Rhythms of the World Culture
THE RHYTHMS OF WORLD CULTURE
(Cyclical nature of human life)
The author examines the world culture through the history of emotional moods of man. Here is the development of seasonality idea of the world culture by Spengler, but without of the death her, or the stop. The collected material, covering more than 6500 years of human culture, allows the author to assert the presence of recurrence in character of the seasonal changes of the moods of man.
The key words: - The World Culture, The seasonal Cycles, The Cycles of Mood, The Cycles of History.
Petirim Sorokin said (in 1927): ‘The existence of constantly repetitive, identical cycles, whether evolution the whole world or human history, has not been proved. Therefore, that kind of theories would be a delusion.’
Indeed, everything in the world is unique and unrepeatable; into the universe are not even two identical atoms. We know that ‘you can't enter twice in the same river’.
However, the whole reality, have of the wave nature and it is essentially rhythmic.
And at the micro and macro level, all living and non-living things consists from a wide variety of waves, cycles and rhythms, of the constantly pulsating beats, and it is penetrate through and unite by a single outer energy field. Today it is a commonplace truth that any schoolchild knows.
P. Sorokin thesis is refuted by at least of two all-known, repeating macro cycles, that each of us knows.
In this cycle is presented the evolution of man and mankind, of Earth and the cosmos.
As you may have guessed, I am referring to the daily rotation of the earth around its own axis and of annual circulation it around the Sun.
We can not predict what will happen with the person tomorrow, or for next year, but we exactly can talk about the nature of its activity.
It means, people will be active during the day but at night they will be passive.
Theirs behavior will correspond for seasonal changes of the weather.
You may say only the most? So what about it? After all, everyone knows that!
But if you will imagine that it you do not know!
Without this ‘banal’ knowledge our whole life would have been paralyzed.
If we expect that both day and summer will last forever, and then, with surprise and fear will watched the collapse of our plans?
These rhythms are imprinted in our blood at the genetic level.
And yet, how often a person is confused and puzzled that his predictions and expectations are not came true!
Let us recall how suddenly collapsed, seemingly eternal Soviet Union, and falling down the Berlin Wall...
Already known for us sociologist Sorokin told how he and all of his colleagues were mistaken in their expectations at 1913. Then they could not imagine and by of a nightmare what a terrible fright await humanity in the twentieth century.
The optimistic forecasts of the nineteenth century did not come true.
‘We were mistaken, we are deceived’ - said Alexander Herzen in 1848, disillusioned with the thesis ‘of the History’s reasonableness’.
In a colorful kaleidoscope of history, such unexpected the fascinations and frustrations people are the rule rather than the exception.
Of course, everything can not be predicted. The element of surprise will always be in a human life. But the knowledge of rhythm and of patterns of social processes would be doing much easier our existence.
The ancient Greeks, not having a knowledge of our history, have asserted that it is a circle, which, after a certain time will be repeated.
Theoretically, this idea can be checked only for comparing the two or more such circles.
But practically how to do it?
Despite the numerous ‘white spots’ in our knowledge of the past, the ‘new time’ accumulated such an abundance of new artifacts, into which we are in a danger of drowning.
In such a way as the trees closed the wood, the facts cover, screening by one self the history. Just for to see it, one must rise above them, and try to overlook the whole by ‘one glance’.
The idea of such a ‘holistic’ view of the history came for me in 1971, after reading the ‘Psychology of Set’ by wonderful Georgian psychologist and philosopher D. Uznadze.
I realized the essence of his ideas, how the ‘pre-programming’ of actions and activities of the person by condition his integrity and wholeness.
And so, as the subject is included in the world and society, at this, from his behavior (it is my hypothesis) can, in turn, to judge about the whole of the world and society, about its law and rhythm changes.
Thus, a person's mood to do something or not to do is revealed not only his personal condition, but the common natural and social atmosphere.
But best of all the ‘whole’ and ‘common’ can be expressed by a feeling, emotion, but this is area of art. The art, according to this, can provide us with a vast and indispensable material, where are the lack of other historical facts.
Thus, since 1971, just the dated feelings, emotions and sentiments, which expressed more laconically as possible, became the subject of my interest.
From the available historical artifacts, works of art, philosophical statements, diaries of prominent people and the like it, an emotional component by me was selected. For example, ‘the passionate desire to see more,’ ‘the excitement in the society’, ‘the dynamic’, ‘aggression’, ‘the lust for life’, ‘inspiration’. Or: ‘the melancholy’, ‘depression’, ‘static’, ‘somber mood’, ‘the loss of desire,’ etc.
Some of these facts can be accidental, which is not typical for this time.
But a number of facts collected together in the one decade or century, creates a convincing picture of the mood its time.
Now, we have the opportunity to see the history from the ‘top’ and cover it with a single glance, to compare the ‘noise’ of one and other time, in the hope to identify regularity and patterns.
Of course, before we get to the search, it would be desirable, at least in general terms, have sought a preliminary way.
It can be assumed that such a repetitive cycle will resemble with already known to us as the daily and annual rhythms of mankind.
By the emotional component and by the general mood of a man they will be similar:
1. In the morning and in the spring - are the mood of ‘awakening’, hopes, expectations, prospects.
2. In day and summer - are active moods, work and struggle.
3. In the evening and in the autumn - summing up, the using of the fruits of labor, hedonism.
4. At night and in winter - stopping or slowing of activity.
In search of such a cycle, I covered long intervals of time, found a number of different rhythmic processes in time (this is in the magazine ‘Literary Nemiga’, № 1, 2013, Minsk, in the introductory chapter for my book ‘The Hours of History’).
These rhythmic processes which found by me have not previously been discovered by anyone, but their nature does not be in accordance with the style of daily and annual cycles, which we are now trying to discover.
However, that cycle exists and at regular intervals repeats.
And if a year is divisible by 365 days, then the next cycle, like it by a character of the seasonal changes of mood a man, comes as you will see further, just only over 2,400 years!
Let's try to briefly outline the scheme of the cycle (or ‘era’).
It, like as the day and the year must be divisible into four equal parts. These parts do not have a sharp boundary, and the transition between them is gradual.
The two parts of it are the polar by the essence - as day and night or summer and winter.
The middles of these polar parts will express the opposite trend - the middle of a ‘summer’ is the peak of activity. And as a contrary, the middle of a ‘winter’ - is the peak of denying it.
If the cycle equals 2400 years, then the distance between the two polarities is a half cycle, or equal to 1200 years.
(Next, we agree to call these four parts of the cycle (era) as a ‘stages’, and will to call them using the seasonal terminology as a ‘spring’, ‘summer’, ‘autumn’, ‘winter’).
Now, for testing of our hypothesis we will consider similar segments of the middle of ‘polar’ stages spaced one from another at 1,200 years. (The first cycle (our era)).
The stage of ‘summer’ - (1645-1764) – I will reproduce the general impression of it (an atmosphere) - (it will be fragments of phrases and of facts): - ‘The state is me’ - Cromwell – ‘A Furious’ - Baroque - Fanfare - Newton – ‘The Mirrors of Versailles’ - Apotheosis - Foreshortenings - Poetry – A Gallantry - Berkeley - Eroticism - Gulliver - Utilitarianism – ‘The rage and fun’ - Rococo - Frivolity – ‘The ease of manners’ - Masquerade - Sentimentalism - Enlightenment - Encyclopedia - Piranesi - Exquisite.
The stage of ‘winter’ - (445-564): – The mosaics of Ravenna - Proclus: ‘The soul hovers in the air - The books - left a little, and the rest of it would be destroyed’ – The Vandals ravage Rome – Byzantium - Moderation - Dispassion – The Burns of Constantinople Library –The Roman King is semi-illiterate - In China: - ‘Ritual - The measured movement - Stereotype - Detachment - The Life within – The Half-smile - Tradition - The conservation of the old’. – The India falls apart – The Academy of Athens is closed – ‘The statue of Apollo is smashed’ - The philosophy of consolation – ‘It is of the wailing a circle’ – ‘The Muse – are a lasting woman’ - The symbolism of the numbers - Monastery - Prayers –The Church of St. Sofia – ‘The way to heaven’ - In Japan - The acceptance of Buddhism.
Our expectations were fully justified: the stage of 'summer', as expected, is full of activity, love, interest in the surrounding reality and of enthusiasm.
And accordingly, the stage of ‘winter’: the loss of interest in reality, slow motion, the stereotype and ritualism.
Two polar half-cycle in total are equal to cycle 1200 +1200 = 2400 years.
In order to confirm or refute our hypothesis, we take the next (second cycle (era)), spaced from the one considered for 2400 years.
(If further we go back in time, the less we have the dated material.)
And if the cycle, which we have considered, approximately equal to our era (AD), second will be located next before it (BC).
Again, we will compare the identical segments of the middle polar stages separated by 1200 years.
The stage ‘summer’ - (755-636 BC): - Founding of Rome. – The blossoming of Assyria – ‘The winged bulls’ – ‘Lions’ – ‘Power’. - Capture of Israel. - Art in Egypt: - ‘The interest for reality’ – ‘Energy’ – ‘Activities’. - Friezes of Nineveh: - The Military scene – ‘The Dynamic’ – ‘Liveliness’ – ‘Realism’. - In China: - ‘Reforms – Economy – Philosophy’. - In Assyria and Egypt: - ‘The flowering of science, literature and art - The famous library - Irrigation – Trade’.
The stage of ‘winter’ - (1955-1836 BC): - Egypt: The sculpture ‘The eyes is inside’ – ‘The bad experiences’ – ‘Bitterness’. - Parting words: ‘Beware of the servant. Do not trust his brother. Do not know of friend’. - Mortuary temple in the form of a labyrinth. - Babylon – ‘The Gate of the Lord’.
So, here need no to comment - we got a visual confirmation of our hypothesis about an existence of the cycle that bears repeating seasonal character.
That is, in the stage of ‘summer’ - the blossoming of culture, interest for the reality and the activity.
In contrast, in the stage of winter - are the negativity, pessimism and the loss of interest for life.
In order to make sure that it is not accidental, mathematically exact coincidence ‘seasonality’ of the two cycles, which together covering the years 4800, try to look for another 2400 years ago.
Here, because of the lack of dated material, it is necessary to extend the time frame to consideration of the all stage (600 years) - the third cycle (era):
The stage ‘summer’ - (3395-2805 BC): - The association of Egypt – The appearance of God Horus as a falcon - The Bull heads - Theme of victory - The Start of dynastic period - Realism. – ‘The Liveliness – Sensuality – Skills - The Power, Might’ - The first Hieroglyphs. - Mesopotamia - The cuneiform writing - The poetry - Perfection of form - Progress in Economy, Culture and Politics. - The emergence of Slave Labor. - In India - The Calculation of time. - The Sumerians - Bronze coins - The Goddess of Fertility and Abundance.
The stage of ‘winter’ - (4595-4005 BC) – In Europe: - The symbolic abstract signs - crosses, circles, angles, triangles, touches - Geometric ornament. - Ceramics – Spiral - Meanders. - In Egypt - A complete lack of interest for the man - the rough, unrealistic, schematic, negligence and unaesthetic his image - Primitivism. - The death of Halaf culture.
And in the third cycle (era) we can see preservation the same seasonal periodicity.
Now, it remains check oneself if are or not the regular seasonal transitions ‘spring’ and ‘autumn’, located between the polar phase of the ‘summer’ and ‘winter’.
Let's start from the first cycle (our era) - (205-2604)
The stage of ‘spring’ - (805-1395): - The Caliphate - The Dwelling of Sciences – ‘The poetry, feasts and drinking’. - In Indonesia – ‘The Tenderness and spirituality’. - In China – Confucianism - Academy of Painting. – In Rome – ‘The dissipated life of the Pope’. - In Europe - The growth of cities. - The Pope is Reformer – ‘The Song about Roland’ - The Crusades – ‘The Wealth of east’ – The Gothic - University – ‘The Great Charter’ – ‘The Hymn to the Sun’ - The Sorbonne - Mind - Antiquity - The Parliament - Perspective – ‘A Romance about the Rose’ – Exquisite – ‘The sweet style’ – ‘The Wonders of the World’ – ‘The ardent desire to see much of’ - ‘The love for verity’ - Freedom - Glory – ‘The Decameron’. - China – ‘The King of the Light’ – ‘The Map of the World’ – ‘The Dwelling of Paradise’.
As was expected, the stage is fully correspond with the seasonal type of transition from ‘winter’ to ‘summer’ – that are a revival of interest for the reality and of activity a growth.
The stage of ‘autumn’ – for the present has only begun - (2005-2604) (our era).
The second cycle (second era) - (2195 BC-204 AD):
The stage of ‘spring’ - (1595-1005 BC): - The Egypt is a World State. - New Kingdom - Bronze Age - Trade - Conquest - The columns, topped by a lotus – ‘The Refined and Purified reality’ - A slight smile - Youth, coldness – Rhythm – Musicality – ‘The beauty of everyday life’. - In China: - The hieroglyphic writing - Reforms – ‘The bringing Order - The Eradicating of evil - For the sake of the common good’.
The stage of ‘autumn’ - (395 BC - 195 AD): - In Greece: - The Athens Academy - Atomism – ‘The Laughing Philosopher’ - Art as an Imitation of Nature - Hedonism - Epicurus - Serenity – ‘The King should be a Philosopher’ – ‘The Board of the Best’ – ‘The Soul is Immortal’ – ‘The Mid way’ - The Whole - Justice - Virtue - The Stoics - Skepticism - Materialism - Realism - The Sophists – Aphrodite - The Goddess of Love - Alexander the Great. - Hellenism. - Cosmopolitanism. – ‘A citizen of the world’ - The Colossus of Rhodes - Museion. - In China; - The Palace of the Sciences - The Flowering of Culture – ‘Enjoy still is alive’ - Wisdom - Taoism - Harmony - Nature – ‘The Happy Butterfly’ - Balance – The Inaction. - Association of India - The Roman Republic - The Empire - Immorality - The Rebellion of slaves - Dictatorship – ‘The Golden Age’ - Ecclesiastes - Christ - Nero - Caligula - The Duty - Patience – ‘The Peace and Harmony’ - Apocalypse - Coliseum – ‘The Money does not smell’ - The Temple of All the Gods - The Temple of Bacchus – ‘The True Feelings’ – ‘The Spirit of the Whole’ – ‘The Subordination - The Common Purpose’.
And here, our expectations were entirely confirmed - in a stage ‘spring’ are the awakening of activity and interest for life, poetry and hope. – In a stage ‘autumn’ are the harvesting of ‘fruits’ and summarizing of results, the enjoyment of life and consumption.
The third cycle (third era) - (4595-2196 BC)
The stage of ‘spring’ - (3995-3405 BC): - In Egypt – Formation of a State - Start of social separation - The first Copper weapon - Opening of the Plaster and Pottery - The plate of Mendes, the first Hieroglyphs - The Paintings in the tomb of Ierakonpole. - In Mesopotamia - Cuneiform. - In Uruk - The Monumental architecture - Invention of Pictographs.
The stage of ‘autumn’ - (2795-2205 BC): - In Egypt – The Pharaoh Djoser - The Pyramids – ‘The Desire of Perfection’ - Painted sculpture - Realism - Refinement - Mastery - Solemnity - Colorful murals - The Glorification of the Pharaoh - Lions - Sphinxes - Temple of the Sun - The Victims for the gods – ‘To worship for the goddess of love, sing and enjoy’. - Of China Association. - The Sumerians - Hieroglyphic writing - Texts and poems - Goddess of Fertility - Eagle with a lion's head. - Ur - Cult of animals. - Mesopotamia – Irrigation - Trade - Sargon - Despotism - The Muscular body - Riots - Of the priests a power.
It is without of a doubt – and here performed the law of the transition periods – in a ‘spring’ awakening of interest for reality, and increased activity. In an ‘autumn’ – the imposing results - the tangible ‘fruits’ of labors and of the life satisfaction.
So, we are looked one glance over six and a half thousand years of the human history. At the same time, we are quite clear and unambiguous saw the presence of a large, recurring every 2400 years cycle (era).
1. This cycle, similar to the daily and annual cycles, is seasonal.
2. It is divided into four stages (or the season): ‘winter’, ‘spring’, ‘summer’ and ‘autumn’.
3. Two of them – ‘winter’ and ‘summer’ are polar or opposite.
4. In between are transient from it’s the stages ‘spring’ and ‘autumn’.
5. The duration of each stage is equal to 600 years.
6. The middles of polar stages are divided of the cycle into two half-cycle by 1200 years.
Of course, some facts can go differently from the specifics of any cycle. For example, a person can sleep during the day or at night be active. And in the spring in flowering gardens, sometimes come to snow and cold snap. But an exception only emphasizes the rule.
As we have considerate three cycles (eras) the breaks of seasonality have not been identified:
1. At each stage of the ‘winter’ there was a drop of activity and loss of interest for the surrounding reality.
2. At each stage of the ‘spring’ are the gradually awakened activity, and increased interest for a life.
3. At each stage of the ‘summer’ are increased to a maximum activity and aggression, the science and culture flourished.
4. In each stage of the ‘autumn’ has been a gradual transition from the high activity, universality and globalism into the hedonism, consumerism and utilitarianism.
The idea of seasonality is not my invention. With this idea mankind has faced for a long time ago by every day, every year.
Spengler also put forward this idea in relation to the following of the stages of culture, comparing it with the development of the ages of the man. As it are in the childhood, adolescence, maturity, and death. The pessimistic idea of the finality culture is reflected in the title of his famous book ‘The Decline of the West’.
Of course, we all know that the man is mortal. The States also are born, flourish and decline. The Culture appears in a concrete form in a particular state, from a specific, definite, mortal man. But as we can see, with the death of the individual or the death of the state, a Culture does not die.
The new people are born, the new bearer of it. The center of Culture moved from the state to state, changing the color and mood, but the global cyclical rhythm of it is constant.
We do not choose the seasons of weather, but we all, consciously or unconsciously take part in this process by realizing of the culture specific definition.
Which from of the stages of culture is the best season?
Probably, each of them has its pros and cons.
And, perhaps, if to be armed the beforehand knowledge, we in advance can these advantages increase, and mitigate the disadvantages.
Gregory Nesterov Belarus, Minsk 28.4.2013
[email protected] gnesterov.blog.tut.by
www.art-fakt.com
All rights are reserved (The article by book of G. Nesterov “The Hours of History” 2011)
(Cyclical nature of human life)
The author examines the world culture through the history of emotional moods of man. Here is the development of seasonality idea of the world culture by Spengler, but without of the death her, or the stop. The collected material, covering more than 6500 years of human culture, allows the author to assert the presence of recurrence in character of the seasonal changes of the moods of man.
The key words: - The World Culture, The seasonal Cycles, The Cycles of Mood, The Cycles of History.
Petirim Sorokin said (in 1927): ‘The existence of constantly repetitive, identical cycles, whether evolution the whole world or human history, has not been proved. Therefore, that kind of theories would be a delusion.’
Indeed, everything in the world is unique and unrepeatable; into the universe are not even two identical atoms. We know that ‘you can't enter twice in the same river’.
However, the whole reality, have of the wave nature and it is essentially rhythmic.
And at the micro and macro level, all living and non-living things consists from a wide variety of waves, cycles and rhythms, of the constantly pulsating beats, and it is penetrate through and unite by a single outer energy field. Today it is a commonplace truth that any schoolchild knows.
P. Sorokin thesis is refuted by at least of two all-known, repeating macro cycles, that each of us knows.
In this cycle is presented the evolution of man and mankind, of Earth and the cosmos.
As you may have guessed, I am referring to the daily rotation of the earth around its own axis and of annual circulation it around the Sun.
We can not predict what will happen with the person tomorrow, or for next year, but we exactly can talk about the nature of its activity.
It means, people will be active during the day but at night they will be passive.
Theirs behavior will correspond for seasonal changes of the weather.
You may say only the most? So what about it? After all, everyone knows that!
But if you will imagine that it you do not know!
Without this ‘banal’ knowledge our whole life would have been paralyzed.
If we expect that both day and summer will last forever, and then, with surprise and fear will watched the collapse of our plans?
These rhythms are imprinted in our blood at the genetic level.
And yet, how often a person is confused and puzzled that his predictions and expectations are not came true!
Let us recall how suddenly collapsed, seemingly eternal Soviet Union, and falling down the Berlin Wall...
Already known for us sociologist Sorokin told how he and all of his colleagues were mistaken in their expectations at 1913. Then they could not imagine and by of a nightmare what a terrible fright await humanity in the twentieth century.
The optimistic forecasts of the nineteenth century did not come true.
‘We were mistaken, we are deceived’ - said Alexander Herzen in 1848, disillusioned with the thesis ‘of the History’s reasonableness’.
In a colorful kaleidoscope of history, such unexpected the fascinations and frustrations people are the rule rather than the exception.
Of course, everything can not be predicted. The element of surprise will always be in a human life. But the knowledge of rhythm and of patterns of social processes would be doing much easier our existence.
The ancient Greeks, not having a knowledge of our history, have asserted that it is a circle, which, after a certain time will be repeated.
Theoretically, this idea can be checked only for comparing the two or more such circles.
But practically how to do it?
Despite the numerous ‘white spots’ in our knowledge of the past, the ‘new time’ accumulated such an abundance of new artifacts, into which we are in a danger of drowning.
In such a way as the trees closed the wood, the facts cover, screening by one self the history. Just for to see it, one must rise above them, and try to overlook the whole by ‘one glance’.
The idea of such a ‘holistic’ view of the history came for me in 1971, after reading the ‘Psychology of Set’ by wonderful Georgian psychologist and philosopher D. Uznadze.
I realized the essence of his ideas, how the ‘pre-programming’ of actions and activities of the person by condition his integrity and wholeness.
And so, as the subject is included in the world and society, at this, from his behavior (it is my hypothesis) can, in turn, to judge about the whole of the world and society, about its law and rhythm changes.
Thus, a person's mood to do something or not to do is revealed not only his personal condition, but the common natural and social atmosphere.
But best of all the ‘whole’ and ‘common’ can be expressed by a feeling, emotion, but this is area of art. The art, according to this, can provide us with a vast and indispensable material, where are the lack of other historical facts.
Thus, since 1971, just the dated feelings, emotions and sentiments, which expressed more laconically as possible, became the subject of my interest.
From the available historical artifacts, works of art, philosophical statements, diaries of prominent people and the like it, an emotional component by me was selected. For example, ‘the passionate desire to see more,’ ‘the excitement in the society’, ‘the dynamic’, ‘aggression’, ‘the lust for life’, ‘inspiration’. Or: ‘the melancholy’, ‘depression’, ‘static’, ‘somber mood’, ‘the loss of desire,’ etc.
Some of these facts can be accidental, which is not typical for this time.
But a number of facts collected together in the one decade or century, creates a convincing picture of the mood its time.
Now, we have the opportunity to see the history from the ‘top’ and cover it with a single glance, to compare the ‘noise’ of one and other time, in the hope to identify regularity and patterns.
Of course, before we get to the search, it would be desirable, at least in general terms, have sought a preliminary way.
It can be assumed that such a repetitive cycle will resemble with already known to us as the daily and annual rhythms of mankind.
By the emotional component and by the general mood of a man they will be similar:
1. In the morning and in the spring - are the mood of ‘awakening’, hopes, expectations, prospects.
2. In day and summer - are active moods, work and struggle.
3. In the evening and in the autumn - summing up, the using of the fruits of labor, hedonism.
4. At night and in winter - stopping or slowing of activity.
In search of such a cycle, I covered long intervals of time, found a number of different rhythmic processes in time (this is in the magazine ‘Literary Nemiga’, № 1, 2013, Minsk, in the introductory chapter for my book ‘The Hours of History’).
These rhythmic processes which found by me have not previously been discovered by anyone, but their nature does not be in accordance with the style of daily and annual cycles, which we are now trying to discover.
However, that cycle exists and at regular intervals repeats.
And if a year is divisible by 365 days, then the next cycle, like it by a character of the seasonal changes of mood a man, comes as you will see further, just only over 2,400 years!
Let's try to briefly outline the scheme of the cycle (or ‘era’).
It, like as the day and the year must be divisible into four equal parts. These parts do not have a sharp boundary, and the transition between them is gradual.
The two parts of it are the polar by the essence - as day and night or summer and winter.
The middles of these polar parts will express the opposite trend - the middle of a ‘summer’ is the peak of activity. And as a contrary, the middle of a ‘winter’ - is the peak of denying it.
If the cycle equals 2400 years, then the distance between the two polarities is a half cycle, or equal to 1200 years.
(Next, we agree to call these four parts of the cycle (era) as a ‘stages’, and will to call them using the seasonal terminology as a ‘spring’, ‘summer’, ‘autumn’, ‘winter’).
Now, for testing of our hypothesis we will consider similar segments of the middle of ‘polar’ stages spaced one from another at 1,200 years. (The first cycle (our era)).
The stage of ‘summer’ - (1645-1764) – I will reproduce the general impression of it (an atmosphere) - (it will be fragments of phrases and of facts): - ‘The state is me’ - Cromwell – ‘A Furious’ - Baroque - Fanfare - Newton – ‘The Mirrors of Versailles’ - Apotheosis - Foreshortenings - Poetry – A Gallantry - Berkeley - Eroticism - Gulliver - Utilitarianism – ‘The rage and fun’ - Rococo - Frivolity – ‘The ease of manners’ - Masquerade - Sentimentalism - Enlightenment - Encyclopedia - Piranesi - Exquisite.
The stage of ‘winter’ - (445-564): – The mosaics of Ravenna - Proclus: ‘The soul hovers in the air - The books - left a little, and the rest of it would be destroyed’ – The Vandals ravage Rome – Byzantium - Moderation - Dispassion – The Burns of Constantinople Library –The Roman King is semi-illiterate - In China: - ‘Ritual - The measured movement - Stereotype - Detachment - The Life within – The Half-smile - Tradition - The conservation of the old’. – The India falls apart – The Academy of Athens is closed – ‘The statue of Apollo is smashed’ - The philosophy of consolation – ‘It is of the wailing a circle’ – ‘The Muse – are a lasting woman’ - The symbolism of the numbers - Monastery - Prayers –The Church of St. Sofia – ‘The way to heaven’ - In Japan - The acceptance of Buddhism.
Our expectations were fully justified: the stage of 'summer', as expected, is full of activity, love, interest in the surrounding reality and of enthusiasm.
And accordingly, the stage of ‘winter’: the loss of interest in reality, slow motion, the stereotype and ritualism.
Two polar half-cycle in total are equal to cycle 1200 +1200 = 2400 years.
In order to confirm or refute our hypothesis, we take the next (second cycle (era)), spaced from the one considered for 2400 years.
(If further we go back in time, the less we have the dated material.)
And if the cycle, which we have considered, approximately equal to our era (AD), second will be located next before it (BC).
Again, we will compare the identical segments of the middle polar stages separated by 1200 years.
The stage ‘summer’ - (755-636 BC): - Founding of Rome. – The blossoming of Assyria – ‘The winged bulls’ – ‘Lions’ – ‘Power’. - Capture of Israel. - Art in Egypt: - ‘The interest for reality’ – ‘Energy’ – ‘Activities’. - Friezes of Nineveh: - The Military scene – ‘The Dynamic’ – ‘Liveliness’ – ‘Realism’. - In China: - ‘Reforms – Economy – Philosophy’. - In Assyria and Egypt: - ‘The flowering of science, literature and art - The famous library - Irrigation – Trade’.
The stage of ‘winter’ - (1955-1836 BC): - Egypt: The sculpture ‘The eyes is inside’ – ‘The bad experiences’ – ‘Bitterness’. - Parting words: ‘Beware of the servant. Do not trust his brother. Do not know of friend’. - Mortuary temple in the form of a labyrinth. - Babylon – ‘The Gate of the Lord’.
So, here need no to comment - we got a visual confirmation of our hypothesis about an existence of the cycle that bears repeating seasonal character.
That is, in the stage of ‘summer’ - the blossoming of culture, interest for the reality and the activity.
In contrast, in the stage of winter - are the negativity, pessimism and the loss of interest for life.
In order to make sure that it is not accidental, mathematically exact coincidence ‘seasonality’ of the two cycles, which together covering the years 4800, try to look for another 2400 years ago.
Here, because of the lack of dated material, it is necessary to extend the time frame to consideration of the all stage (600 years) - the third cycle (era):
The stage ‘summer’ - (3395-2805 BC): - The association of Egypt – The appearance of God Horus as a falcon - The Bull heads - Theme of victory - The Start of dynastic period - Realism. – ‘The Liveliness – Sensuality – Skills - The Power, Might’ - The first Hieroglyphs. - Mesopotamia - The cuneiform writing - The poetry - Perfection of form - Progress in Economy, Culture and Politics. - The emergence of Slave Labor. - In India - The Calculation of time. - The Sumerians - Bronze coins - The Goddess of Fertility and Abundance.
The stage of ‘winter’ - (4595-4005 BC) – In Europe: - The symbolic abstract signs - crosses, circles, angles, triangles, touches - Geometric ornament. - Ceramics – Spiral - Meanders. - In Egypt - A complete lack of interest for the man - the rough, unrealistic, schematic, negligence and unaesthetic his image - Primitivism. - The death of Halaf culture.
And in the third cycle (era) we can see preservation the same seasonal periodicity.
Now, it remains check oneself if are or not the regular seasonal transitions ‘spring’ and ‘autumn’, located between the polar phase of the ‘summer’ and ‘winter’.
Let's start from the first cycle (our era) - (205-2604)
The stage of ‘spring’ - (805-1395): - The Caliphate - The Dwelling of Sciences – ‘The poetry, feasts and drinking’. - In Indonesia – ‘The Tenderness and spirituality’. - In China – Confucianism - Academy of Painting. – In Rome – ‘The dissipated life of the Pope’. - In Europe - The growth of cities. - The Pope is Reformer – ‘The Song about Roland’ - The Crusades – ‘The Wealth of east’ – The Gothic - University – ‘The Great Charter’ – ‘The Hymn to the Sun’ - The Sorbonne - Mind - Antiquity - The Parliament - Perspective – ‘A Romance about the Rose’ – Exquisite – ‘The sweet style’ – ‘The Wonders of the World’ – ‘The ardent desire to see much of’ - ‘The love for verity’ - Freedom - Glory – ‘The Decameron’. - China – ‘The King of the Light’ – ‘The Map of the World’ – ‘The Dwelling of Paradise’.
As was expected, the stage is fully correspond with the seasonal type of transition from ‘winter’ to ‘summer’ – that are a revival of interest for the reality and of activity a growth.
The stage of ‘autumn’ – for the present has only begun - (2005-2604) (our era).
The second cycle (second era) - (2195 BC-204 AD):
The stage of ‘spring’ - (1595-1005 BC): - The Egypt is a World State. - New Kingdom - Bronze Age - Trade - Conquest - The columns, topped by a lotus – ‘The Refined and Purified reality’ - A slight smile - Youth, coldness – Rhythm – Musicality – ‘The beauty of everyday life’. - In China: - The hieroglyphic writing - Reforms – ‘The bringing Order - The Eradicating of evil - For the sake of the common good’.
The stage of ‘autumn’ - (395 BC - 195 AD): - In Greece: - The Athens Academy - Atomism – ‘The Laughing Philosopher’ - Art as an Imitation of Nature - Hedonism - Epicurus - Serenity – ‘The King should be a Philosopher’ – ‘The Board of the Best’ – ‘The Soul is Immortal’ – ‘The Mid way’ - The Whole - Justice - Virtue - The Stoics - Skepticism - Materialism - Realism - The Sophists – Aphrodite - The Goddess of Love - Alexander the Great. - Hellenism. - Cosmopolitanism. – ‘A citizen of the world’ - The Colossus of Rhodes - Museion. - In China; - The Palace of the Sciences - The Flowering of Culture – ‘Enjoy still is alive’ - Wisdom - Taoism - Harmony - Nature – ‘The Happy Butterfly’ - Balance – The Inaction. - Association of India - The Roman Republic - The Empire - Immorality - The Rebellion of slaves - Dictatorship – ‘The Golden Age’ - Ecclesiastes - Christ - Nero - Caligula - The Duty - Patience – ‘The Peace and Harmony’ - Apocalypse - Coliseum – ‘The Money does not smell’ - The Temple of All the Gods - The Temple of Bacchus – ‘The True Feelings’ – ‘The Spirit of the Whole’ – ‘The Subordination - The Common Purpose’.
And here, our expectations were entirely confirmed - in a stage ‘spring’ are the awakening of activity and interest for life, poetry and hope. – In a stage ‘autumn’ are the harvesting of ‘fruits’ and summarizing of results, the enjoyment of life and consumption.
The third cycle (third era) - (4595-2196 BC)
The stage of ‘spring’ - (3995-3405 BC): - In Egypt – Formation of a State - Start of social separation - The first Copper weapon - Opening of the Plaster and Pottery - The plate of Mendes, the first Hieroglyphs - The Paintings in the tomb of Ierakonpole. - In Mesopotamia - Cuneiform. - In Uruk - The Monumental architecture - Invention of Pictographs.
The stage of ‘autumn’ - (2795-2205 BC): - In Egypt – The Pharaoh Djoser - The Pyramids – ‘The Desire of Perfection’ - Painted sculpture - Realism - Refinement - Mastery - Solemnity - Colorful murals - The Glorification of the Pharaoh - Lions - Sphinxes - Temple of the Sun - The Victims for the gods – ‘To worship for the goddess of love, sing and enjoy’. - Of China Association. - The Sumerians - Hieroglyphic writing - Texts and poems - Goddess of Fertility - Eagle with a lion's head. - Ur - Cult of animals. - Mesopotamia – Irrigation - Trade - Sargon - Despotism - The Muscular body - Riots - Of the priests a power.
It is without of a doubt – and here performed the law of the transition periods – in a ‘spring’ awakening of interest for reality, and increased activity. In an ‘autumn’ – the imposing results - the tangible ‘fruits’ of labors and of the life satisfaction.
So, we are looked one glance over six and a half thousand years of the human history. At the same time, we are quite clear and unambiguous saw the presence of a large, recurring every 2400 years cycle (era).
1. This cycle, similar to the daily and annual cycles, is seasonal.
2. It is divided into four stages (or the season): ‘winter’, ‘spring’, ‘summer’ and ‘autumn’.
3. Two of them – ‘winter’ and ‘summer’ are polar or opposite.
4. In between are transient from it’s the stages ‘spring’ and ‘autumn’.
5. The duration of each stage is equal to 600 years.
6. The middles of polar stages are divided of the cycle into two half-cycle by 1200 years.
Of course, some facts can go differently from the specifics of any cycle. For example, a person can sleep during the day or at night be active. And in the spring in flowering gardens, sometimes come to snow and cold snap. But an exception only emphasizes the rule.
As we have considerate three cycles (eras) the breaks of seasonality have not been identified:
1. At each stage of the ‘winter’ there was a drop of activity and loss of interest for the surrounding reality.
2. At each stage of the ‘spring’ are the gradually awakened activity, and increased interest for a life.
3. At each stage of the ‘summer’ are increased to a maximum activity and aggression, the science and culture flourished.
4. In each stage of the ‘autumn’ has been a gradual transition from the high activity, universality and globalism into the hedonism, consumerism and utilitarianism.
The idea of seasonality is not my invention. With this idea mankind has faced for a long time ago by every day, every year.
Spengler also put forward this idea in relation to the following of the stages of culture, comparing it with the development of the ages of the man. As it are in the childhood, adolescence, maturity, and death. The pessimistic idea of the finality culture is reflected in the title of his famous book ‘The Decline of the West’.
Of course, we all know that the man is mortal. The States also are born, flourish and decline. The Culture appears in a concrete form in a particular state, from a specific, definite, mortal man. But as we can see, with the death of the individual or the death of the state, a Culture does not die.
The new people are born, the new bearer of it. The center of Culture moved from the state to state, changing the color and mood, but the global cyclical rhythm of it is constant.
We do not choose the seasons of weather, but we all, consciously or unconsciously take part in this process by realizing of the culture specific definition.
Which from of the stages of culture is the best season?
Probably, each of them has its pros and cons.
And, perhaps, if to be armed the beforehand knowledge, we in advance can these advantages increase, and mitigate the disadvantages.
Gregory Nesterov Belarus, Minsk 28.4.2013
[email protected] gnesterov.blog.tut.by
www.art-fakt.com
All rights are reserved (The article by book of G. Nesterov “The Hours of History” 2011)
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