Poznawanie kultury jako interpretacja symboli

Abstract

Researching culture concerns mostly two kinds of phenomena: human behavior and its results, both verbal and nonverbal. Obviously culture contains not only these behavioral or material objects, but their mental reasons as well. There are philosophical, moral and political convictions, mythological and magical images, religious faiths etc. among them. The first ones are then the signs of the second ones. Theoretical and practical purposes in branches dealing with culture are to recognize and understand these hidden contents of culture, having access only to their evident signs. The main problem is if such knowledge is available without knowing specific conventions of signing and understanding meanings of signs, known only by members and users of a particular culture, as understanding verbal behavior is impossible without knowing a particular language. Hence researching culture demands difficult interpretations of signs and therefore knowledge of culture is in the first place knowledge of symbols and symbolization. Although cultures are different and particular, rules of human symbolization are universal. Thus knowledge of human culture can be universal and objective.