental idea of Russian literature. The tasks solved in this article were formed under the in­fluence of research in the field of the semantic potential of language, which is revealed to its speakers in specific historical and cultural realities. In particular, the connection between the peculiarities of national consciousness and the lexi­cal meanings of such words that have no direct analogues in other languages (“svet”, “mir”, “pravda”, “volya”), i.e. create very specific meanings that speakers of other languages cannot recognize as such. These meanings form the spiritual foundation of the national character. The analysis of the contextual meanings ofthese words forms the basis of the presented work and leads to the conclusion that they form a semantic unity, including at the level of the idea of the Transfig­uration of man and the world, which is central to Russian culture and literature.

The analysis of the idea of spiritual transformation of man in Russian litera­ture of the XX century is carried out on the basis of representation of seman­tic-semantic models of the artistic worlds of works by I. Shmelev, V. Shukshin,

A. and B. Strugatsky works, including the concepts of the idea of Transfigura­tion. The writers lead their characters through different paths to inner transfor­mation, and the transforming components are always personified. In I. Shmelev’s work, the vector of transformation is formed by the concepts “soul – faith – mir­acle – heart / heart’s look – peace – truth – freedom – light / light / to shine”. In the work of V. Shukshin – “soul – conscience – peace – peacefulness – humil­ity – truth / justice – clarity – light / bright / shine – will / freedom”. In the work of A. and B. Strugatsky – “light / shines / dawn – miracle / miracles – will / will barrier – world / world – hope – truth / half-truth – gift – happiness / happy –soul”. The degree of the hero’s approach to the world, light, truth is different, it is set, among other things, through the quantitative saturation of conceptually significant words in the work and through their correlation with the concepts-antagonists. Thus, an individual vector of movement of the human soul, aspir­ing to the acquisition of new higher meanings, is formed. At the same time, the unifying component for them is the intense inner work, which is continuously conducted by writers and their characters.