Shazhinbatyn A. Man in Three Contexts

Abstract: The article offers a reconstruction of the ideas of an outstanding American cultural scientist Leslie A. White. Attention is focused on the analysis of his ideas of cultural communication. Reflecting on the origins of language, the author, following White, turns to the philosophical comprehension of man. The main idea of the article is that man should be regarded in three contexts: as a physical object, as a representative of the natural world, and as a human being. White insists on the difference between human beings and animals. He relates this demarcation to the symbolic nature of culture. In his opinion, man has a unique aptitude for symbolic behaviour and hence in each his action and state man experiences the influence of cultural traditions. The author gives a critical assessment of methods of cultural anthropology and introduces important points of the philosophical comprehension of man into analysis of L. White’s conception. The reconstruction of the ideas of L. White creates a need to develop polemic attitude to some of his statements. The conception of L. White and his contribution to cultural science have been discussed by many Russian researchers. However, the scientific legacy of the American scientist is multi-faceted. White’s desire to surpass the framework of evolutional anthropology and to integrate philosophical and anthropological approaches to the analysis of man as a symbolic subject is of special value. L. White saw the significance of his conception in showing the difference between man and animal. In this sense, his ideas are significant for debates with post-modernist approaches that proceed from the principal unity of man and animal.

Keywords: