Gurevich P.S. Diverse and Searching Identity

Abstract: The article is devoted to a very complex anthropological and social phenomenon - identity. The author of the article studies the need for self-identity as the core and deep need which is rather difficult to be satisfied. However, Gurevich states that most of the previous concepts of identity turn to be unacceptable. For example, the belief of the modern period that both a stone and human want to be what they are predetermined to be seems to be rather disputable. Nowadays human often denies his identity, gets dissolved in social anonymity and gravitates towards the zero self-identity. In his article Gurevich shows that identification is a difficult, contradictory and paradoxical process. In his research the author has ued the methods of philosophical anthropology as the science that has already developed certain principles of the analysis of particular social and anthropological issues. The author also relies on the historicity principle focusing on the fundamental changes in the interpretation of this phenomenon. The novelty of the article is caused by the fact that therein the author provides a synopsis of the problems associated with the identity phenomenon. The author emphasizes that identity is a purely human need and formed by human relations to a great extent. In this regard, identity is not a substance that starts to disappear as many authors write about. In this article Gurevich analyzes identity as the individual phenomenon first of all. However, he also demonstrates that aspiration for self-identity is typical not only for individuals but also for countries, cultures and civilizations. Special attention is paid to the 'divided consciousness' of human and identification paradoxes. 

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