Kurmanbayeva
L.T., Ezhenova A.A.
CULTURAL
HERITAGE AS A SCIENTIFIC PROBLEM
What is cultural heritage? For ordinary consciousness it is associated
with storerooms of special stores, museums and so on. There exist a lot of
definitions of the conception ‘cultural heritage’, as term ‘culture’ itself is
polysemantic and wraparound. That is
why to cultural heritage refers large
layer of humanity`s life- musical, graphic, architectural, verbal-poetic,
written-literary, philosophical and others. For instance, Prime-minister of
Singapore Lee Kuan You said that Chinese ethnic groups` use of Chinese language
favors preservation of precious cultural heritage. And he is right , because
main culture forming treasure is the language of people. Not for his health M.Hidegger called
language the home of objective reality. We would add to this that language is
the memory of humanity.
Really, first of all, cultural heritage is the memory. Society and
culture need to preserve socially important information of any type in any
form. Historical period in the life of people is preserved in their social
memory and forms traditional basics of their culture. History of any culture is
the history of its memory opposing force of all-absorbing time.
Loss of historical memory is the destiny of zombie. It`s a
trouble when such ailment captures one man, it`s a tragedy when it captures
whole nation. And exactly loss of historical memory blinded us at recent times
when for whole generations were not available humanistic treasures of the world
civilization and their own people.
We know attempts of prohibition and
concealment of many works and thoughts of outstanding historical persons ,
philosophers, historians, lawyers and others. After acquisition independence by
Kazakhstan at last came the time of revival of authentic spirituality,
historical memory, entry to the sphere of universal civilization treasures. It
looks as if after long and agonizing sleep the possibility with enormous cognition desire to turn to eternal
sources of human spirituality has been opened.
We need to fulfil this desire, but we must do it taking into account
demands of methodology and treasures of modern informational civilization,
avoiding illusions and creation of new myths. And exactly for this initiated by the President of Kazakhstan
N.A.Nazarbayev state program ‘Cultural heritage’ is aimed. Spiritual heritage
of left generations mastering, restoration of historical memory will open the road to prosperity of our Kazakhstan, to
spiritual development of the society for us.
Thanks to Kazakh people`s cultural heritage revival completely not
accidentally the names of such giants of Kazakh land as Ablai and Bukhar
zhirau, Kenesary and Makhambet, Magzhan and Shakarim and others return to life
in the memory of grateful descendants. And how actual the words of Assan Kaigy in
this respect:
-Who knew nothing about nomads` camp,
Who , leading nomads` life, don`t know the
limit,
Don`t follow clever
advice,
Nomads` camps joy is
alien to him!
Or proud words of
Kaztugan:
-Through dense clouds
the moon having found,
Through haze of the sun flight having found,
Having broken the ring of Muslims and others,
Deep senses among them having opened,
I – Kaztugan , son of Suyunish!
Cultural level of any state is defined firstly by it`s
relationship with cultural heritage. State policy of Kazakhstan in the sphere
of culture has double task: on the one hand necessity of measures complex working
out aimed at development and support of original ethnic cultures; on the
other-ensuring conditions for optimal development and painless integration with united universal culture.
As it is said in the
Conception of social and cultural development of the Republic of Kazakhstan: ‘
Cultural heritage enables people to remember traditions of the past, take
spiritual forces, expertly introduce to it traits of other cultures for
self-consciousness process development. From originality of national cultures the
unity of cultural treasures of Kazakhstani people emerges. So , the Republic of
Kazakhstan will preserve and protect cultural heritage of all people, ensure
parity of cultures and right of each nation to confirm, preserve and develop
it`s cultural originality’.
Care of it`s own cultural heritage and perception of other
cultures precious elements is the main way of universal civilization`s
development. All it`s main achievements have been received on this way. For
example, we admire achievements of medieval Muslim culture of 1X- beginning of
X111 centuries, in other words culture of Islamic Renaissance. At this period
recognized by Second teacher, al-Farabi writes his immortal treatises, Ibn-Sina
finishes his 12 volume work on medicine, Kozha Akhmet Yassaui raises human
spirituality to unprecedented height, urban culture of Central Asia presents
the most advanced for that time standards of material and spiritual culture and
so on and so forth.
Researchers of this phenomenon indicate
a lot of reasons and factors of this culture development (synthesis of Arabic,Iranian
and Turkic cultures, role of Great Silk Road, dynamics of nomad civilizations
of that time, progressive role of Islam, spiritual potential of Tengri cult, zoroastrizm, manikheizm
and other autochthonic religions and so on. But I want to point out one more
fact and it is connected with translation of humanity`s cultural heritage. As
it is known, caliph al-Mamun in Baghdad, capital of Arabic caliphate , promoted
establishing of Scientists` House in the city and asked to translate into
Arabic main compositions of ancient Greek philosophers and thinkers, and it was
fulfilled.
All this promoted dialog of culture and
through it their development. President`s initiatives in initiation and realization
of state program ‘Cultural heritage’ can be fully compared with caliph Mamun`s
activity.
Cultural
heritage revival problems are closely connected with objective spiritual
reality of people, affect their vital problems. Cultural heritage is a
testament of one generation to another, times` connecting thread. As French
moralist de Shamfor wrote ‘When society is not strengthened by intelligence, not
animated by passion, when it has no genuine kindness and exchange of deserving
thoughts, what see in it majority of it`s fellow members? Fair or gambling den,
or coaching inn, or robber haunt…’ But memory has remained and imperishable
creations of distant ancestors have been living. Ancient nomads were right
understanding their deeds and perceiving all happening in the world as a
general desire and total creative work of humanity. The past is not that passed
and will not return, future is not that is waiting for us later; they are parts
of the present.
Analyzing role and place of cultural heritage in long-term strategy of
country`s development one can`t neglect such problem as correlation tradition
and innovation in social and cultural dynamics of the country. Well-known
scientist Melvill Herskovitz pointed
out three forms of their interaction:
1) opposition and boycott of the
new, return to old regulations and treasures;
2) breaking of traditions through adoption of new treasures and
regulations;
3) transformation of the new and bringing it to acceptable for tradition
forms.
If
traditional culture has (or it`s easy to implant into it) treasures of growth
and development, elements of modernization and innovation, in this case we can name such society where these
treasures have all possibilities for development in the language of social and political
philosophy as leading traditional one. Joining modernization treasures with
national cultural originality gives opportunity for realization of optimistic
scenario of entry way to modern civilization. This key feature of constructive
and practical effective cultural policy has been fully revealed by no means in
Japan, has been working efficiently for the prosperity of the ‘Young Dragons’
of South-Eastern Asia, has proved it`s durability during modernization of
China. Carrying out state program ‘Cultural heritage’ Kazakhstan must take into
account this experience. And at that practice of cultural heritage revival by
means of absolutization of cultural and national originality, construction of
new ‘Chinese wall’ between East and West , South and North attempting
reformation of post-colonial and post-totalitarian countries or rejection of
modern globalization under the slogans
of political and religious nationalism in some countries of Muslim East,
African theories of negritude, Chuchkhe ideas and others demonstrate their
inefficiency or even render destructive influence on culture, economy, society.
In our country program ‘Cultural heritage’ is being realized in conditions of globalization and
westernization processes growth. It seemed in the last century that
globalization process would lead to unification of all cultures and western
model would be universal. But the process of western culture mastering itself
started to give discrepant results. Western civilization itself arised with
participation of Eastern cultures went out of the borders of ethnical cultures
and started aspiring to universalism. Ideals of Eastern cultures (sense of
harmony, harmony between man and nature, extreme reconciliation, religiousness
and others) didn`t root themselves into western culture and predetermined
formation of non-western type of personality.
But
lessons of history show that each civilization must take experience of other
cultures as equal in rights and widening field of it`s own objective reality. Humanitarian
dialog of civilizations is needed , i.e. interaction of cultures which starts
from acceptance of other culture as equal in rights subject. Famous English
historian A. Toynbi wrote well about it ‘Cultural element presents itself as a
soul, blood, lymth, essence of civilizations… As soon as civilization loses
inner strength of cultural development, it immediately absorbs elements of
other social structure. For civilization existing in the field of influence of
somebody else`s culture cultural influence finds itself more God-given and
useful than borrowings in economical and political fields. This regulation is
very important for Kazakhstan too.
For each culture is very important
to see itself by the eyes of another culture. Each culture acquires it`s
identity, returns to it`s sources in the dialogs of civilizations only. Sense
of cultural heritages exchange is in the fact that in this process veritable
treasures are actualized, and false ones lose their sense.
Adopted
in our country program ‘Cultural heritage’ is up-to-date and is realized in the
frame of world civilization processes. In particular on the border of
millennium UNO accepted recommendations on culture of the world and treasures
of XX1 century culture. In the UNO documents great attention is paid to
exchange between cultural heritages of different nations, which is important
element of new world order construction.
Encouraging exchange between world
cultures and helping new independent states to affirm their cultural identity,
UNO opens to the world the whole richness of the diversity. International
cooperation having been developed thanks to attempts of leading mankind led to
creation of conception ‘general cultural heritage of humanity’, enabled many
countries to know each other better , promoted cultural interaction and
diversity, which is the best way of enemies` images annihilation and assistance
to mutual understanding and trust.
For sure, each of us in
childhood came across with national customs, national culture during
traditional rites, rituals, different festivities. All this from time
immemorial , immemorial non-writing times were passed from mouth to mouth, from
generation to generation. So strong is memory –gratest from bases on which
culture is founded.
It seems that history of humanity`s culture can be understood as some
experience with length of centuries and millennium, road of sufferings and
achievements. Search way of the man, people, humanity, running through cities,
countries, through the whole planet.
Relationship with memorials of history and culture is the indicator of
our spiritual maturity and inner
freedom. What trait of conduct must I choose to remain free person? In the
imperfect, sometimes absurd world? Initially in this absurd world for personal human objective reality a man needs
support for his self-affirmation. This support may be different things. A man
can affirm his individualism by many things. At present support of
self-affirmation must be overall humanitarian scholarship. Fame of the
personality is confirmed by scholarship, it`s freedom and dignity are
impossible without vast knowledge which he gets after mastering cultural
heritage of not only his nation , but whole humanity on the whole.
Educated man , feeling the past,
nature, cosmos, as part of his life, as his father`s home, requiring
guardianship is a peculiar man. It`s unthinkable to lose or forget the past for him. He will not heartlessly
examine culture treasures, history. But he will try to understand, to feel, to
hear voices, issues of the past, somebody else`s experience. So, cultural
heritage is the dialog of cultures, dialog of times.
‘Dialog’ is the key category of modern
cosmoplanetary conceptions. Category which connects the man with all and
everybody. Dialog and one can say realized position of the personality: moral,
scientific and even legal. It is expanding by formula: I think differently, but
your idea is clear to me and useful. Ability to dialog is ability to become aware of this complex,
enormous world as your own, to have personal responsibility for it.
We have come to another main moral category of modern humanistic
concepts: responsibility. What is ‘responsibility’ for ordinary consciousness?
Heavy burden , which somebody- society or family-lift on the shoulders… Even
Kant, thinking that responsibility, duty are elevated, great words, affirmed
that they have nothing to adulate people, to please them. Because they are
statutes of law which one must consciously follow.
Responsibility
as Bakhtin said is living connection with other people, with art, science,
culture. Otherwise , responsibility is my dialog with the world, at which I
don`t lose myself but multiply myself, expand my intelligence. Through
so-called responsibility a man gains unity of personality, unity with other
worlds. Recollect, preserve the past means to carry responsibility, pain, and
it means lead life at full value.
Cultural
achievements of one country are mastered by other countries, become property of
other nations, interlace, interact with their culture, enriching it and
changing in their turn under their influence. Somebody else`s ideas mastering
takes place when appears demand for these ideas – demand conditioned by demands
of the time, by challenge made by new social and cultural reality. Because
ideas of own and somebody else`s culture even if they appeared at long ago past
centuries , in new conditions can get different character and serve different
aims. Exactly through such succession is realized cultural historical progress
with it`s main component-ascent of the steps of humanity in a man assertion and
in relations of people.
Humanity is looking for unity. From one
culture to another, from one time to another there is a succession,
development. Modern dialogs are unthinkable without humanism of past epochs.
Experience and sufferings of past generations pass not in vain. Humanly, we
would like to believe in it. In complex mediations, repeated transmissions in
explicable sometimes mechanisms ancient cultures intersect with more close
ones.
XX century is famous for it`s great breaks of civilization-
informational technologies, pervasive mass-media, urbanization successes,
democratization, beginning of globalization integration processes. Tendencies
of modern informational urbanized civilization to total standardization, to
leveling of national and religious
originality , to unification not only political and economical but also
spiritual structures led to the fact that today we become witnesses of
occurring everywhere reanimation of national self-consciousness, people`s
aspiration for preserving and reproduction of their national revival ideas. But
unfortunately, not always and not everywhere national Renaissance processes
pass so well, so democratic, as it`s desired, and as a result – other
manifestations of national revival threaten civil and international peace.
During
periods of deep changes taking place in the society understanding problem is
always actualized. As G. Gadamer stated, ‘it arises every time when attempts t
establish mutual understanding among regions, nations, blocks and generations
fail…’ (1, 43 p.). National revival t our restless time assumes not shorting at
own ‘self’, not conservation of archaic ideas of this or that nation, but
opening of communicative potential of it`s culture.
As
far as we have already said culture reveals itself in the language first, language is veritable reality of this
culture. Simultaneously this reality is able to lead it`s creator –a man into
culture itself.
Translation as type of man`s spiritual activity has roots at ancient
past. It always played essential role in culture history of all mankind. From
the middle of the XX century translation activity in all it`s types got
unprecedented success due to growing intensity of international contacts.
Translation has got peculiar importance at the present when thanks to technical
aids development into world-wide communicative process is involved great
majority of existing ethnic cultural groups.
‘Somebody else`s will suddenly
become your own’- this communicative strategy of culture substantially helps
translation, because it ensures intercultural communication on the level of
texts. In a definite sense dialog of each cultural action can be considered
like communicative because it contains and express definite information. And in
translation communicative aspect of culturally important action transfers to
dialog of cultures.
Therefore I consider translation as one of the familiarization channels
with worldwide cultural heritage, as one of the means of own cultural reserves
enriching.
As a rule, great number of problems appear in translation of information
from one language to another. The most difficult in the contact with somebody
else`s culture is impossibility of it`s symbolic space mastering by the reason
of lack of knowledge of it`s cultural code. Evidently, that absolutely accurate
translation is impossible because of different pictures of the world created by
different languages. Mastering of other language itself and also it`s implementation
let it be live communication or translation mediates new position by ‘former
vision of the world’.
As far as each nation has it`s own conceptualization way of
relationship with the world, so while culture study of translation one must pay
attention to the concept ‘picture of the world’. Picture of the world is
constructed on the study of world culture on the whole. It consists of system
of images, of system of meanings, unique for every language, for every national
culture. The greatest difficulty is in translation of these images, created by
the language in it`s own way, in translation of meanings from one cultural
paradigm into another. Zh. Derrida was right saying about ontological
relativity of any translation. Evidently that absolutely accurate translation
is impossible.
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