Purpose. The signification of the theoretical grounds for the conceptual reconstruction of the dichotomy "spirit-body" in the field of postmodern notions in philosophy and culture, the identification of the location of the given dichotomy in the processes of the transition of philosophy from being classical to the postclassical one, simultaneously, culture – to the cultural forms of postmodernity. Theoretical basis. The changing systems of post paradigm relations, radically transforming human life in the postmodern world, represent the obvious transformations of the (...) fundamental conceptual schemes. For postmodern philosophers, the dichotomy "spirit-body" does not mean better interpretation of separate substances any more, but the development of the relationship between mental and physical properties. Feminist philosophers assert that the "spirit-body" opposition occupies the special place among classical dichotomies, as it acquires the key meaning in the patriarchal concepts of masculinity and femininity. In the post modernity, the body and corporality become dominant themes not only in the philosophy and "high" culture, but also in mass culture; at the same time, the emphasis on their common narratives and intertexts testifies to the fundamental transformations that reflect the "condition" of postmodernity. Originality of this research lies in the expose of the specific transformation features of the dichotomy "spirit-body" as a philosophic opposition closely connected with postmodernism and realized in the practices of mass culture. This research is reflectedof the idea of the absoluteness and invariabilityof this duality as thebasicdichotomy of the classical philosophy in its correlation with cultural logic of the postmodernity at the end of the 20 – the beginning of the 21st centuries. Conclusions. With the reinterpretation of the "spirit-body" dichotomy, the body is theorized as a cognitive agent with desires independent of the mind. In postmodernism, the body is the source of charm, and aversion and destruction, and restoration. At the same time, with the growth of the visualization factor and the change in the status of "high" culture, the "turn" in the status of mass culture is created: today both the former and the letter have many common discourses, narratives and intertexts. (shrink)

The work aims to demonstrate that at the heart of Eriugena’s approach to Christian theology there lies a profoundly philosophical interest in the necessity of a cardinal shift in the paradigms of thinking – namely, that from the metaphysical to the dialectical one, which wins him a reputation of the ‘Hegel of the ninth century,’ as scholars in Post-Hegelian Germany called him. The prime concern of Eriugena’s discourse is to prove that the actual adoption of the salvific truth of Christ’s (...) revelation about all humans’ Sonship to God directly depends on the way the truth of God’s Oneness is consistently thought of. It is exactly the dialectic of the universal and particular which allows Eriugena both to tackle the dichotomy between being and non-being and to proceed towards raising a question how the totality of God’s being can be approached so as to let him radically reconsider a predominantly metaphysical view of creation the theological reflection traditionally relies on. According to the dialectical understanding of unity that Eriugena does adhere to, the reality of creation cannot be thought of, and therefore known, otherwise than in the way of being inseparable from the universal Principle of all. This is the Principle abandoned by nothing, unless the mind corrupted by the senses thinks otherwise and, following the metaphysical pattern of dichotomy, improperly sets the creation and its Principle apart. Restoration of the mind to the proper rational motion of recta ratio freed, as Eriugena argues, from the dictates of senses therefore becomes the way of both the epistemological breakthrough to the infinite whole and practical return from the world of finite things to living in the divine reality of creation. The work’s argument is based on the assumption of close affinity between Eriugena’s discourse and that of his Islamic contemporaries, who developed their dialectical ideas within the Mu’tazilah tradition of a philosophically disciplined approach to the truth of God’s Oneness. In particular, al-Nazzam’s engagement with Parmenides’ Periphyseon and his resistance to the danger of a dualistic interpretation of its ontology seem to provoke Eriugena’s innovative approach to Christian theology with a view to suggesting a mode of overcoming dualism as the main obstacle on the way to the Truth revealed. This vision of the meaning of Eriugena’s undertaking allows us not only to better understand the novelty of his approach to Christian theology, but also reconsider some of the key points of his discourse that seem to have become a sort of commonplace in Eriugenian studies: 1. Unlike the prevalent opinion, not the forms of the division of Nature but the modes of interpreting being and non-being are to be understood to constitute the genuine subject-matter of each book of the Periphyseon and, hence, of the five parts of his system. 2. The fourfold division of Nature is to be interpreted not as a basic structure of the system offered by Eriugena, but as a means of introducing dialectic to the body of theology by refuting Augustine’s metaphysical vision of a hierarchical model of the universe and indicating the way of resolution of the cardinally theological contradiction – God does and does not create at the same time. 3. All this gives reason to disagree with a general tendency of associating Eriugena’s work with exploration of the division of God’s Nature and to reinterpret it as an immense anti-division project to be understood as an important turn in the history of Christian thought entirely focused on the truth of God’s Oneness and human life in conformity to it. *** I affirm that this thesis is entirely my own work and has not been submitted for examination in any form elsewhere. (shrink)

The paper is devoted to the problem of the linguistic grounds of the semiotic model of history, according to which history is described as a communication process circulating within a society. An analogy of principle between language and culture is the theoretical premise of that semiotic approach. Proceeding on this assumption semiotics (B. Uspensky’s case for instance) regards historical process as the process of text outcome and reading, while at the same time control over communication is provided through the cultural (...) code or in other words — through the grammar of history. But the description of history as just the functioning of a single and unified grammatical code doesn’t make it possible to explain the appearance of new meanings or history par excellence. J. Lotman interpreted the rhetorical mechanism of text outcome as the working of two (at a minimum) interplaying semiotic systems. It is the principle of its working that he takes as abasis of his semiotic version of cultural diachrony. And at the very point semiotics finds itself in front of the choice: either to stop at the decomposition the rhetorical machine on separate cultural codes and at the description their separate grammars, or to conceptualize a historical event as un-grammatism, grammatical error, “wrong text”. The analytical way leads to an extremely reduced theoretical construction; the synthetic way undermines status of the semiotic model of history as a positivistic scientific project. (shrink)

The activity of non-governmental women’s organizations in Canada for seven decades of their history on the Canadian land. Experience indicated associations assessed as useful for study and use in the formation and functioning of civil society in contemporary Ukraine. It is argued that civil society is now turning into a significant factor of the country, from the existence and operation of which depends on the state and prospects of its civilizational identity. Civil society development in Ukraine, the mechanisms of its (...) formation and functioning is perhaps the most urgent problem that continues its existence in Ukrainian statehood. The problem of civilizational choice of the country ‘s survival in today’s complex stage of the crisis without exaggeration depends on making a compromise between the three main operating forces: government, opposition and civil society. New powerful political factor in the life of modern Ukraine was just civil society that declared itself the right to own and resolve the fate of the Ukrainian state and its citizens. The process of transition from colonial status of the society with its geopolitical, geocultural, after all, the uncertainty of the new civilization as a society. While the final prediction for the future of Ukraine or the EU, or in the Customs Union can not give one. But, obviously, that resolved the issue without thought of civil society of the country did not succeed. Therefore, any experience of its formation and functioning in Ukraine is important. Last but not least is relevant to the NGOs Ukrainian diaspora, including the Canadian. In contemporary Ukraine women associations have actively made themselves. It is worth exploring the NGO activities in Canada, where the organization had and have a significant impact on the lives of Ukrainian diaspora actively contributing to the preservation of Ukrainian identity, and a well-known general public of Canada thanks to their work. Arguably, among NGOs whose activities are an important contribution to the formation of a positive image of Ukrainians in the world, absolute attention deserves activities of women’s organizations in Canada, united under the leadership of Ukrainian Canadian Committee. Activity of Ukrainian women on Canadian ground, conscious of their citizenship and commitment to Ukrainian case allows to qualify activities of women’s organizations such as the women’s movement. (shrink)

У статті проводиться аналіз етимології феномену космополітизму через розгляд варіантів написання слів космополітизм, космополіт та космополіс. на основі проведеного аналізу сформульовано комплексне трактування досліджуваного концепту.

The subject of the research is the mutual influence of the pressure of globalization, information technology, post-modernization of society, on the one hand, socio-cultural and political transformations, in particular – the formation of enclaves of the knowledge society, and, on the other hand, the strategic management of the states and changes. The research methodology is based primarily on the interpretations of regulatory opportunities, limitations and prospects in the works of specialists in sociocultural and political processes’ management, in the sphere of (...) geo-strategic thinking, and effective ways to informational influence on the social level. The purpose of the article is a statement of the author’s position on the analysis of the nature and direction of the leading social and political transformations, as well as the need for adequate changes in the implementation of political thinking and strategic management. Transformation of socio-cultural and political structure under the influence of globalization, post-modernization and information of the world considered to functional and structural positions. Democratically elected and accountable government as the characteristics of democracy dominated throughout the world. However, they hide the contents of a variety of socio-cultural and political trends, understanding which comes from a comparison of the basic values and meanings complex cultural and civilizational worlds. Creating a culture of active information impact is necessary not only for the exchange of achievements, but also to preserve their identity. Conclusions. Architectonics world order actively tested for strength postmodern transformation. The most important challenge of the globalization era becomes a task to preserve their identity, autonomy and subjectivity, not dissolve in the shadow of the world’s centers, to use the processes of integration in their favor. The choice of our time: the transformation of Ukraine into a second-rate country pseudowestern – or revival based on values and meanings complexes, spiritual core of their cultural and civilizational world. Strategic diagnostics allows us to estimate the future thinking and action in the direction of analysis, forecasting and creating global projects based on basic values and meanings of their complexes cultural and civilizational worlds. Preservation of identity and the development of cultural and civilizational peace cannot be achieved by conservation and socio-cultural vestiges of the past archaic and breakthrough to the level of the knowledge society, primarily on the basis of giving basic value-semantic complexes advanced forms and priorities of the strategic partnership in education-research-production complexes. As a result of the strategic confrontation win the cultural and civilizational worlds that can provide advanced everyday conditions for the state and dynamics of life and development. Among the factors geostrategic positioning and fixing in the trend of the knowledge society is particularly significant information technology. Key part in the success of the internal and external transformation rate is the quality of strategic management. (shrink)

The essence of social movements as a result of complicated social differentiation is considered. The evolution of social movements in Ukraine since the middle of the 19th century till today is analyzed. A special attention is paid to civil movements of the Soviet times and their future in independent Ukraine. The development of political movements is divided into five periods according to the history of Ukraine. The author underlines that civil movements in Ukraine have always engaged different groups of society, (...) not only nobility and bourgeoisie, but also professors, merchants, workers and even peasants. The division of Ukrainian lands between different states was a destructive factor for social self-organization, but political leaders managed to mobilize citizens even within the conditions of wars and repressions. The social movements of the past made possible the existence of Ukrainian nation as an ethnic and political commonwealth. The purpose of the article is to describe the main tendencies of the development of Ukrainian civil movements. The ethnic, economic, religious and political dimensions of movements are considered. The author pays attention to the development of political movements in Ukrainian lands under foreign occupation: Polish, Czech, Hungarian and Romanian. The reaction of the authorities is also analyzed. A special attention is paid to political activity during the Second World War, when Ukrainian citizens organized themselves to defend their lives and civil rights. The information support of social movements is considered. The propaganda policy and mass communication of Ukrainian movements in different times is described. Modern social movements often succeed the Soviet ones. Some of them transform to political parties, like Narodnyi Rukh and Pora. Some movements are free from politics and are formed to defend nature or special groups of citizens. In the article the role of mass media and Internet in modern social activity is underlined. According to the article, civil movements use Internet to multiply their support. The legislative aspects of civil movements` functioning are considered. The author concludes that Ukrainian civil movements have made a great deal in obtaining independence by our country. (shrink)