What is the word culture associated with? With courtesy, tact. This is a culture of behavior. And what else does it happen? For example, when it comes to cultures of the peoples of the world, it is divided into spiritual and material.
The concept of “material culture” was introduced by anthropologists who studied traditional societies. This is a part of the culture that can be seen and even felt - built houses and ships, dishes and utensils, objects of religious worship. Over time, this concept has expanded. It began to include all objects of human activity and the very process of their production. They entered there, and clothing, and transport, and communications, and any household items. Human knowledge and experience are embedded in all this.
Spiritual culture covers the realm of consciousness. This area includes science and art, philosophy and enlightenment, morality, religion, mythology.
Blurring borders
Nevertheless, we live in such a world that the line between these types of culture can be called conditional. The scientific idea belongs to spiritual culture. But when it is embodied in a new device, aircraft or robot, the created object becomes already a part of material culture. An artistic idea in general cannot be born without incarnation in something material: a painting, a book, a statue. Otherwise, it remains only the intention of the author.
On the brink
Nevertheless, we are clearly aware that the new mobile phone model is material culture, and the artist’s canvas is spiritual. But some types of culture can be attributed to both areas. This causes numerous disputes among culturologists.
What is architecture? It all depends on what angle to look at! The guide demonstrates a grandiose temple to a group of tourists, talks about the history of its construction, architectural style and features. From this point of view, the building is a work of art, that is, it belongs to the spiritual culture. But any building is functional, it has purely utilitarian functions, it can be a residential building, school, factory. It has communications. From this perspective, architecture becomes part of material culture. And this is regardless of what is in front of us - a residential building, a temple or a museum.
At the junction of spiritual and material culture is design, technical creativity. This is a combination of art and technology. The art of photography and cinema became possible only thanks to the development of technology. Some experts in the field of cinema believe that it is becoming less and less an art and more and more a technique. After all, the quality of the film and the impression made on the viewer are increasingly dependent on the shooting and special effects.
One may not agree with this position. Technique cannot replace the talented play of actors. The work of a screenwriter and director cannot be performed by a computer. Nevertheless, the importance of the development of technology for modern cinema cannot be denied.
Television also takes an intermediate place. As part of the technique, it refers to material culture. But as a force that forms the worldview of the population, it turns out to be a spiritual culture.
Difference of values
Objects of material culture differ in that they have a temporary value. In addition, this value is expressed in money. “Inspiration is not for sale, but you can sell the manuscript, ” wrote A.S. Pushkin.
The values of spiritual culture are very close to universal. This is beauty, good, truth, life, love. Although in each era they are understood a little differently, they are always relevant. In the same way, great works of art do not lose their value, passing through the centuries. Can the Sistine Madonna become obsolete? Often the imprint of antiquity only increases the value of ancient works of art.
But the values of material culture are quickly becoming obsolete. Vehicles, machinery, and buildings wear out. Clothing and equipment become functionally obsolete faster than financially. Clothing goes out of fashion faster than it breaks. And gadgets are improving so quickly that you just have to buy a new model, as even newer ones appear.
Forms of material culture
If we consider that material culture is only objects, you can seriously make a mistake. It has several forms:
Production - this can include the means of production, its results, as well as infrastructure, such as transport and communications.
Life is a very wide area, which includes both numerous everyday items - clothes, food, furniture, the home itself - and the traditions of family life - raising children. The latter can smoothly flow into the spiritual realm.
Body culture - the attitude of a person to his body - is also almost at the junction of material and spiritual culture, as it is associated with religion, customs, moral and social norms.
Ecological culture - the attitude of man to the natural environment.
Distinctive features of spiritual culture
This form of culture is not utilitarian. Of course, it can also be of practical use, but still it is valuable. If we talk about the needs of the people that it satisfies, then it is, rather, psychological needs. Due to the separation from practical benefits, spiritual culture gives the creator the maximum possible freedom of expression.
In addition, imagination plays a huge role in it, so a person is not constrained by the scope of reality. The world of fantasy, fictional images becomes as full in it as the world of real experience. These creations are valuable even when they have no material embodiment.
The spiritual culture of society is most vulnerable during periods of social cataclysms. In these difficult times, people are worried about survival, so everything that does not serve utilitarian purposes is dumped like useless ballast. But when the years pass, a period of stability sets in, the most sensitive and intelligent people feel an acute shortage of spiritual values, and the less susceptible are simply coarsened.
Therefore, spiritual culture must be protected artificially, by the efforts of the state and society. It is wonderful that in the most difficult times, for example during the siege of Leningrad, there were people who saved works of art, wrote symphonies, kept rare books or icons.
What forms of spiritual culture can be distinguished?
Mythology
Mythology is one of the oldest forms of spiritual culture. She returns us to the distant pagan times. Then people did not yet have systematic knowledge of nature, did not own science and technology at a high level. Therefore, many natural phenomena were formidable, unpredictable, inexplicable to them. In an effort to find peace and harmony, the predictability of the world, people created myths. They helped to comprehend what was happening. The mythology of each nation is closely connected with natural conditions, with traditions and everyday life.
Religion
This is a form of spiritual culture, which is based on faith in God (or gods) and the desire for unity with the Higher powers. In the most ancient forms, religion was closely associated with mythology. Myths are mainly dedicated to gods and spirits.
There are three world religions - those that have spread across different continents, stepping over the borders of individual countries. These are Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.
In the spiritual culture of Russia, religion plays a huge role. It is difficult to overestimate the influence of Orthodoxy. It organically merged in the moral representations of the Russian people, and in Russian art, and in philosophy. According to 2013 data, Orthodox Christians make up 79% of Russia's population. Muslims, from 4 to 7%, are mainly Tatars, Bashkirs, as well as some residents of the Caucasus. Buddhists less than a percent. This religion is characteristic of Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia.
Art
This is a very special area of spiritual culture, especially vividly reflecting its essence. Both the creation and contemplation of works of art are considered aesthetic activity. Aesthetics is the doctrine of the beautiful. But the whole diversity of art forms cannot live only on external beauty; it always reflects the values, hopes, thoughts and feelings of a person and an entire era. Art includes a wide range of very different types - from painting to photography, from literature to music.
Philosophy and Science
Initially, the knowledge of the world and its laws was carried out by philosophy. This form of the spiritual culture of society existed to comprehend the world, but, unlike mythology, it was already based on logic, not a game of imagination. Separate sciences gradually "budged" from philosophy: first, the exact and natural sciences, such as mathematics, physics, and later - the humanities, such as psychology. Worried about philosophy and ethical issues. She laid the foundations of the spiritual and moral culture of modern civilization.
Science has a narrower and more specific focus and rigorous reliance on facts. Philosophy, on the other hand, looks at the world more generally. Science plays an increasing role in the life of modern man. It affects not only material culture, allowing you to create the benefits of civilization, but also on the spiritual, for example, the worldview of people.
And what about philosophy? Is it needed in the modern world? Yes, the more it provides indispensable assistance to science: it forms new subject areas, explanatory principles and ideas.
