Abstract: The author discusses the concept of psychological norm from the point of view of various ‘psychiatric’ studies of great writers and personalities. Autistic Pushkin, psychotic Jesus Christ, schizophrenic Franz Kafka and Salvador Dali… As the author of the article notes, there is a dangerous tendency to view the inner world of the human in a light of psychiatry.

Keywords: philology, philosophy, psychology, poetry, insanity, psyche.

Abstract: Based on Chateabriand’s ‘Memoires d’Outre-Tombe’ (literally ‘Memories from Beyond the Grave’) the author of the article discusses the role of imagination in a creative reproduction of the past through words. Based on the author, the main idea of the book is a struggle between a human in the stream of change and the power of time. By nature human a complete creature because he has a gift for thought and word, and therefore he is immortal. Analyzing some moments of Chateabriand’s poetics, the author of the article concludes that human can achieve success in his struggle against the time if he masters his word which helps him to revive the past.

Keywords: philology, philosophy, philosophy of culture, time, eternity, imagination, memory, Chateaubriand, Marcel Proust, word.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the 120th anniversary of the great Russian poet Osip Mandelstam. This article represents the author’s views on Mandelstam’s early lyrics and his overall civic-minded position in the context of ‘intelligentsia-power-people’ issue which remained unchanged till the end of his life. Mandelstam’s creative works are analyzed in comparison with the artistic and social ideals of the ‘silver age’ poets living in the same time. Philosophers’ researches of the poet’s works are mostly focused on the study of his understanding of harmony (from the point of view of both esthetics and society) as a challenging and dramatic struggle between the beautiful and the unkind. Even though it is a tragic struggle, the Beauty united with the Truth and Kindness win this fight.

Keywords: philology, culture, poetics, creative work, reflection, Beauty, Kindness, Truth, intelligentsia, power, people.

Abstract: Being one of the most mysterious heroes in Goethe’s Faust, Euphorion becomes clear if we look at him from the point of view of the main theme of this book, - a birth of a perfect human. In such a case, Euphorion appears to be not only the symbol of poetry, but also a spirit who left the earth and the feminine nature behind him. He is some kind of Homunculus and one of the negative alter-ego of Faust.

Keywords: philology, Goethe, Byron, personality, Euphorion poetry, romanticism, classicism, feminity, alchemistry.

Abstract: In order to understand the philosophy of original ethnopsycholoy of billions of Africans as well as to reveal the psychological phenomenon of ‘conserved’ past they keep in their mind, and its modern perspectives, the author of the article appeals to creatively oriented searches and unique findings of a great intellectual of Africa –Senegalese legendary politician, psychologist and poet Leopold Senghor, and Nigerian playwright and filmmaker Vole Soynika, Nobel laureate in literature. The author also touches upon original folklore of peoples living on the continent, - sources which are still used by native Africans as some kind of connection with their past history and future hopes.

Keywords: philology, Africa, ethnophilosophy, poetry, prose, folklore, Pushkin, Senghor, Soyinka, negritude, tigritude, Euro Africa, civilization.

Abstract: The author of the article analyzes Nicholas Marr’s conception by comparing it with other teachings about the language. The author’s analysis of Marr’s language system allows to make certain conclusions which are quite important for philosophical anthropology and language studies. The author also proves that it is impossible to narrow the meaning to signs.

Keywords: philology, language, thinking, speech, sound, meaning, sign, reflection, linguistics.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the analysis of views of a major Japanese aesthetician Imamiti Tomonobu. It analyzes proto esthetical views of ancient Japanese and descries stages of development of Japanese esthetics as well as views of famous representatives of Japanese culture. Special attention is paid at ‘impersonality’ of Japanese spiritual tradition. The ‘continent’ culture taught Japanese that the true knowledge is not just a discourse system of verbally structured texts but some kind of a ‘heart response’ to vague images which are only to obtain material forms. Ancient masters taught their students not only to stamp forms but also to understand what is ‘above’, ‘before’, ‘outside’ and ‘above’ the form. The author of the article also underlines the lasting value of Far-Eastern experience in esthetics. At the present time the theory of esthetics needs not only discursive but also sensual or so-called ‘bodily’ way of thinking. Therefore, it can be very useful to study traditional Japanese esthetics and its ‘mind of the body’ priority.

Keywords: philology, Japanese esthetics, ‘mind of the body’, Imamiti Tomonobu, discursive knowledge, impersonality of Japanese culture, etymology of Japanese sense of beauty, ‘vegetal’ nature of Japanese esthetics, stages of development of Japanese esthetics, relation of esthetic and ethic aspects.

Abstract: This is the review of a few books devoted to art. The books which have been reviewed are of different orientation and genre. But all of them actually prove that there should be more researches to be undertaken in the sphere of art and culture.

Keywords: philology, art, history of art, culture, style, esthetics, classis.

Abstract: This is the review of two books devoted to family chronicles – ‘Simple life’ by S. M. Gurevich and Lia Evseeva ‘Sometime in Xinjiang’. As Erich Fromm says, it is our deep need to keep the memory of our family and our past. These two books are a great example of it.

Keywords: philology, culture, family, chronicle, past.

Abstract: This is a review of an encyclopedia devoted to a great Russian author A. P. Chekhov. As the author of the review notes, this encyclopedia is an important contribution to the world ‘Chekhoviana’ (studies of life and works by Chekhov).

Keywords: philology, literature, Chekhov, encyclopedia.