CHESS AS A SUBJECT OF SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL CREATIVITY OF HUMANITY: PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION

Abstract

The research highlights the key paradigms of social and spiritual background of chess; the profound philosophical insight into chess as a distinct social and cultural phenomenon has been provided. Chess was proved to be the result of collective creativity of many generations and to be initially endowed with ritual, religious and educational functions. A set of rules and core values of chess suggest that the game pinpointed the existing social relations, applying military strategies and tactics, and embraced the influence of religious, cultural and gender factors; primarily it represented the structure of the Indian army, subsequently encompassing the European reality and principles of social hierarchy: the sanctity and supremacy of the monarchy and class system. The alteration of social relations, military strategy and gender roles determined the paradigm shift in chess as well (considering a showcase of the Renaissance Western-European innovations).