The philosophy of the Antiquity as a polyfunctional phenomenon

In this work philosophy is understood as a special form of self-knowledge of culture where the reflection over the culture bases is carried out, the most general principles of outlook of people (society) are developed. The appeal to philosophical methodological analysis of specifics of antique texts will allow revealing means and ways of the solution of important world outlook questions. The concept of this article is defined by the specifics of genesis of ancient philosophy from pro-philosophy of the East, pro-philosophy of Greece and relationship of ancient philosophy with para-philosophy, that is it cultural environment. The problem the article is aimed to solve is a result of the analysis and synthetic generalization of a theoretical material from various spheres of knowledge of the Ancient East and the Ancient West, therefore the leading organizing method is the system approach allowing to consider ancient philosophy as an integrity. This work bases on theoretical achievements of domestic and foreign authors in the field of history of philosophy, ontology and the theory of knowledge, methodology of science, axiology, philosophical anthropology, ethics, esthetics, social philosophy and semiotics. The understanding of the specifics of the antique picture of the world allows creating a developed idea of the concept of the person and the world at the time of Antiquity. The carried-out analysis of ancient art testifies to existence of specific axiological and emotional orientations of the person, his experience of the world and the place in it in the field of science, philosophy, images of mythology and art. The antique attitude which is a source of the European culture can be understood and explained through the ideas of Space and the world of the person, about the beautiful as a sensually given Space (the principle of a cosmocentrism), which found reflection in the Greek-Roman philosophical thought. Philosophy is a multifunctional phenomenon. Consideration of ancient philosophy as a multifunctional phenomenon through a prism of mentality will allow understanding and opening the specifics of views, mood, temper and stereotypes of behavior of the people united by one era, culture, traditions, etc. The leading (general) function of ancient philosophy is the world outlook function which allows creating the person's concept of life, societies. Philosophical questions arise and open in the developed system of outlook which is traditionally understood as a system of principles, belief, ideals, knowledge of the person of the world and of himself, that is the person's understanding of the spiritual attitude to the world. The specifics of the antique outlook are: its ontological character; cosmocentric picture of the world; pantheism; hylozoism; natural philosophy; registration of the main question of philosophy and leading philosophical directions (materialism and idealism, skepticism and anti-skepticism, empiricism and rationalism, nominalism and realism, etc.); fundamental principle search (arche) of the world; development of the categorial tools and philosophy language; specific philosophical methodology (dialectics and metaphysics, eclecticism); system of social and axiological ideals; formation of the idea of the personality as a spiritual identity; definition of the concept of measure ("nothing too much", "nothing excessively"); advantage of contemplation before practical activities is approved.

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