Original scientific paper

THE THREE FACES OF CULTURE

Vjeran Katunarić ; Faculty of Philosophy, Zagreb

Abstract

There are three fundamental interpretations of modern culture
arising from a general dynamics of western civilization: that of
Enlightenment, corresponding to the pioneering period of Eurocentrism
and its universalist mission; the national, emerging from
the European half-periphery in the 19th century, as a world of particular
and divided collective identities and traditions; and the intercultural
interpretation, appearing in the 1970s, first on the North-
American, and then on the European continent as the result of a
crisis of both universalist as well as nationalist projects of integrating
societies and nations, and as an attempt to establish dialogue
among cultures instead of general assimilation on the one
hand, and antagonisms and prejudices, on the other. In all three
cases, however, and especially in the last, these interpretations of
culture very rapidly started losing their initial creative Promethean
intention. They were modified and adapted in accordance with the
logic of (economical, military and political) power of the central countries
and corporations, as well as those countries that were trying
to approach them or compete with them. Intercultural communication
develops mostly where there are economical and political
interests strong enough to sustain intergroup relations, whereas
it ceases to exist when such interests run dry. This irony or
cultural pessimism has already been illuminated in an old Greek
myth in which Zeus entrusted the impulsive Epimetheus with the
task of creating the human world. Although the modern-age power
system has occasion ally opened doors to the creative influence
of all three faces of culture - the Cartesian, the nationally romantic
and to education and business communication across cultural
borders, their import has been shorter and weaker than the
carrot and stick achievement. Culture still represents a repository
of definitions of collective reconciliation with the completed act,
fait accomplit, rather than a source of hope, anticipation and ability
to overcome misunderstandings among people and nations,
Le. the senseless facts of the historical process.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

31760

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/31760

Publication date:

1.9.1996.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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