Эскапизм: между природой и культурой

Abstract

This paper dwells on the phenomenon of escapism and suggests regarding it as a natural human need that has not only a negative, but also a productive form. The author analyses the idea of escapism as a human escape from natural threats by creating culture and “second nature” (proposed by the cultural geographer Yi-Fu Tuan). It is shown that, indeed, even those human societies that are closest to nature cannot survive without culture and technologies. Further, it is demonstrated that in the late 18th – early 19th centuries because of scientific and industrial revolutions the cultural trend of Romanticism rejects the technogenic society and rationality. Instead, it takes interest in nature as reflecting the emotional, intuitive components of the human spirit. Wild natural landscapes, to which a romanticist wishes to escape, are attractive not just in themselves, but because their contemplation becomes a way for a person to better understand his/her inner world. Wild nature is also appealing to a romanticist because being alone with it a person is free from the pressure of the society that is turning into a mass society with high level of bureaucracy. With the onset of the Internet era, many people tend at first to escape to the virtual world with no limitations, but over time the Internet becomes an integral part of the social life of all people, thus losing its escapist appeal. On the contrary, another wish emerges: to escape from the Internet (which can be regarded as “third nature”) and from the total social control exercised by other Internet users back to the “real” – offline – world. Thus, a conclusion is drawn that escapism is not provoked just by natural threats or social pressure: a person wishes to escape not from nature or culture, but from the situation where he/she feels bad to a better situation, and while searching for such a place a person can act as a creative force that changes the world.