Evolution of the concept of care: cultural narratives and historical comparisons

Abstract

The philosophy of «care» has already joined a range of problems extensively discussed by philosophers of various scholarly traditions. Exploring the concept of care as it has been defined in ancient philosophy and the philosophy of the 20th and early 21st centuries allows, firstly, to trace some parallels between two periods of development of philosophical thought; secondly, to recognize the significant potential of this concept while discussing ontological, ethical and existential problems; thirdly, to highlight complex role of the corresponding terminology as a marker of cultural specifics of the «life world», reflected in the conceptual framework of a particular era. Finally, the analysis of «care» through the retrospective synchronization of «antiquity» and «modernity» promotes a deeper perception of the differences in «care» interpretations within various cultural contexts. Such analysis is critically important for defining the methodological significance of this concept for modern social and human sciences, since it reveals the framework nature of social responsibility conceptualization. Therefore? the novelty of the study consists in defining methodological significance of «care» in the framework of modern pedagogical knowledge, as well as systematizing various conceptual models of «care» in ancient and modern philosophy. Theoretical relevance of the research is based on the ability to formulate contextual definitions of «care», as well as to establish its propaedeutic significance in modern pedagogical and educational practices. Having defined the meanings of «care» we can conclude that contemporary culture demands its ancient interpretations be based on the explication of self-knowledge as a high demand social practice.