Abstract:   This article presents the analysis of the phenomenon of labor in Hegel’s heritage. It is suggested that the apology of labor takes it roots in the works of Hegel. His doctrine represents a culmination of the German classical philosophy in solution of the question on the relation on the active conscience to the external world, in other words in solution of the question about practice. This concept has formed under the influence of the English political economy of Adam Smith on one hand, and the philosophy of Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling on the other. The key towards understanding Hegel’s views upon practice is his interpretation of labor. The crucial moment of his concept of not only theoretical, but practical self-conscience, consists in the development of the conscious side of human activity. Practical attitude of a human towards the world for Hegel – is the key towards understanding the development of society. The author bases on the history of philosophy. Special attention is given to the theory of anthropogenesis. The initial point of Hegel’s concept about the activity of conscience is a living being, which has yet not become a human, but gradually overcomes its natural being and separates from the vital world. According to Hegel, it has a desire to cognize its essence through other beings, and for this purpose it needs to overcome only the natural existence. This rejection is a condition for transformation of a natural being into social. It means that a human attains its essence through labor, which expresses the liberation from nature and return to it as a result of attaining by human of its essence.  

Keywords: Labor, Self-conscience, Social practice, Natural being, Social life, Nature, Human essence, Activity, Slave and master, Human nature

Abstract: The subject of this research is the process of being. The article examines the four key problems. The first consists in the clarification of the philosophical concept and meaning of the “ontology of being”, its universal character, comparable to the fundamental philosophical category of being, as well as the concrete specificity of ontology in each sphere of being. In the second aspect the author reveals the ontology applied to all types of human-world relationship, and illustrates its various “projections”. Such connection is demonstrated in analyzing Hegel’s concept of ontology. The third aspect is detected in researching the content of the main categories that emerged in the history of philosophy: movement, development, activity, creativeness, and game. Each of them has its own content and volume. In this article the author suggests a generalized picture of the ontology of being, which is based on these categories. The fourth aspect is determined in the plane of being of actual human, his history, in which take place the current process of globalization, the establishment of the “global society”. Its central problem is a so-call problem of the “end of history”. The author believes that today the fundamental values of the dialectical-materialistic methodology are pushed back by the applied value of the knowledge that falls under the authority capital and officialdom, and becomes a commodity; scholars and thinkers turn into hired employees who produce this commodity; the values of fundamental science and philosophy are replaced by the growth number of whose who carry out a pragmatic-conjunctural orders.  Scientific novelty consists in the revelation of such characteristics of ontology that lie in the foundation of the main types of human-world relationship and are determined by the variety of this relationship.

Keywords: Being, Ontology, Non-being, Movement, Development, Activity, Game, Globalization, “End of history”, Worldview

Abstract: The object of this article is the problem of correlation between universal and individual on the example of dystopian novels emerged within the framework of cultural modernity. Special attention is given to the interpretation of the stated topic through the problem of controversy of the social progress, which is evident in almost all dystopias. The author thoroughly examines such aspects of the topic as rejection of identity and freedom, individuality and independence, in subordination to the sacral “Universal”. The main conclusions of the conducted research consist in the ideas that social happiness and welfare society within the reality of dystopia is achieved via deindividuation of identity, and devaluing it to atom, just a “bolt” in the mass social organism. The author demonstrates that the absence of social harmony, its tilt towards “universal” to the detriment of individual, originates in dystopias antagonism as a “revolt of an individual” leading to destruction in its various forms.  

Keywords: Individualization, Anthropological catastrophe, Depersonification, Freedom, Dystopia, Individuality, Universality, Unification, Totality, Social harmony

Abstract: This article is devoted to the Austrian scientist Ernst Mach’s philosophical heritage. The reason for its writing is 100th anniversary of his death and the relevance of his works for the contemporary science. They had a great influence on understanding the nature of the cognition and forming non-classical space and time ideas. The main accent is made on the epistemological breakthrough based on his ideas: transference of cognition subject from transcendental to natural world; empirical knowledge as a sum of natural and mental processes («sets of feelings»); forming empiriocriticism as a direction that stimulated neopositivism appearance; relative nature of space and time that resulted in both Einstein’s theory of relativity and the relational concept of space and time developed in science nowadays. The author proves that Mach’s suggestion to consider the basic purpose of science as adapting an idea to experience gives a negative result due to the unilateral direction of the cognition process and the emergence of «model-dependent realism». As for the methodology of his works, they were written from the position of dialectics because of Mach’s argument with Newton and Kant’s metaphysical approach to a priori and absolute categories. The author makes a conclusion from the research that it was Mach who proposed the idea of the unity of subject and object in the form of their «principal coordination». This approach forms the foundation of understanding the cognition process in modern epistemology.

Keywords: Subject, Object, Cognition, Experience, “complex of sensations”, Space, Time, “economy of thinking”, Relativity, Non-classics

Abstract: The subject of this research is the philosophical idea of progress in interpretation of the French and German theoreticians of the XIX century. The author suggests a hypothesis about the distinction between the triadic forms of progress, which signify the development of the humanitarian structures of society, as well as the progress in science and production. The latter are advancing increasingly, while in the humanitarian fields throughout more than two centuries, progress carried a different (triadic) character. As a result of this research, were determined the peculiarities of the philosophical triad among French; the prevailing scheme was taking its roots from Saint-Simon and meant the transition from the “feudal-theological” society to “metaphysical”, and in future – “industrial” society. The Germans (Hegel, Marx) developed the attitude towards progress according to the Hegel’s principle of alienation and its removal. But if in Hegel defines this dialectics as the movement of the World spirit towards self-cognition, Marx reveals it as a dynamics of labor – from the unity of clan, where an individual is absolutely dependent, to the movements towards alienation of the individual and his property from the clan, and finally, the removal between individual and universal. By comparing the French and German theories of progress, the author attempts to determine their unity and diversity. Scientific novelty consists in the fact that triadic forms of progress emerged at the dawn of capitalism, but the reminiscence of the passing era is still alive. Thus emerge the attempts to build value norms of the future by using the achievements of the past.  

Keywords: alienation principle, industrial society, metaphisical epoch, feudal and theological society, science, production, philosophical-historical triad, progress, individual, universal

Abstract: The subject of this research is the opera libretto, its importance, role and place in the process of staging a spectacle. The author emphasizes that opera libretto cannot contend for priority in interpretation of the initial literary material, or life story, because it is created only under the influence of a composer who writes the music for the opera. The opera libretto in the literary text is oriented on the idea of a composer, rather than a librettist, the idea that is placed in the score. Thus libretto can never become an independent carries of the opera plot, and the director of a play cannot base on the storyline captured in the libretto. For preparation of this research the author studied a large volume of literature dedicated to the issue of libretto writing, as well as the problem of realization of composer’s idea in opera theatre. The growing trend towards modernization of libretto via rewriting of the historical classical text, created in union with the composer, can result in the perishing of the very form of the art of “opera spectacle”. In an attempt to make the opera “more acceptable” for the modern audience, the librettists strive to endow the plot with “modern” “entertainment”, and in doing so, destroy the very goal and purpose of the opera work.  

Keywords: Libretto, Opera directing, Opera, Acting analysis, Storyline, Action, Theory of directing, Directing, Theatre, Music

Abstract: The subject of the research is a semantic field of culture, as well as transient and qualitative changes observed in it. A modern global crisis is interpreted as the consequence of implementation of the idea of narrowing of a semantic field of culture. Multiple cultural phenomena of the last century indicate a change of a tendency and a turn to the expansion of a semantic field. The transitional process that has already begun is viewed by the author as a big semantic shift – an utmost shift towards infinite number of meanings. As an example of this semantic infinity a new technique of canonical Orthodox iconography – Kuznetsov icon painting – is given. The special feature of this technique is the exclusive use of an ornament and a colour dots. The author considers Kuznetsov icon painting as the end of the searching of non-figurativeness in visual art that has begun in neoimpressionism and Russian avant-garde, the supplementation of non-figurativeness of forms with the non-figurativeness of colour. The method of comparative analysis of different cultural phenomena in their projections on the semantic field of culture and the method of analogies were used in the research. The novelty of the study is in the interpretation of the phenomena of modern culture and in particular Kuznetsov icon painting as visual embodiment of semantic vacuum – environment with infinite number of meanings. The main conclusion of the study is the indication of the transitional process in the semantic field of culture as an utmost shift towards infinite number of meanings – a large semantic shift. The cultural and anthropological crises receive new hope for their solution being viewed from a large semantic shift perspective.

Keywords: Icon, Yuri Kuznetsov’s icon painting, Pointillism, Sign, Meaning, Essence, Crisis, Semantic transition, Figurative, Nonfigurative, icon, Kuznetsov icon painting, pointillism, sign, meaning, sense, crisis, semantic shift, figurativeness, non-figurativeness

Abstract: The author distinguishes two philosophical traditions in understanding of modality – gnoseological (I. Kant) and ontological (Aristotle, Hegel). Following the ontological vector of interpretation of modality, humanism is being analyzed through the prism of this category. In the field of discussion are the following questions: necessity of the humanistic outlook; transhumanism as a possibility of humanism, which derives from its circumstances; turn of humanism towards the realities of humanity, human, and reality, which allows humanism to avoid subjectivity in understanding of a human, and as a result of misperception or lie. The conclusion is made that the subjectivity of a human is essential of human’s essence, as well as of the conceptual core of humanism; transhumanism as a potential possible of humanism manifests as a misstatement of the latter; regular possible in human essence, which should be considered and reflected by complete humanism, is two sided of a human – ideal- beautiful and unattractive hidden. curr

Keywords: Human, Being, Subject, Humanism, Transhumanism, Modality, Essential, Possible, Accidental, Current

Abstract: This article analyzes a popular in the contemporary Western theology approach, under which the Christian ontology is replaced by the existential philosophy, and the notion of the Identity of God – by the faceless deity. The work is based on the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, who became an inspiration for many of the Western theologians in both, Catholicism and Protestantism. The most powerful theoreticians, who expressed the essence of this approach, are Paul Tillich and Karl Rahner. The author bases the discourse on the analysis of the theories of these thinkers. In the author’s opinion, the replacement of God by the notion of being is questionable, at least in three aspects. Firstly, God, understood as a power of being and name of the depth of existence, transforms from a specific magnitude to an abstraction, which leads to reduction of faith in the living God to contemplation and states of subjectivity. Secondly, the notion of “foundation of being” applied to God immanentizes Him. God loses its autonomy and transcendence with regards to the world and human. And thirdly, God understood as the foundation of being, becomes a man-needing God, By rejecting the concept that God is a Persona, theology excludes the ontological hierarchy.  God is being viewed is everything in everything, as a faceless deity. And in this substitution of the Personal God by the notion of sacred, the author sees manifestation of pluralism that replaces the principle of the Absolute. In place of God come “gods”. In such type of immantenism and pluralism, the author observes the phenomenon of the death of God.

Keywords: Theology, Personal God, Immantenism, P. Tillich, K. Rahner, Theology of mystery, Modernism, Death of God, Christianity, Sacred

Abstract: This article examines the human essence and its ontological foundations, through the prism of interrelation between freedom and duty, faith and reason. The author determines two concepts of human essence: inside the actual human, as well as outside. It is noted that in our times a new type of human is being formed – human without essence; certain features of such human are being revealed; attention is focused on the processes of dehumanization characteristic to the contemporary society, as well as on the danger of idealization of Medieval times, and improperness of noncritical approach to history. Conclusion is made that taking of human essence outside (delegation of it to God, Absolute idea, etc.) gives birth to a person of duty, who strives to carry out the given to him essence from outside, and limit his freedom. A similar type of human we can observe in Medieval culture. A second type of human essence – is inside human; and initially it implies a freer human.

Keywords: Human, Essence, Duty, Freedom, Antiquity, Medieval times, Reason, Human without essence, Dullness, Existence

Abstract: Any research in the cultural field unchangeably turns to human – its creature and creator, who throughout centuries was establishing a structure of world culture. The constant relevance of such researches is substantiated by the fact that the essence of Homo Faber – the Creating Human is responsible for the achievements of humanity in culture, science, technologies, as well as for the blood shedding wars that took millions of lives. It is quite evident that the future of humanity always remains a topic of intense discussions, which are marked by the clashes of optimistic and pessimistic scenarios of its further development. A theoretical substantiation of the social role of an artist in the further formation of culture, arouses a significant interest. Scientific novelty consists in the determination of a number of relevant problems, which represent pressure points characteristic to a contemporary stage of cultural development, and in solution of which the society plays an essential role. The main conclusion is the message of the artist to the world – the process of creating artistic-aesthetic channels of spiritual communication, which allow involving its audience into an active intercultural dialogue that is based on the aesthetics of thinking, reflecting a creative essence of human. This explains the social mission of the artist that encourages realization of the optimistic scenarios of the further development of culture.

Keywords: Art, Culture, Music, Musician, Creative work, Artist, Spiritual communication, Artistic-aesthetic values, Aesthetics of thinking, Aesthetics of feelings

Abstract: The subject of this research is the examination of the spirit of surrealism as an ontological characteristic of this direction in art. Under this notion the author means an expression of metaphysical essence of a particular art direction. On the example of the creative work of a well-known surrealist Joan Miró, an attempt is made to reveal the ontological characteristics of the spirit of surrealism. It is demonstrated that by using typical for the creative method oа Miróspecificities of art expression, which are based on paradoxical and aggressive-expressive transformations and metamorphoses of the objects of visual reality and stylization for children paintings, a famous surrealist creates in his works a special other being atmosphere. Scientific novelty consists in the following: the entire list of Joan Miró’s major works illustrates that they lead a recipient to submersion into dramatic or even tragic spaces of otherness that are filled with a spirit of catastrophism and apocalypticism, including his eschatological understanding, which is considered by the author as a spirit of surrealism.

Keywords: Surrealism, Metaphysical painting, Contemporary art, Apocalypticism, Symbolism, Aesthetic experience, Artistry, Joan Miró, Giorgio De Chirico, Salvador Dali

Abstract: The subject of this research is the texts of traditional folklore in its anthropological aspects, which reveal ontological-conceptual, symbolic-conceptual, and procedural-conceptual sides. Special attention is given to the analysis of specific position of the traditional folklore in the history of culture and contemporary cultural space, as well as to the description of various points of view upon this problem, which confirm the tendency of complication of the sociocultural existence. The author provides argumentation that the traditional folklore with regards to the modern culture, represents a rather controversial, complex, multi-aspect, and accelerated in its history phenomenon. The major goal of the article consists in the following: to prove the polysymbolic content of folklore actions and possibility of their realization under the conditions of modern culture, using the exemplificative approach. The author underlines the importance of using the methods of cultural anthropology. This article reveals the cultural concepts of the traditional folklore through the prism of anthropological constants and description of its symbolic sound.

Keywords: Procedural-conceptual aspects, Symbolic-conceptual aspects, Ontological-conceptual aspects, Tradition, Traditional culture, Traditional folklore, Cultural concepts, Symbols, Customs, Initiations

Abstract: The main subject of this research are taste judgments in the visual arts. Several centuries ago, German philosopher Immanuel Kant formulated his famous antinomy of taste. According to the author they remain relevant to this day. Contradictions between the public and professional and artistic (personal) preferences, the author examines how the struggle between two authoritarian systems: from the perspective of a viewer (customer) and from the perspective of the Author. The author of this study believes that it is absolutely free from any conditions the artist was at the dawn of the art in primitive society. Removing the taste of the contradictions in contemporary artistic practice, in the opinion of the author of the study, through an "action conventions". Methodological base of research is the method of the structurally functional analysis; dialectical method; a method of intellectual speculation, as well as General scientific (General logical) methods: analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, analogy. The study's author comes to the following conclusions:1. The great assumption of I. Kant about the social background of the antinomies, remains relevant today.2. A century later, from early modernist experiments, in the synthesis of the aforementioned constructs, the modern visual art comes to the measure of conditionality. The concept of "measure of conditionality" is a a so-called aurea mediocritas (Latin) – the "Golden mean" and gives a key to the synthesis of these and other opposites.

Keywords: Reasoning, Contradiction, Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis, Art, Authoritativeness, Measure of conditionality, Painter, Taste

Abstract: The subject of this research is the book by K. K. Kolin and A. D. Ursul “Information and Culture. Introduction into the information Culturology”. The author gives special attention to the analysis of the relevant questions expressed in this book, which are associated with the problems of informatization and transition towards the global information society, as well as formation of the new to such society phenomenon of “information culture”. The article suggests structuring of the typology of information culture and examines the examples of implementation of this typology for further development of the “information culturology” as a scientific direction. The main conclusions consist in the following: 1. The peer reviewed material fully reveals the main aspects of the scientific discipline “Information culturology” in five directions: subjectology, terminology, methodology, nomology, and praxeology. 2. As a recommendation, we should note the following: - The phenomenon “information culture” should be more specifically typologized;  - The notion “virtual reality” should be used based on the information concept; it will help to avoid its identification with the notion “social reality”’;   - Praxeology of the scientific discipline requires a more reliable and contemporary factual and statistical material on the presented issues.  

Keywords: Peer review, Information culturology, Information culture, Information activity, Information potential, Information culture of administration, Information culture of education, Information culture of medicine, Information culture of economics, Information culture of ecology