Medvedev, M. S. Comparative Analysis of Traditional and Modern Cultures

Abstract: The article is devoted to the description of traditional and modern cultures. Using the comparative philosophical and anthropological analysis, the author of the article defines axiological models, levels of consciousness, types of cogitation and cognitive attitudes typical for the human of traditional and modern cultures. In particular, human of the traditional culture has a hierarchical, standard, cyclic, conceptual and emotional cogitation, contemplative attitude dominating over activity, esthetic attitude towards the world and religious attitude in all forms of world perception. Human of the modern culture typically has an individual, flexible and mobile, linear cogitation and prevailing theoretical and pragmatic attitudes to the world round. Preservation of traditional culture is performed through consolidation around the meaning and innovation-based society is self-preserved through super-rationalization independent of all spheres of life activity. In post-traditional culture mythological and scientific knowledge prevails and at the same time different types of knowledge are quite independent from each other. Based on this analysis, the author describes the main parameters of a stable society: axiological and conceptual dominant and esthetic grounds of existence.

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