man and culture* - srce
TRANSCRIPT
ManandCulture*
Original Paper UDC 130.2ReceivedSeptember25th,2007
Zagorka GolubovićMilošaJunakovića12/I,SRB-11000Beograd
The role of Culture in the post-Modern world
Its Impact on the Development of Human potentialities
AbstractAnanthropologicalapproachtotheplaceofcultureintheprocessofman’shumanizationwillbediscussed:whatarethebenefitsofthemodernagedevelopmentandwhichproblemsariseinpostindustrialandstilltechnologicalcivilization?Whathasbeenchangedasfarasthefundamentalroleofcultureinthehumanworldisconcerned:a)whenculturehasbecomeanindustrialproductintermof“massculture”;andb)undertheinfluenceofapostmodernrelativism(marginalizinguniversalvaluesandmorality,andinsteadfocusingon“preferences”andnarativediscourse)?Theconsequencesofthesechangesaretobeanalyzedfromthepointofviewofsubstantialhumanpotentialitiesascreativityandimagi-nation,framesofreferencesregardingmeaningoflife,multidimensionalnatureofhumancharacterstructure,freedomofpersonalityvs.vulgarizedindividualism,etc.Theconclud-ingquestionstates:whetherculturehasbecomesubmittedtotheeconomismortopolitics,insteadofbeingtheirfundation?
Key wordsCulture,humanization,development,humanpotentialities,post-modernworld
preface
An anthropological approach to culture and its impact on the process of hu-manisationwillbediscussed:whatarethebenefitsofthemodernagedeve-lopmentandwhichproblemsariseinthepost-modernbutstilltechnologicalcivilisation. What has been changed during the past century as far as the role ofcultureinthehumanworldisconcerned:a/whenculturebecameanin-dustrialproductintermsof“massculture”;andb/whataretheconsequencesofapost-modernrelativisminregardstothemarginalisationoftheuniversal
*Three articles in this thematic unit are adapted versions of papers delivered at the symposi-umwiththeabovetitle.The symposium “Man and Culture” (in the frameworkofthe16th Days of Frane Petrić)
wasorganisedbyCroatianPhilosophicalSo-ciety,attheislandofCres,from23rdto26thofSeptember,2007.
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valuesandmorality,aswellaswhenhavingthefocuson“preferences”andnarrativediscourse, and thedevastationof theconceptofhumanity.Thesechangesaretobeanalyzedfromthepointofviewofsubstantialhumanpo-tentialities,suchascreativityandimagination,contributionstothequalityoflifeanditsmeaning,aswellasamultidimensionalnatureofhumancharacterstructure and freedom of personality vs. the vulgarised industrialised “cultural productions”.Theprincipalquestionstates:whetherculturehasbeensubmit-tedtoeconomicsorpolitics,insteadofbeingtheirfoundation?
1.
In ordertoanalysetheroleofcultureundertheinfluenceofthenewpost-moderndevelopmentofsocietiesandcivilisations,Ishouldpayattentionoftheaudiencetoalong-lastingdebateinanthropologyaboutthedefinitionofculture.1IamnotgoingtofollowindetailsclassificationsoftheconceptsofculturesuggestedbyKroeberandKluckhohn,2butIwanttoemphasizethecrucial points that characterise culture as a distinctive human space. Perhaps thesentencesayingthat“cultureis tosocietywhatpersonalityis toorgan-ism” (Katz & Schanck)3 implies the very essence of the meaning of culture that humanises bothman and society,when transforming in a long-run ofhistorical development hominids into HomoSapiens,aswellasanindividualas a biological organism into a conscious human being. Which suggests that the main distinction of culture from the natural environment is that culture is“man-madepartoftheenvironment”(M.Herskovits4),inwhichthenewabilitiesofhumanbeingshavebeengenerated:abilitytoapermanentlearn-ingandtotransmitbylanguagenewexperienceswithintheinterpersonalandgenerationalcommunications;thatspeaksaboutanotherfeatureofculture,i.e.its cumulative effects in a diachronic perspective.However,whatistobeclearedupisthatculturecannotbeunderstoodascol-lectionof“facts”or“objects”,butcontrarytothepositivistwayofthinking,itis“awayofanalysingfacts”(Fortes5)bythenewabilitytousesymbols(meaning that culture is a “symbolic universe”). The contents of culture thus areselectiveandlearned,notbiologicallyinherited.Inotherwords,culture,asafoundationofhumansociety,isdistinctiveof“animalsocieties”whicharebaseduponspecies-kindofinstincts.Therefore,symbolisationofeventsisaspecifichumanphenomenon,whichmakesthebasicmaterialofculture.6 Whenfollowingthiswayofthinking,thefundamentaltraitsofculturemaybesummarisedasitfollows:cultureissocial,shared by human beings in a given community (as “a grammar of social life”); it is conceptualisationand verbalisation of ideas, norms and patterns of behaviour; it isdynamic and changeable in the life-span and historical times; thus it ispluralistic; it is also interactive(whichmanifestsinthediffusionofculturalelements);itistransmittedthrougheducation (in a permanent process of learning). That is to say:itis“aprocessofman’sdevelopmentandorganisationofhissubstantialpotentialities” (D. Bidney7). As such cultureisapeculiarwayofhumanexist-ence,fostering the process of becoming human.Butcultureisnotonlyatransmittedlearnedexperienceasaninstruction/di-rection for life; it is also a projection and justification (as making sense) of lifedirectionby indicatingwhat individualsandsocietiesmightandoughttodowiththeirlives,asamotivatedandgoal-directedpraxis,thatsatisfieshumanneeds ina reflexiveway.Amodernanthropologist,ClifordGeertz,warnsusthatcultureisnoteverythingwhichhasbeencreatedduringman’shistory,butthemeaningsattributed to those creations that may be internalised in personality and social structures.8That is to say, that culture represents
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the“meaningfulschemes”fortheselectionofhumanwaysoflifeasequiva-lencefor the instincts.Culture, therefore,shouldbe interpreted in termsofthe transbiologicalspaceinwhichhumanlivesanddevelopmentsoccur;or tosayitinotherwords,itisasensibleconstructionofhumanrealitybythereflexiveinterpretation.
2.
BeforeIpasstoanotherquestion,i.e.howfarthequoteddefinitionsofculturecorrespondtotheunderstandingofcultureinthepost-modernworld,itisne-cessarytoclearuptheexistingconfusionbetweentwoterms:cultureand civi-lisation,becausetheydonotrepresentthesynonymousconcepts.Moreover,their developments may not correspond to one another. What the descriptive definitionofcultureimplies, thatit includeseverythingwhathumanityhascreated,belongstotheconceptofcivilisationwhichdealswiththeproductsandartefacts,orasitissaid,withmeans(e.g.forsatisfyinghumanneeds),whileculturespeaksabouttheends.AccordingtoAlfredWeber’sdistinction,civilisation is a sphere of the necessary and useful things (as they are techno-logicalandmaterialmeansofsurvival),whileculturerepresentsthespiritualsphereasa“worldofsymbols”,asanewlycreatedspirituallytransformedma-terial reality.9 But Kroeber suggests a different concept of civilisation treating it as a given great totality of cultural creations (like Chinese and other great civilisations),10inwhichsensewespeakalsoabouttheWesterncivilisation,or “technological/informatic” civilisation.Due to the fact that a necessarydistinctionisignored,cultureis,inparticularinthemodernWesternsocieties,identifiedwiththeelementsofcivilisationandreducedtomaterialmeansasamainaspectofsocialadvancement,whilethedomainofvaluesandmoralprinciples,aswellasvarietyofartisticcreations,havebecomerelativeandculturemarginalised,whendifferentspiritualcontentsaresubduedtotechni-cal and industrial production.
1
Forthedefinitionsofculturesee:A.L.Kroe-ber & Clyde Kluckhohn (eds.), Culture: ACriticalReviewofConceptsandDefinitions,VintageBooks,NewYork1963.
2
Theyofferedthefollowingclassification:de-scriptive definitions (“the things that people have,thethingstheydoandwhattheythink”);historical definitions (“the socially inherited assemblage of practices and beliefs that de-terminethetextureofourlives”, i.e. theto-tal social heredity or the forms of traditional behaviours); normative definitions (“the mode oflifefollowedbythecommunity”,or“thosehistorically created designs for living”); psy-chological definitions (“the sum of mass ad-justmentstothelifeconditions”),A.L.Kroe-ber&C.Kluckhohn,Culture,pp.84–106.
3
In the above mentioned collection Culture:ACriticalReviewofConceptsandDefinitions,p.117.
4
Ibid.,p.128.
5
Ibid.,p.263.
6
See:ZygmuntBauman,Kulturaispoleczen-stvo, 1966 (quoted from Serbian translationKultura i društvo, Prosveta, Beograd 1984,p.63).
7
Culture:ACriticalReviewofConcepts andDefinitions,p.174.
8
Clifford Geertz, Interpretations of Culture:Selected Essays, Basic Books, New York 1973,p.68.
9
AlfredWeber,PrinzipienderGeschichteundKultursoziologie,München1951,pp.90–91;Herbert Marcuse makes a similar distinction in the book KulturundGesellschaft,vol. II,Suhrkamp,Frankfurt/M.1966,p.149.
10
A. L. Kroeber, An Anthropologist looks atHistory,UniversityofCaliforniaPress,Ber-keleyandLosAngeles1963,pp.68–69.
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InthefurtherconsiderationofthetopicIshalltrytoindicateinwhatsensetheessentialmeaningsofculture,asthekeyconceptofthehumanworld,arelost,whenitsmultidimensionalinterventionintothegivenenvironment,andthein-cessantinnovationsregardingthequalityoflife,havebeeninterpretedinone-sidedandpragmaticterms,whoseusefulnessismeasuredbythedailyeffectsto the material standard of living and the modern technological products.
3.
Themainquestionregarding the interpretationof theconceptofculture inthepost-modernworldmaythusreadasfollows:doesculturestillprovidesa“sensibleconstructionofrealityasareflexiveworld”inpost-industrialandconsumersociety,whichhavebeenenforcingprimarilyeconomicandutili-tarianprinciplesascriteriaofsocial/individualprosperity(intermsofanewqualityoflife)?Andadominanttrendtowardsunificationof“technologicalcivilisation”shouldbetakenintoaccountvs.creativediversitiesofcultures,thatimplypluralityofpossibilitiesandthechoiceofalternatives,whichtheimposed“standardisation”denies.Anotherquestion,derivedfromtheformer,asksforaseriousreconsiderationoftheproblem:whetherfreedomofchoice,asasubstantialcharacteristicofculture,hasbeenthreatenedinthepost-in-dustrial/cyberneticcivilisation,whichjustifiestheplainvictoryof“techno-logicalcivilisation”overthemultidimensionalcontentofculture,thatissup-posedtosearchfornewideasandvisionswhichmaycontributetothe“betterfuture” of humanity. According to the generally accepted anthropological un-derstandingofcultureasa“specificwayoflife”,thatis,asa“secondhumannature”,thismaybemorepreciselyexpressedintermsofan“incessantproc-essofdefininghumanlives,ofcalmingthestruggleofexistence,ofstabilis-ingtheproductiveorganisationofsociety,inordertofosterman’sintellectualcapacities, to reduce and sublimate aggression, violence and poverty” (H.Marcuse11). And David Bidney makes an emphasis on the ability of culture todignifypotentialitiesofhumannature,12whichbecomesproblematicinthepost-modernworldproducingculturalcrisis.Letusanalyzemanifestationsofmodern cultural crisis as a product of the almost complete marginalisation of theauthenticconceptofculture:• peoplearetodayvalue-disorientedandtheleastmotivatedbymoralprin-ciplesintheirbehaviourandactions,reducingtheconceptof“life”tothematerial means for the consumption of commodities;
• peoples’community feelingsandsolidarity towards their fellow-menareabandoned for the sake of a “possessive individualism” and selfishness;
• having (in termsof accumulationofmoney,profits andcommodities) isbecoming more important than being(asbecomingafreepersonalitywithdevelopedhumanpowers);
• individual and social (human) interactions and communications are aban-doned for the sake of the capacity tomanipulatewithmodern technicalmeans,thatalmostcompletelyoccupypeoples’interest;
• technocratic principles are thus imposed as undisputable imperatives;• “economicrationality”becomestheonlyone,absolutekindofrationality,
very often contrary to “social rationality” that relies on the principle of so-cialjustice(asKarlPolanyiandPierreBourdueuhavewritten);
• imitation,reproductionandconformismreplaceindividualandgroupcrea-tivity,andan“averageperson”becomestheyardstickof“normality”;
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• eurocentrismaswell asethnocentrismprevailover theproductive (crea-tive) cultural diversity;
• critical/reflexivethinkinghasgotanegativeconnotationinfrontoftheex-pansionofpopulismwhosemainsloganis“goodiswhatiseffectiveandacceptedbythemasses”,regardlessthevaluesandmorality;
• thegreatideasofEnlightenmentaredenied,togetherwiththehumanisticapproach to theproblemsof themodernworld, andexchanged for “dis-course”andnarratives,whichareacceptedastheonlylegitimatepointsofviews(despising“greatphilosophy”ofthepast);
• culturalachievementsaremostlytreatedascommodities,whichshouldbesubmittedtothemarketprinciples,dependingonthepossessionofmoney,regardless of their comprehension and devotion;
• much greater offer of information does not primarily function so as to pro-videamorerationalperceptionofreality,butproduceanillusionthatweare all the time “in”whatever is happening in theworld,without beingcapableofunderstandingwhatisreallygoingon,norfeelingempathywiththeeverydaytragediesthattakeplaceallovertheworld;
• and, lastbutnot least,despite thepotentiallygreaterandmoreadvancedmeansonpeoples’disposal,peoplefeelmorehelplessinfindingsolutionsforthegreaterproblemsinagrowingglobalchaos,inwhichtheycannotseehowtheythemselvescancontributetopreventthepossibleapocalypse.
Thatisthereasonwhyonemayconcludethattheculturalchallengeofthe20thcentury,despiteitsenormoustechnologicaladvancement,hasnotbeenproperlymetas faras the substantial spheresofhumanexistencearecon-cerned,becausethereducedconceptofculturefailedintermsofthegrowthofhumancapacities;thiscanbedemonstratedwiththecounter-effectivere-sults:peoples’inabilitytounderstandamorecomplicatedpost-modernworld,in particular under the impact of the process of globalisation; they lose hopes regarding a possible struggle against dehumanisation of both individuals and societies,duetothegrowingrepressioneveninthemostdevelopeddemo-cratic societies (whenglobal terrorism is used as a pretext); the educationwhichisstilltraditionalbothinitsmethodsandkindofknowledgeittrans-mits,preservestheauthoritariantypeofsocialisationandprepersindividualsprimarilytoadjustthemselvestothegivenconditionsandtheexistingstruc-tureofpower,whilevariouskindsofrevoltsarestilltreatedassubversiveactsthatarerigorouslypunished(theappearanceofnew“concentrationcamps”for theso-called terroristsare legalizedby theUSA); insteadofcreatingabettermentalunderstandingamongstdifferentpeoples,xenophobiahasbeenrevived,andhundredsoftheso-calledsmallwarsarespreadingalloverthemodernworld.Thereby,whenlivinginaconfusedrealitywhichpeoplenei-therunderstandnorcanactupon,theycreateavirtualrealityas an illusory escape,whilethecircleisthusclosed,andtheycannotfindthewayoutofthecrisis.Andso,insteadofbeingengagedintheproductive/creativeactivitiesinordertostrengthentheirpowers,individualsdealwith“simulacrums”,thatcannotgetthemanywherebuttonihilism.The results of the above described reductionism of the content of culture con-sistininabilityofculturetofulfilitsbasicfunctionsinteachingpeopleabout:
11
Herbert Marcuse, “Bemerkungen zu einerNeubestimmung der Kultur”, inKultur undGesellschaft,p.148.
12
David Bidney, “The Concept of CulturalCrisis”, American Anthropologist, vol. 48(1946),p.535.
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whata“better society”meansandhow to realise it;what is“normal”andwhat should be treated as “deviant” and immoral (in human relations andcommunications);whichsystemsofvaluesshouldbesupportedinordertoimprovehumandevelopment (asagainsta total relativism);whichcultural(symbolic) forms are to be given priority in a modern (democratic) society; howtocomprehendtheconceptofpersonalandgroups’libertyandmakeuseofthem(inparticularinpoliticalterms),i.e.isitallowedtoimperilfreedom of others.13Inotherwords,oneshouldaskwhetherthepost-moderncultureteachushowtocomprehendtheglobalworldofourepoch,andaccordingly,howtomakeourlivingwellsoastoreconcilemuchgreatersocialpotenti-alitieswithmultidimensionalneedsofmodernmanandbecomecapableofmakingsenseofourlivesatthedawnofthenewmillennium?Manyotheressentialquestionsoneshouldanswerinordertodealwithcoun-tereffectsofpost-modernconceptionofculturethathasceasedtobereflex-ivelyselectiveandcritical,duetowhichitisbecomingunabletohelppeopleinregenerating theirpersonalpowersandactivating theirenergies inordertoreaffirmthefundamentalroleofcultureasahumanworld.Someof thenecessaryreassessmentconcernsthefollowingquestions:doesthepost-mod-ern culture provide channels for a better intergenerational communications through a continual development of a “communal ethos”; and does it sup-plybothindividualsandsocialstrata,aswellasdifferentsocieties,withthenecessarymeansforthesolutionsoftheacutecontemporaryproblems?Theanswerslieintheveryfactthatthegapisgrowingbetweenthosewhostillcannotsolvetheproblemofmeresurvivalandtheotherswhoarebecomingenormouslyrich,becausethepostindustrial/postmodernsocietiesdonotcareforthatwhentheyhaverejectedthe“welfarestate”.Thatistosay,themainshortcomingofthepost-modernculture(primarilyintheWesternworld)isthatitdoesnotopennewperspectivesofthefuturede-velopment,whichwouldtakeintoaccountthegreatachievementsofthepastcenturyasthenecessarypreconditionsofthemoreadvanced“betterworld”;theconsequenceofwhichispeoples’escapefromtheexistingrealitiesintoavirtualone.Therefore,insteadoftakingtheseriouseffortsinordertochangetheformer,peopledealwiththesimulacrums,and fall even more deeply into the feeling of helplessness.
4.
Letusconsideranotherquestion:whythepost-modernculturehasbeensomarginalizedintheworldwhichseemstobethemostadvancedwhencom-paredwiththepreviousepochs?Theanswerliesinthenatureofadominantpoliticswhichfavours“economicrationality”anditstechnocraticallyorientedconceptsofsocialdevelopment.Therepresentativeofwhichistheneoliberaldoctrineas a model that tends to dominate in construction and direction of an alsoprevailingneoimperialpoliticswithintheexistingconceptofglobalisa-tion.Forsuchastatementthefollowingargumentsmaybesuggested:a/theprevalence of technocratically articulated principles in terms of efficiency of the production of “commodities” (the term applied to all the products of hu-mancreativity)whoseweightismeasuredbythequantityofmoneynecessarytobuythem;b/andthelatterisalogicalconsequenceofthetwomaincharac-teristicsofpostindustrial/postmodernsocietiesbeinginterpretedintermsof“self-regulatingmarket”whichdetermines thevaluesof theproducts/crea-tions,andalsowhocangetthem,aswellasanirrationalopssessionwiththe
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incessantaccumulationofthe“commodities”;c/thepost-modernconceptofhappiness,whichisdefinedintermsofone’sprestigewithinthe“consumersociety”(asZygmuntBaumanwrites:“happinessmeanstofollowraceafterconsumption”);andd/theothersideofthecoinisrevitalisationofanimperialpoliticsofthe“greatpowers”(andparticularthesuper-power),whicharelev-ellingdownstandardsofsocieties’developments(intermsofGleichschaltung ofprinciples),regardlessthedifferencesofvariouscivilisations,whentrying toimposeasinglemodelthatisusuallynamedas“eurocentrism”,or“West-ernisation”(butperhapsamoreadequatetermwouldbe“Americanisation”).Thustwopost-modernideologies(consumerismandneoliberalism)coincideandproducedubiouseffectsonthegloballevel,whendisregardingculturalandcivilisationaldiversities andgenerating the followingphenomena:dif-ferent kinds of fundamentalism(religious,ethnocentricandnationalisticoneetc.)asarevoltagainsttheimposedunification;andtheothereventwhichexpendstheclashofcivilisationsthatannihilatesthebestqualitiesofhistori-callegacyofdifferentculturalcreations,whichcouldcomeintobeingonlythroughintercultural/intercivilisationalcommunication.However,beingthatpoliticsstillconditionsbotheconomicprojectsandtheirscopes,aswellasthemeaningofculture,andthedominant(neoliberal)poli-ticsrulesovertheentirelivesofpeoplesandsocieties,soasthatcultureispushed aside into an inferior position and becomes the servant of a politics ofextremeeconomism,insteadofbeingtheveryfoundationofthetotalityofhumanwaysoflife.ToquoteJürgenHabermas’sayingregardingthefactthateconomiclawshavepenetratedalltheporesofculturalsubjectsandthemes,duetowhichculturecannolongerfulfilitsfundamentalfunctionofeman-cipation;andtheauthorexplainsthatwithouttheadequateinformationthepublic opinion becomes unable to revolt against the populist tendencies and demandsoftheexistingpoliticalprogrammes,relyinguponthemarketprin-ciples and mechanisms.14 A significant field of research should be dedicated tothecountriesintransition,whereinallthementionedmanifestationsoftheimpoverishmentandmarginalisationofpost-moderncultureareevenmoreemphasised,thuscallingfortheappropriatesolutions.
5.
Howtheconceptofcultureisinterpretedineverydaylife,takingasarefer-encethepracticesofsocietiesintransition,andmoreparticularlyinpresent-daySerbia?Theevidenceshowsthatineverydaylifeofpost-modernmen/womencultureissomethingofasecondaryimportance,ashungeringonthemarketplace,andbeingtreatedasifonecanmakelifewithoutit(whenkeepinginmindtheusualanswersuchas:Ihaveneithertimeforculturaleventsnormoneytobuy“culturalcommodities”).Anditisunderstandablethatthosewhostruggleformere survival cannot think about “culture” because they cannot “buy” it (their budgetisshortforbooks,thicketsfortheatresorconcerts,andoftenevenforthesatisfactionofelementaryneeds).Whilethebetter-offcitizensuseculture
13
Kant’s “Categoric Imperative” seems to beabandoned,aswellasacrucialliberalideaofJohnStuartMill,whowroteaboutthelibertythat jeopardizes freedom of other as being selfishandexcentric.
14
Jürgen Habermas, in Süddeutsche Zeitung,June16th,2007.
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primarilyasameansofentertainmentandrelaxationfromahardbusiness,whosefunctionisverywellmetby“massculture”basedonaneasilytrans-mittedthelatestfashionsandmassexpressions/communications.Culture is no longer understood for the majority of the population as a field of anoutmostimportanceintheprocessofcivilisationofhumanbeings,butinaverynarrowsenseonthepragmaticandutilitarianlevel,havingthusastrongimpact upon the qualityoflifewhosenotionisliberatedfromtheideasand“visions”forthefuture,becausethemotivationdoesnotrelyonindividualand social liberation.Popularcultureisusedasameansofhavingfuninfree-time,orasanillu-soryparticipationin“realityshow”thatlastforonedayalonewithoutleavinganydeepertraceinone’slife.Preferencesareinuseinsteadofprinciplesandvalue-ladenchoiceswhen is tobedecidedwhat to“pickup” fromculture.However,whatunderliepreferencesandstylesarestereotypes,whicharenotsubmittedtothereflexiveselection;andwhatgoeswithit,thereisaninclina-tiontowardsimplificationofthegivenevents.Asamatteroffact,themostpartofpopularculturetodayisexpressedas“happenings”inwhichimprovi-sationiswhatmostlymattersandnotacreativeimagination.Ontheotherside,areproductivecultureprevails,whoserightexpressionisa“newcomposedculture”(turbo-folkculture).ItisabadimitationoftheoriginalFolk-cultures,whichareadjustedtothemasshappenings,thatopenthespaceoftheescapefromadifficultreality;thereby,the“soap-opera”seriesarethemostpopularinventionofthepost-modernmassculture,becausetheyawakenostalgiaofa“better times of the past” and help people forgetting the “dark reality”.Accordingtotheanalysesoftheneo-populisttrendofcultureintoday’sSer-bia,15 one may conclude that the proper meaning of culture is comprehended byaverysmallproportionofthepopulation,ifkeepinginminditssubstantialrole, in termsof educationwhich teachpeoplehow tocreate adecent lifecircumstancesandhumanisetheirpotentials(needs,aspirations,values/mo-rality), andqualitatively improve their tastes.But themost spread culturalformsstimulateirrationalimpulsesandaverylowtaste,aswellasapopulistrhetoricwhichimpoverishlanguageandcommunication.Onemaynoticeaswell,thatthepopularcultureinpost-modernepochretreatstoneo-tradition-alism,notonlyasregarding“neo-folks”butalsoasturningbacktoreligious,mythological,magicandastrologicalwayofthinking,throughwhichagrow-ing number of individuals look at the given reality.So,whatonemaysayaboutthecharacteristic“spiritofourtime”whentheprevailingstateofpre-modernconceptofcultureistakingplaceinthepost-modernera?Withthepauperisationofcultureinthe20thcentury,thesubstan-tialtraitsofculture,like:creativity,imagination,libertyofopinionsandac-tionsforthesakeofman’shumanisation,arelosingtheirattributeswhichtheauthenticconceptofcultureassumes.Therefore,ourepochhasbeenmarkedby the absence of new-great ideas (R.Dahrendorf); furthermore, the post-modernrelativismthatignoresthedifferencebetween“better”and“worse”choices,deprivepeoplefromorientationsandalternatives;thusadecreasinglevel of thepopular culturehas sharpened thegapbetween “high culture”anditsmassindustrialproduction;andalsoproducesalowlevelofpoliticalcultureanddevastationoflanguage,notonlyineverydayuse,butinliteraturetoo. The “virtual reality” has come to replace the real one as a method of es-cape from the heavy burden of freedom and responsibility.Thesocialdescriptionoftheprevailingpost-modernspiritmaystateasthefollowing:thehabitusofmajorityofcitizensdeteriorates,unablingthemto
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understandandtakeanactivepartintheirrealities,soastomaketheircontri-butionstotheimprovementofthemultiplicityofhumanpotentialities,whichtheepochoffers.Thatisthereasonwhy,peopleabstainfromdiscoveringnewperspectives,whichtheyhavebeendeprivedofwhenbeingmanipulatedbyneo-traditionalideologies(suchas:nationalism,neorasism,andvariouskindsoffundamentalism), thatorient themtowardsthepasthistory,almostcom-pletely disregarding the visions of the future.16
6.Ontheotherside,itisimportanttoanalysewhattraceofpost-modernculturecanbefollowedintermsofthesignificantdiscoveriesofthepastcenturies;i.e.whatonecanlearnhowthepotentialcontributionsoftherecenthistoricalde-velopmentmaybeusedfortheadvancementofthenewqualityoflife.Inordertoavoidapost-moderntrendtowardstheinstrumentalisationofbothpoliticsandlinguistics,oneshouldkeepinmindPeterBerger’sstatementthat“huma-nity”belongstosocio-culturalcategory,becausecultureisatransformedna-turedonebyhumanbeings,andwhenhavingchangedthegeneticandmentalstructure,generatingnewcapacities,humanbeingscreatedneworganizationsandenteredintoahumanenvironment(whichiscalledculture).17 Thus human beingshavebecomecapableofcreatingpluralversionsoftheirlifestyles,be-ingnolongertiedtoasoleformofexistencebelongingtotheirbiologicalspe-cies.Withinthiscontextonecanjudgeabouttheeffectsoftheadvancementofpost-modernculture,whenanalysingwhetherpluralityofculturalcreationsandvaluesareincorporatedintodifferentcivilisations,thatarerespectedandcomprehended as conditiosinequanonof a continuous development of hu-manpotentialitiesallovertheworld.Duetothepossibilityofhumanbeingstocreatedifferentiatedformsofcultureastheirspecificambiencewithinhumanexistence, agreatdealofnewcapacitieshavebeenopened, asmuchasanintercultural communications have been practiced. And one cannot deny the factofinterconnectionsofcultureswhichhasbeentakingplaceinourepoch,eventhoughculturalexchangehasappearedprimarilyinformsofdiffusionofculturalelementsinthedomainoftechnicalproductionsormaterialgoods,aswellasconcerningnewstylesofmusic,etc.However,themostimportant“ele-ment”ofculture,valuesystems,whichgivesensetotheentireculturalcrea-tions,havebeenleastexchangeablebetweencultures/civilisations.Therefore,one may say that the very substance of cultural differentiation remains closed within theparticular societies/civilisations,without enablingaprofound in-tercultural communication.18Therefore,onemaycometotheconclusionthatthegreatpotentialitiesforboththeadvancementofpost-moderncultureanda
15
See:MilenaDragićević-Šešić,Neofolkkultu-ra.Publikainjenezvezde(Neo-folkCulture:Public and Its Stars), Izdavačka knjižarnicaZoranaStojanovića,SremskiKarlovci1994.
16
Unlike the totalitarian practice in “real social-ism”, which declared a “glory future” as amasktohidetheawkwardreality,thepredomi-nant trend of postmodern popular politics is a manipulationwithhistoricalmythologiesthatservethesamefunction,i.e.toturnpeople’sthoughts from the unpleasant reality.
17
PeterBerger&ThomasLuckmann,TheSo-cialConstructionofReality,Doubleday,NewYork1967,p.49.
18
Imakedifferencebetweentheterm“intercul-turality”, which implies penetration of cul-turalcontentsofdifferentcultures,whiletheterm “multiculturality” suggests the paralel coexistence of different cultures, either in alocallevel,ortheglobalone,withoutthemu-tual influence to one another.
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productiveexchangeofthecreationsofdifferentcultures,whichpost-modernworldhasoffered,havenotbeenutilisedsofartoitsfullextent.Itistruethatmuchgreateropportunitiesforinnovationsiswhatmarksourepoch,becauseithasneverhappenedinthepasthistorythatsuchgrandioseproducts have come into being in a relatively short time; still they mostly belongtothedomainoftechnologyandtechnicalmeansofcommunication,19 thatofcourseshouldnotbeunderestimated.Atthesametime,onemaybedisappointedwhentheotherfieldsofculturearetakenintoaccount,likethearticulationofnew(political)ideas,becausepoliticaltheoriesofthepasthavebeen renewed instead; the samemay be noticedwhen speaking about thevariousformsofarts,themostvisibleinarchitectureandbeletristics,whereinit is hardly possible to see the great figures like those creators from the past centuries,becausethemodernformsareimitationswhicharediffusedallovertheworld(inarchitecturetheskyscrapers,inbellartmanipulationwithmereformsregardlessthecontent,etc.).Themostdisturbingiswhathappenedwiththesubstantialvaluesandbeliefsin thepost-modernworld.The legacyofmoderndevelopment in termsoftheestablishingsecularprinciplesasthefoundationofthemodernstates,hasbeendevastatedandthepluralityofopinionsasthealternativeview-points,havebeenreduced;instead,humanityisturnedagainstphilosophyandsci-entific theories for the sakeof religiousbeliefs andmysticismwhichhavebecomepopulareveninthemostdevelopedsocieties,thatseemsparadoxicalinthe21stcentury,whenoneshouldexpectthegreatersupporttotherationalwayofthinking.Ontheotherside,economicvaluesbecameuniversallyac-ceptedas themostsignificantcriteriaofhumandevelopment,which is themainreasonwhyculturelostitsimportantroleintheconceptualisationofthefuture development of humanity.Thefactthatsuchamainstreamorientationexists,notonlyintheUSA,butbeingspreadoverEuropeaswell(withtherecentvictoriesoftheconserva-tivepoliticalpartiesinEuropeancountries)leadtotheconfusionwhenonespeaksabout the“modernEuropeanstandards”.Therefore, it is reasonabletodiscusssuchatopic,consideringfirstofall,thequestionwhetherthede-clared democratic values/standards correspond to the normswhich are fa-voured in politics of European andWorld community.When one followsthe resultsofpost-modernpolitics/conceptionsabout the “betterworld”, itispossibletoconcludethattheyarenotincorrespondencewiththeprinci-plesofdemocracy:e.g.declaredfreedomandrightofchoice ispracticallydeniedwhen the imposedstandardsof thegreat forcesare treatedas“uni-versal ones” (that slogan “take it or leave it” symbolises); human rights and libertiesare relativistically interpretedwhen incorporatedwithinneoliberalconceptionofdemocracy,producinga“possessiveindividualism”asagainstsolidarity,excludingsocial justiceastheimportantprincipleofdemocracy,whichcouldhaveguranteedthat“allcitizensareequalbeforethelaw”.Evenonthelevelofpersonalvirtues,post-modernityhasfailedtoprovidegroundsfortherealdemocracy,because:honesty,personalintegrity,honorableactivi-ties,responsibility,etc.,thatshouldbethecontentofpersonalitystructure,donotcountanylonger,becauseanpossessiveraceinapermanentcompetioninthemarketplacedemandsquitethedifferentvaluesystemand“morality”(disregardofafaireplayanddecentrelationshipswithfellow-men,deceptionasanacceptednormofbehaviour,aswellasinconsistencyofcharacterforthepragmaticreason)soas toaccumulateasquicklyaspossible thebetterpositionineconomicorpoliticalfield.Theunderlyingvalueslike:efficency byallmeans,competitionwhichmaybebasedevenontheimmoralgrounds,
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prestige on the hierarchical ladder,money preferance, arewhatmatters ininterpersonal behaviour.Anotherproblemwhichshouldbereassessedconcernsthecontroversialcon-cept of globalisationwhichfavoursasinglemodelof“wildcapitalism”astheonlyappropriatepatternforallsocieties,regardlessthedifferencesofsocial, politicalandculturaltraditions,whichimplydistinctiveneedsandinterests,whiletheformerarebeingopposedtoaproclaimedpluralityofalternatives.However,thechoiceofthealternativewaysoflivesandbehaviourwouldbemadepossibleontheconditionsthat“Western-centrism”becometranscendedinordertoopenthedoortointer-civilisationalcommunicationandgiveop-portunities to all cultures to make impacts to one another and learn the lesson oftoleranceinregardstodiversities,bywhichpluralityofculturalcreationswill be affirmedas real groundsofdemocracy.Suchamessage shouldbebuilt-intheproperconceptionofpost-modernity,asagaintbothaninadequatemodelofglobalisationandthenation-states’isolation(thelatterbeingbasedupon the nationalist concept of sovereignty).The finalmessagemay read: it isnot thepoliticsand their representativesalone,butcitizensaswellwhohavetodoagreatefforttomakeuseofthepotentialitiesthatpost-modernworldhasoffered,howeverbeingignoredandmisusedbythemeainstreamideologieswhichhaveusurpedtherighttopro-claimtheirownvaluesasthe“universal”patterns.Itisnecessarytorevitalisetheoriginalconceptofcultureasafoundationofhumanexistence,asopposedto the practice of its submission either to politics or economism. Which is the only possibility for escape from the threatening appocalypse that may be pro-ducedbythecontaminationofboththeenvironmentandculture,andresultinthe termination of humanity.
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19
However, even that is relative, because theunderdeveloped societies are not yet in the possession, not only of the new technologybutalsooftheelementaryexistentialmeans,
and for that reason are even not interested in newcreations,duetheirconstantproblemofmere survival.
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Zagorka Golubović
Kultura u postmodernom dobu
Njezina uloga u razvoju ljudskih mogućnosti
SažetakPredmet rasprave bit će antropološki pristup mjestu kulture u procesu humanizacije čovjeka: kojesudobrobitirazvojamodernogadobaikojiseproblemijavljajuupostindustrijskojijošuvijektehnološkojcivilizaciji?Štosepromijenilosobziromnafundamentalnuulogukultureuljudskomsvijetu:a)kadjekulturapostalaindustrijskiproizvodusmislu»masovnekulture«,ib)podutjecajempostmodernogrelativizma(kojimarginalizirauniverzalnevrijednostiimoralnost,umjestodasefokusirana»preferencije«inarativnidiskurs)?Posljedicetihpromjenaanaliziratće se s gledišta supstancijalnih ljudskih mogućnosti kao što su kreativnost i imaginacija, osnove referenci koje se tiču smisla života, multidimenzionalna priroda strukture ljudskoga karaktera, sloboda ličnosti naspram vulgariziranog individualizma, itd. Postavlja se zaključno pitanje: je li kultura postala potčinjena ekonomizmu ili politici, umjesto da bude njihova osnova?
Ključne riječiKultura,humanizacija,razvoj,ljudskipotencijali,post-modernisvijet
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Z. Golubović, The Role of Culture in thePost-ModernWorld15
Zagorka Golubović
Kultur im postmodernen Zeitalter
Ihre rolle bei der Entwicklung der menschlichen potenziale
ZusammenfassungDerArtikelerörtertdenanthropologischenAnsatzbeiderErforschungderRolle,diedieKulturimHumanisierungsprozessdesMenschenspielt:WassinddieVorteiledesmodernenZeitalters,undwelcheProblememelden sich inderpostindustriellenund immernoch technologischenZivilisation?WashatsichimHinblickaufdiefundamentaleRollederKulturinderWeltdesMenschenverändert,als:a)dieKulturzueinemIndustrieerzeugnisimSinnevon„Massenkul-tur”wurde;undb)sieunterdenEinflussdespostmodernenRelativismusfiel(deruniversaleWerteundMoralitätmarginalisiert,stattsichauf„Präferenzen”undeinennarrativenDiskurszufokussieren)?DieVerfasserinanalysiertdieFolgendieserWandelunterdemGesichtspunktsubstanzialermenschlicherPotenzialewieKreativiätundImagination,denlebenssinnbetref-fendeReferenzgrundlagen,multidimensionaleStrukturdesmenschlichenCharakters,FreiheitderPersönlichkeit imGegensatz zumvulgarisierten Individualismususw.DieabschließendeFragestellunglautet:IstdieKulturhinterdenÖkonomismusoderdiePolitikzurückgetreten,stattderenGrundlagezusein?
SchlüsselbegriffeKultur,Humanisierung,Entwicklung,menschlichePotenziale,postmoderneWelt
Zagorka Golubović
La culture dans le monde postmoderne
Son rôle dans le développement du potentiel humain
résuméladiscussionporterasurl’approcheanthropologiquedelaplacequelacultureoccupedansleprocessusd’humanisationdel’homme:quelssontlesbienfaitsdudéveloppementdumondemoderneetquelsproblèmesapparaissentauseindelacivilisationpostmoderne,toujourstech-nologique?Qu’a-t-ilchangéàl’égarddurôlefondamentaldelaculturedanslemondehu-main:a)lorsquelacultureestdevenueunproduitindustrielentermesde«culturedemasse»;b)sousl’influencedurelativismepostmoderne–quimarginaliselesvaleursuniversellesetlamoralitéaulieudeseconcentrersurles«préférences»etlediscoursnarratif?lesconséquen-cesdeceschangementsserontanalyséesdupointdevuedupotentielessentieldel’hommedontfontpartielacréativitéetl’imagination,lesréférencesconcernantlesensdelavie,lecaractèremultidimensionneldelastructuredelanaturehumaine,lalibertédelapersonnalitéparoppo-sitionàl’individualismebanaliséetc.Enconclusion,laquestionsuivanteestposée:lacultureest-elledésormaissoumiseàl’économismeetàlapolitiqueaulieud’êtreleurfondement?
Mots-clésCulture,humanisation,développement,potentielhumain,mondepost-moderne