Humanistics in the Digital Age: A New Renaissance?

Abstract

The article is devoted to contemporary problems of humanistics. It comprehends the essence of humanistics (the term was introduced by the modern philosopher, culturologist and linguist M. Epstein) as a totality of the humanities, completed by humanitarian technologies and humanitarian invention. There is discussed the importance of breaking the trend towards total technicism to the detriment of humanism in human, which is associated with the total onset of modern technologies for the development of artificial intelligence. The author expresses the idea of the importance of reviving the relevance of humanism in human, since the uncontrolled development of information and communication technologies can lead, according to modern humanitarian researchers (Yu. Harari), to a pessimistic scenario of the regressive evolution of humankind up to its disappearance. The article emphasizes the importance of the parity development of natural and artificial in modern society. The author draws attention to the need to revive the importance of such humanitarian sciences as cultural studies, aesthetics, and to stimulate the development of new humanitarian areas. A special place today should be occupied by the renewal of understanding of the importance of socio-cultural and artistic practices from the point of view of both enriching spiritual production and developing skills for mastering and comprehending their meanings by wide audiences to create the necessary conditions for the formation of a “complex person”. The article presents the origins of the discussion of “physicists and lyricists”. There are demonstrated various positions of researchers on the issues of passivity and activity of humanitarians to explain the current state of humanism. There is a paradoxical discrepancy between attitudes towards pragmatism, technological innovation and the development of a creative class, the essence of which is close collaboration with creative professions. Leaders of innovative information industries (S. Jobs, B. Gates, M. Zuckerberg, etc.) show their close relationship with humanitarian knowledge and values. The article presents and analyzes examples of humanitarian technologies and inventions that are recognized by the world community and continue to be in demand until the present time, even though they were created in different cultural and historical epochs and in different countries. The author pays attention to socio-cultural inventions in the field of pedagogy, especially artistic.