Ideas and Ideals

This article examines unfulfilled identity, which is expressed in the subject’s inability to actualize his or her identity due to internal complexes or social pressures. First, the main types of mistakes that can lead to erroneous actions and processes are highlighted. These processes, form an unfulfilled identity. The first type of mistake is the misunderstanding of one’s own natural state and social expectations. In this case, the subject cannot relate his or her abilities, characteristics and functional properties to reality. As a result, there is a tendency to form only the apparent integrity of an identity that can easily collapse. As a result, the subject is unable to be fully established as a person. This kind of identity has been called a ‘failed’ identity. The second mistake is to shift perception to external factors, disregarding internal experiences and attitudes. Thus, one’s interests, needs, and desires are replaced by others that are taken from the environment. A substituted identity is formed, which also does not have the property of completeness because of the lack of systemic connections between the personality and reality. Such an identity is called ‘substituted’. The author discusses the main reasons for the formation of an unfulfilled identity. The reasons are divided into different systems: global, local-social and individual. Thus, the first cause is identified as globalization. Its influence covers all subsequent systems. Globalization leads to the blurring of norms, differentiation and separation of values and attitudes. The processes of upbringing within different social institutions are included in the local-social system. The author outlines the main problems of upbringing and growing up, which affect the formation of identity. Subjective distortions are on the next level, complexes and mistakes that lead to unfulfillment. They include the inability to concentrate and accept the consequences of choices, associated with a lack of responsibility; denial of biological determinants and the narrative of one’s own existence, a lack of life resources.

The article presents an analysis of the main versions of the emergence and evolution of minimalism, proposed by both domestic and foreign art history. In the domestic literature of the 80-90s, there was an opinion that the origin of musical minimalism was a reaction to the European avant-garde that preceded it. However, today this statement looks somewhat speculative and not entirely reliable, due to objective historical reasons. The lack of information about Western art in all its diversity that existed at that time made it necessary to fill in the informational gaps with theoretical constructions and assumptions, one of which turned into a sincere conviction of many researchers that each new avant-garde phenomenon arose as a reaction to the previous one. Given the lack of facts, such a view could be considered quite justified, but it did not make it possible to recognize the true nature of minimalism. The modern level of information accessibility makes it possible to overcome the prevailing stereotype regarding the genesis and evolution of minimalism. The role of the international creative association “Fluxus” was very important in its development, in the ranks of which both representatives of the European avant-garde and American experimenters freely exchanged ideas. Very different and sometimes underestimated sources merged in musical minimalism, among which are the heritage of the musical and non-musical avant-garde, abstractionist and visual minimal art, experimental audio technicism and actionism, and an appeal to non-European music. This fusion of ideas and artistic techniques eventually formed a new synthetic phenomenon; a special minimalist style of a number of American composers - T. Riley, S. Reich, F. Glass, J. Adams, as well as European composers, among which M. Nyman became the most prominent figure. It was Nyman who proposed to extend the term ‘minimalism’ to the art of music, starting with the creative searches of J. Cage and his followers. In recent decades, among domestic musicologists, in relation to minimalism, the prefix ‘post’ has been increasingly added, heralding the transition to the era of postminimalism. However, in the avant-garde currents, such a transition was never synchronous and occurred gradually, when the subject of artistic reflection consistently rejected and replaced the former modernist conceptualism, actualizing direct perception and emotional reactivity. However, in musical minimalism, including its Russian branch, the mentioned process has not yet reached its final stage

The article considers cinema as an instrument of soft power of states, using the example of cinema in Spain and the USA. Different approaches are shown. On the one hand, the United States, which uses universal concepts, on the other hand, Spain, which uses stereotypical ideas and recognizable images about its country. In American films, most often, universal topics are used that are understandable to all people: the struggle between good and evil (moreover, evil is universal, threatening the whole world, and good is the United States), love, happiness, compassion. Even if purely national issues are raised in American films (for example, African-American racism), these problems are presented as universal, as a problem of human dignity, honor, etc. In Spanish cinema, well-established stereotypes about Spain and its culture are actively used: bullfighting, flamenco, Andalusian folklore, traditional cuisine and clothing (for example, the matador costume), as well as typical, recognizable images of the Spanish man and woman (Spanish macho - Antonio Banderas and swarthy, passionate, beautiful Carmen - Penelope Cruz). All this forms the concept of ‘españolada’. The United States does not officially support its film production, but coordinates and consults with the film productions and directors through unofficial resources, primarily the Motion Picture Association of America, whose leadership includes many former White House officials. Spain, on the contrary, actively supports its filmmakers, helps to promote Spanish films in the international arena, develops joint film production, stimulates the shooting of films at the state level, including foreign ones, using Spanish locations, etc. Thus, one can see two different approaches to cinema as an instrument of soft power, and although American cinema certainly dominates the world market, the obvious success of Spanish cinema, which is becoming increasingly popular, should be noted.

The article examines the uniqueness of modern architecture in Japan from the point of view of combining aesthetic principles, the origins of which go back to the traditional religious and  philosophical thought of the Far Eastern civilization, with new design techniques. The author gives a retrospective analysis of its formation, starting from the Meiji era. The phenomenon of the naturalness of the architecture of metabolism and minimalism is revealed based on the analysis of the most important Japanese aesthetic principles, the observance of which allowed modern Japanese architects to create an architectural sign-symbolic space filled with deep meanings reflecting the connection of times and generations.

The understanding of form in the Far Eastern aesthetic tradition is considered, through the analysis of the concepts of katati, kata and sugata, as well as its determination within the framework of the ‘aesthetics of wind’. The importance of the ideological principles of kaei and ma in shaping in the architecture of metabolism and minimalism, as well as in the organization of space, is revealed. The concretization of the kaei principle in relation to the architectural form is the recognition of layering and the duality of the latter. The form hides the inner semantic content of an architectural object, being a kind of shell, a symbol. In addition, the explication of the kaei principle is observed in the transition of internal space to external space. This is how a sense of unity with nature is achieved, even in an urbanized environment. This principle is embodied in the aesthetic concept of renmentai.

The category of the main architecture is a space–time interval. Applied to architectural space, ma reflects emptiness and rhythm. Ma unites and fuses space and time; it is expressed in such things as openings, transitional spaces, space defining the form, smoothly changing forms.

The analysis of the principle of excess of color comes to the conclusion that the formation

of the aesthetics of black and white is a reflection of the characteristics of wabi – simplicity. Using the example of a semiotic analysis of the works of architects-metabolists and minimalists, including the projects of Kisho Kurokawa, Kenzo Tange, Tadao Ando, the implementation

of some traditional aesthetic principles in modern Japanese architecture is considered, that allowed us to achieve harmony of architecture and nature.

The article is devoted to the problem of personal involvement in dance activity. The author applies an interdisciplinary research methodology: on the one hand, a semiotic analysis of the dance language is carried out and the features of the dance sign are considered, on the other hand, a psychological description of the dancer’s personality is given, a psychological portrait is created. According to the methodology of the cultural-historical approach, the sign is taken in its instrumental function and orientation. The author puts forward a hypothesis about the dual orientation of the dance movement as an expressive language: orientation on the viewer as a visual component of the sign and on the dancer himself through the kinesthetic component. The material of dance as a type of artistic activity is the body of the dancer, which undergoes reinterpretation and symbolization. Not only the body, but also the whole personality can become the material of dance, it can be included and transformed in the course of the dance activity. The bi-directionality of the dance sign can lead to a discrepancy, a rupture of the function of the dance movement, which is expressed in an object relation to one’s own body, in strict control of movements and the non-involvement of the emotional and sensual sphere of the individual in the dance activity. Stage forms of dance contribute more to this discrepancy, developing mainly motor technique in isolation from the semantic side of movement and focusing on the visual expressiveness of dance. On the other hand, ceremonial, sacred, ritual dances, many forms of modern free dance contribute to the integral inclusion of a person in the dance and are aimed at transforming the personality in plastic action. On the basis of biographical material, the destinies of outstanding dancers and dance teachers are analyzed. It is shown how an object attitude to one’s own body and one’s own personality can lead to an internal split and loss of subjectivity. A contradiction may arise between a person’s experience in dance and her/his behavior in real life. It is removed under the condition that a person carries out a transformative activity – work on himself/herself.

The article deals with the issues of socio-philosophical and culturological thought as a factor of interaction between Russia and Serbia in the modern European space. In the study the author presents the historical periods of socio-cultural development of relationships between the two countries, beginning from the first millennium. The work focused on identifying the common mental, cultural and historical commonalities of our peoples which allowed for the development of interaction between the two countries in the field of scientific cooperation, socio-philosophical, cultural and spiritual relations [1, c. 244-250]. The author defines the role of the language of communication and examines an important stratum of Serbian culture: Orthodoxy. In this context, the aspects of spiritual and cultural unity between Russia and Serbia, which have shaped the unity of views of the representatives of Serbian science and cultural, socio-philosophical and spiritual-cultural thought have emerged. The author defines the role of the ‘Russian House’ Centre for Culture and Science in Belgrade, Serbia, as a fulcrum of cultural, scientific and religious life of the Russian immigrant community and a firm manifestation of the Russian-Serbian spiritual, socio-philosophical and cultural ties between the two states.

The paper focuses on such phenomena of intercultural contacts between Russia and Serbia as the scientific and cultural influence of the Russian intelligentsia after the 1917 revolution. Several waves of Russian emigration in the 19th and 20th century had the biggest impact on Serbian spiritual culture, architecture, civil engineering and art. One of the first associations of Russian post-November emigrants was the Archeological Society of Serbia (1921), represented by the Slavist historian A.L. Pogodin. Emigration to Serbia increased after the ruefully known ‘Philosophical steamer’ in 1922. This year, the St. Petersburg scholarly community widely marked the 100th anniversary of this exodus of Russian intellectuals, which marked the loss of the spiritual forces of Soviet Russia, but there was a considerable acquisition of culture, science, architecture, and theatrical art in Serbia, and thus in Europe.

The article is an attempt to generalize the results of the discussion that was held on the pages of this journal after the publication of the article [9] on its pages. In total, 11 authors participated in the discussion, published in the journal “Ideas and Ideals”. Summing up the discussion, we note that narcissism is interesting as a topic of interdisciplinary research and discussions. The available materials allow us to conclude that either the phenomenon of narcissism itself or its reflection by specialists are at the initial stage of formation. The published articles allow us to conclude that different groups of authors interpret both culture itself and the modern phenomenon of narcissism in different ways. The understanding of culture as a set of practices used by P.A. Orekhovsky and V.I. Razumov, is shared by N.I. Martishina, V.A. Skorev, Yu.Yu. Pershin, G.A. Illarionov, V.I. Kudashov. The approach to culture as a metasystem is typical for the works of A.G. Teslinova and L.Yu. Logunova. A variant of culture as a feature of cognition was proposed by O.V. Khlebnikova (“conceptual” and “clip” thinking), a variant of distinguishing socialist and capitalist (“necrophilic”) culture is used by S.M. Zhuravleva. Thus, narcissism is considered in very different contexts, which makes it difficult to understand it and makes, in fact, impossible to develop a conventional attitude towards practices implemented in politics, science, and education. It is appropriate to refer to the following discussions of the theory and practice of narcissism with the topic of the relationship of narcissism with religiosity. From a prognostic perspective, it is interesting to look at the prospects for links between narcissism and the future of postmodernism and the mass consumer society. According to P.A. Orekhovsky and V.I. Razumov, if we consider the discussion that took place as an experiment in the indication of scientific rhetoric, then its results convincingly testify both to the fruitfulness of the concept of narcissism and to the legitimacy of concern for the preservation of the universe of previous practices and conventions. The lack of clarity in the understanding of narcissism indicates that this phenomenon is just beginning to attract the attention of specialists.

This article is dedicated to making sense of the cultural term “road” in research literature. Also, the author makes a disclosure of different “road” term interpretations in various scientific articles. The necessity of this analysis is contingent on terminological variety, which leads to problems while using terms even in one and the same article. In this article we are trying to highlight a dominant term for different fields of knowledge for the word “road”.

It turns out that in ethnologist articles specialists describe the road as an archetype, a mythologeme. The archetype of the road as a sort of spatial archetype appeared in the collective mind and outspoken in ethnic texts; traditions and rituals play an important role in the world view of different nations. Describing a road as a mythologeme allows to give it a sacral meaning, a road as a way to the “other world”, the borderland between ‘us’ and ‘them’, a dark place. In literary articles the road is viewed as chronotopos, assembling spatial and time relationship in literary texts.

A number of researchers highlight that the “road” chronotopos as a storyline creator and organizer is reflected in Russian literature of XIX-XXI centuries and act independently in the texts of different periods and different authors.

The analysis of the road as a metaphor can also be found in linguistic research. Authors suggest different ways of metaphorization, such as “way of life/way of death”, “way of perception”, “way of work”, “way of salvation/way of sin”, “way of creation/way of destruction”. The culturological method permits the authors to look at the road as a concept and divine the terms “road” and “way”. Within philosophy of culture a “road” had a meaning of a cultural universal relevant to different cultures, world models: mythological, religious, philosophical, artistical. Art science makes an accent on characteristic art’s image of the road.

The article concludes about the importance of the phenomenon of the road as an integral part of culture at all stages of its development, as well as a fairly thorough study of the road as a cultural phenomenon, the formation of various conceptual schemes for its description in the domestic research literature.

The subject of research in this article is the study of the genre areas of representation of the army as a socio-cultural institution in video games. To solve the research problems, methods such as classification were used to determine the main options for the representation of the army in video games, a structural-functional method to identify the media characteristics of games, forecasting to identify the prospects for a genre and ideological shift in military video games. As a result of the study, it was found that modern personalized war games are shifting from the era of the Second World War deeper into the past - for example, to the First World War or the Middle Ages, and their ideological content and content are also changing - from the linear fulfillment of a tactical task to a detailed narrative that reveals tragedy and heroism of military conflicts. According to the author, an important aspect of the success of military-patriotic education and the pragmatics of video games in the context of modern Russian culture is not just setting the task of creating games that glorify our military past, but also regulating the image of the Russian army today. A tool for this can be simulators of everyday activities, adventure games about the everyday life of border guards, signalmen, submariners on a campaign, managers of a military unit. Their potential is able to demonstrate the army as an institution for maintaining peace and ensuring security. The author assumes that such a genre experiment in military video games will make it possible to popularize Russian military video games on the market. In the conclusions of the study, 4 genres of army representation in video games are presented, in which the ideological paradigm is built around personal heroism or team genius, as well as personal exclusivity in extreme circumstances of military operations. The latter is formed by the very genre nature of video games, genre is message. The author revealed that the dominant genre is the action shooter, due to which the connection between the army and the categories of peace and security is lost and the categorical picture of the world created by the games of the military genre is distorted. The identified genre shift is destructive in nature, as it is aimed at destroying the socio-cultural institutions of the army.

This article presents the results of a hermeneutic analysis of the work of British designer Alexander McQueen. Corporeality is a system of signs applied to the human body. Clothing is the most important part of corporeality constructed by designers. An outfit is an ensemble of clothing elements that is an artistic statement. McQueen was aware of the overload of the body with symbolic meanings. His task as a designer was to construct a fashionable corporeality, which means controlling body parts with vestimental tools - silhouette, material, colour, fit, etc. McQueen’s aesthetic program is problematized through the image of the “strong woman”. The author analyzes the meaning put into the concept by the designer. The conceptual heroines of McQueen’s work inhabit the extremes of logocentric society: prostitutes, saints, aristocrats, the mentally ill and others.

The analysis is produced in the context of other concepts of the “strong woman” created by European, American and Japanese designers. It is noted and emphasized that the conceptual heroines of McQueen’s work inhabit the extremes of logocentric society: prostitutes, saints, aristocrats, the mentally ill and others. One exists in the lower zone (vampires, witches, criminals, etc.), while others, like Joan of Arc and Catherine the Great, find themselves at the very peak of the male order, contradicting its structure by their existence. The loneliness of Alexander McQueen’s women, settled on social points of extremity, correlates little with the usual images of strong women broadcast by contemporary culture.

The author hypothesizes that McQueen creates the image of a strong woman through the construction of a “doomed” and “prominent” corporeality, which is most precisely expressed in the concept of “martyr”. By constructing images of strong heroines, McQueen invented a woman who does not undermine the logocentric order, but strengthens it thanks to her flexibility and adaptability to any circumstances. A woman is thus a “substitute man”, solving those problems that men fail to cope with.