Chugunova I.O. The theme of spirit in understanding of the basis of human nature

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the attempt to rehabilitate the category of “spirit” through the reasoning on its importance for humanitarian research tradition. The fundamental, capacious, and at the same time mundane and conservative notion of “spirit” can seem depleted and irrelevant at the present stage. It does not exactly fit into the dominating standards of anthropological knowledge. But it does not really matter which character carries a modern scientific discourse, because in human reality there is an unnoticeable, but permanent and fundamental power – the spirit. It is not subjected to the visual proof or rational understanding, as well as requires certain efforts and a specific reflexive stance for its achievement. During the course of this research the author reveals an explanatory potential of the notion of “spirit”, touches upon its interpretations which exist in anthropology. The author sees the sources and the heart of human nature that lie in the platitude of spirit, as well as concludes on the need to return the concept of “spirit” into the anthropological discourse.

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