Abstract: The author of the article analyzes the situation that was created as a result of eschatological interpretations of the future of the Universe and our Earth and discussions whether there will be place for human in the future or the humankind will disappear after cosmic cataclysms. Based on his own methodological researches in different fields of science as well as works of Hannah Arendt, the author shows such catastrophic views are based on the natural scientific interpretation of the Universe although Kazyutinsky, in fact, questioned that kind of interpretation. V. Rozin views alternative, optimistic interpretations of the Universe such as historical-cultural, religious and methodological concepts. It is concluded that there is more than one alternative to the vision of the reality established by Rationalism and natural science. In his article the researcher has used methods of comparative analysis, cultural, historical and methodological approaches, case study and has carried out problematisation, reflection and schematization of cosmological researches. As a result, V. Rozin has managed to cast doubt on single-sided and reductive (natural scientific) eschatological explanations of the future of the Universe and our Earth. V. Rozin shows that these explanations are based on the old research methodology of studying complex objects as well as on the point of view that only natural science is a true science. However, the humanistic philosophy offers alternative versions of the future events and interpretations of reality.

Keywords: Universe, earth, catastrophe, interpretation, reality, trends, science, natural science, concepts, theories.

Abstract: According to the teaching about the Uniform Spiritual Tradition, the modern situation in the world is a catastrophic departure from the normal, i.e. tradition development of culture, society and humankind. This is the ‘decline’ towards destruction of all forms of cultural and social life and what is called ‘the end of the world’. Traditions are not the past of culture. Traditions retain and convey internal cultural forms. They also translate the spiritual influence and all symbols of religions and all metaphysical teachings are more or less readable prints thereto. Focusing on the problem of the relation between the macrocosmos and micocosmos, the author of the article draws the analogy between historical events, the course of history and man’s life. For that purpose the author uses the ‘health-sickness’ criterion for evaluating the overall historical process, in particular, concepts of the end of history from the traditional point of view. Disregarding the fact whether researchers of the Uniform Tradition follows the transcendental point of view or not, they all note that tradition and consecration have meta-historical and cross-cultural dimensions.

Keywords: Tradition, spiritual influence, consecration, principle, symbol, health, East and West, modern culture, metaphysics, history.

Abstract: The main goal of the present research article is to draw a portrait of Art Nouveau in terms of the developing project of post culture (the logic of the ‘criticism of culture’ in terms of the ‘culture – individual’ relation). The author defines post culture (or ‘differentiave culture’) as a type of socio-cultural construction that views differentiation (individuation) of the anthropological universum as the main process. By contrast, ‘culture’ (‘integrative culture’) has the priority to integrate an individual into the global community. The author views the process of post culture development starting from the period of Enlightenment, in particular, Kant’s critical philosophy when the project of ‘pure post culture’ was offered. The author views the periods ‘before’ and ‘after’ that are viewed by the author as the logical movement towards it and the logical creation of alternatives thereto respectively. The author’s model of the development of modernistic views is based on a philosophical plan. At the same time, the author tries to show how the evolution of modernistic intentions was expressed in art (mostly in fine arts). The author starts his discussion from comparing the negative portraits of ‘integrative culture’ and ‘differentiative culture’ in art. Then he goes to the logic of the positive project of post culture offered by Kant. Based on Kant’s concept as the starting point, the author describes the movement towards it and the attempt to apply it during the Great French revolution as well as the development of ‘cultural alternatives’ to Kant’s post culture including the classical Hegelian and non-classical Marxian theories. Analyzing the 20th century as the period when post-modern was created based on the criticism of the general European post-cultural victory after the First World War, the author proceeds to the discussion of ‘modernity’ and ‘interculturality’ (the logic of the development of the ‘criticism of culture’ is shown in terms of the ‘culture-culture’ relation). The author also touches upon the historical period when there were various attempts to restore the ‘cultural’ socio-cultural structure (cultural remissions). The most significant examples of the latter were social and political concepts of communism and fascism. A special focus is made on the development of the image of a ‘modern’, i.e. post cultural artist (man of art). Tracing back the logic of its development from the Romantic period till the end of the 20th century, the author shows that its structure was defined by the sensual-individual direction of post culture. At the end of his research the author analyzes V. Rozin’s position on modern art and artist expressed in his article ‘Reflections on Modern Art’.

Keywords: Post culture, inter culture, modern, Art Nouveau, Enlightenment, artist, differentiative art, integrative art, post-modern, counter-modern, art.

Abstract: Art appeals to one’s inner world and speaks the language of emotions and therefore can help to discover the culture code of the epoch and reveal deep archetypical structures like no other historical attributes. Rich and versatile artistic material that has been created in Europe gives an opportunity to trace back interesting tendencies in the interaction between the evolution of art and socio-cultural historical environment. To do it, it is necessary to view history of art from the point of view of its ‘sociality’ as well as ‘utility’ that should be interpreted as the need of the dominating social structures. Art work of different forms, genres and styles help to realize both sacral and secular socially determined needs of the society. Ancient times, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Early Modern Period present different models of these relations which is reflected in particular art forms and movements. This is the topic under research of the present article. Methodological base of the research is the art history and cultural approach, i.e. art history is being viewed from the point of view of cultural studies. The author also uses the methods of comparative socio-cultural analysis and reenactment of the most representative artistic practices. The research is carried out both in the synchronic and diachronic projections, i.e. the analysis of the historical periods is accompanied with the analysis of different art forms, movements and styles typical for particular historical periods. Up to Early Modern Period when the bases of the civilization of Modern were created, art had been just an attribute or a religious apology glorifying the Divine. Sacral art did not need to show who the creator of artwork was. Creative individuality had a secondary role and an artist had to follow strict rules of the canon or a dominating style. With time that tradition became weaker and secular values replaced Christian theodicy. The role of the demiurge and creator was gradually taken by human which was also reflected in particular forms of artwork. Artistic morphology, both sacral and secular, was directed by cultural and social factors. The choice of artistic practices depended on the societal status of the elite groups and their collective needs and preferences. ‘Sociality’ and ‘utility’ of art are shown based on the study of quite a long period in history. These terms are taken in quotation marks in order to show the novelty of the post-modernistic approach which opposed to the traditional non-utilitarian status of art used in classical esthetics.

Keywords: Culture, culture code, sociality, utility, religion, artistic style, ancient times, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Enlightenment.

Abstract: The article touches upon one of the most topical issues in the methodology of art history. The absolute priority given in the history research to the linear principle which genesis goes back to the age of Enlightenment has made art historians to pay more attention to certain periods while leaving other periods without adequate interpretations. In the latter case art is perceived as declining and not demonstrating complete or definite artwork as it seemed. This is the reason why those periods in art history were rarely studied. The example is the perception of the Western or Byzantine medieval art. As the science that was formed in the age of Enlightenment, esthetics took the exclusive Renaissance art as the starting point in the art development. Based on that approach, all artistic values were interpreted disregarding the type of culture they represented. In his first article the author described how Pitirim Sorokin destroyed stereotypes of the academic community and applied the cyclic principle to all historical periods as an alternative to the linear principle. In the second article the author shows how the absolute priority given to the linear principle in art history created an abundance of insoluble questions and how the cyclic principle applied by Pitirim Sorokin to art history help to solve these questions. The present article focuses on the constructability of the cyclic principle used by Pitirim Sorokin. It is also very important that Pitirim Sorokin talked not only about methodology but also about application of that methodology to all periods of art history. Pitirim Sorokin shows how the three types of culture have been constantly taking turns thought the history: sensate culture, ideational culture and integrated or synthesized culture. Development of each artistic style is shown within the framework of a particular cultural environment. Therefore, art history appears to be closely connected with cultural history. Thus, Pitirim Sorokin’s concept of social dynamics offers a very useful methodological approach to researchers. Despite the fact that Pitirim Sorokin introduced his ideas in the middle of the last century, nevertheless, his ideas were left unnoticed by both Russian and Western scientists and sociologists for quite a long time. It was partly due to the fact that social studies and history have always had quite uneasy elations. Sociologists very rarely referred to history but Pitirim Sorokin eliminated that prejudice. The intensive development of cultural research in modern Russian makes researchers be more interested in Pitirim Sorokin’s theory of social dynamics because his theory combined both the historical and cultural approaches. Pitirim Sorokin’s theory is one of the brightest examples of the interaction between different branches of modern science. The author of the present article very well shows how useful such inter-disciplinary interaction may be for art history researches.

Keywords: Cultural dynamics, crisis of culture, linear principle, cyclic principle, longue duree, sensate culture, ideational culture, synthesized culture, medieval art, super-sensate reality.

Abstract: The article is devoted to famous architectural designs of a genius Russian designer, engineer and philosopher Vladimir Shukhov amid historical processes ongoing in Russia and the other world at the end of the last century. The authors of the article provide an evaluation of his creative activity and study the influence of Shukhov on the development of constructivism and bio tech. The authors raise a question about the role of Shukhov’s original projects in engineering and architecture as well as architectural styles and esthetic philosophical movements of the first quarter of the 20th century. In particular, it is underlined that the opinion on Shukhov being an adept of constructivism can be partly disapproved. In this connection, the authors describe disputes of the leaders of Russian constructivists on Shukhov’s masterpieces. The last part of the article is devoted to the definitions of constructivism as a movement in architecture and art, on the one hand, and a logical-mathematical and philosophical approach, on the other hand. In their research the authors have used the methods of immanent criticism which was quite popular in philosophical researches of the 19th – 20th centuries. The immanent approach means an analysis of a theory using terms and categories of the same theory. Analogy is also one of the most central methods in the authors’ research. Allowing to make valid conclusions based on particular examples, analogy is a descriptive and evidence-based method. It is underlined that analogy formed the basis of Shukhov’s thinking as a philosopher and inventor. In their research the authors have used the general scientific method of historicism allowing to compare dynamics in different spheres of culture with the situation in the country and the other world. This article is the first attempt to describe Shukhov as a messenger of modern bio tech. It is also for the first time in the academic literature that someone tries to describe Shukhov as an engineer who followed humanistic concepts of his epoch. Noteworthy that so far Shukhov’s principle ‘to learn from nature’ hasn’t been paid enough attention in similar researches. That was the core principle in mathematical engineering design of the Russian designer and scientist and later the same principle had a dramatic impact on bio tech activists. The authors of the article also make an attempt to view Shukhov’s activity from the point of view of social philosophy and history of intellectual culture. The authors discuss the influence of Shukhov on modern bio tech architecture. Viewing Shukhov’s ideas in terms of modern bio tech is what creates the novelty of the present research article.

Keywords: Social responsibility of an engineer, ergonomics, Vladimir Shukhov, architecture of high tech, social aspects of bio tech, constructivism, Russian architecture, engineering solutions, Shabolovskaya TV radio tower, trainshed of the Kiyevsky railway station.

Abstract: The author of the present article offers a new philosophical concept of music based on his own experience in methodology, cultural research and humanitarian studies. V. Rozin outlines the following problems to be solved: to explain the strong influence of music on human and different interpretations of music, irreducibility of music to the technique and sound and the dilemma bout whether music is a language or a system of symbols. The researcher introduces his hypothesis that music, on one hand, is a form of life that solve the personality problems and on the other hand, the artistic reality. V. Rozin also discusses the main features of artistic reality including the textual nature, the unity of experiencing and constructing events of the artistic reality and the role of the personality of an artist. In the last part of the article the researcher substantiates the initial hypothesis on the nature of music, compares music with other art forms and shows that classical music has been formed as a form of life allowing a new European personality to achieve the main tasks of existence. The researcher offers a definition of music culture as an important feature of music. In the course of the development of his music concept, the researcher has used humanitarian methodology, comparative analysis of different forms of art, case analysis, genetic arguments, the method of problematisation and construction of ideal objects. As a result, V. Rozin manages to create a new philosophical concept of music, to solve a number of problems related to music and, as he hopes, to partly solve the mystery of music. An important aspect of this mystery is that by listening to music, a human solves his existential problems in the form of music temporality and activity that includes reading and artistic understanding of a musical material form.

Keywords: Music, event, problem, personality, sound, set of sounds, word, life, understanding, reality.