This study aims at illuminating the institution and customs of marriage in the pre-lslamic period （Al-]ahiliyya）, and at the same time at putting to rest certain completely unfounded, fabricated and slanderous claim...This study aims at illuminating the institution and customs of marriage in the pre-lslamic period （Al-]ahiliyya）, and at the same time at putting to rest certain completely unfounded, fabricated and slanderous claims about this period which have been disseminated by a not inconsiderable number of scholars. It will present the facts about marriage in the period in question by way of showing how it appears in pre-lslamic literature, prose as well as poetry, and how the social and humane relations between husband and wife reflected in the pre-islamic poetry and prose.展开更多
The article concerns the commission that was made by the Biennale di Venezia to Stravinsky in the 50s＇ which led to the composition of the Canticum Sacrum. The discovery of the correspondence between the composer, th...The article concerns the commission that was made by the Biennale di Venezia to Stravinsky in the 50s＇ which led to the composition of the Canticum Sacrum. The discovery of the correspondence between the composer, the artistic director Alessandro Piovesan and the organizers of the Venetian Festival allows to reconstruct the events that led Stravinsky to change his initial plans for a Passion selon Saint Marc in favour of a short Canticum. The objections, which concerned above all the limited size of the piece, were repeated several times by Piovesan, but were all disregarded by Stravinsky. In the light of the eight letters deposited in the Archivio Storico delle Arti Contemporanee （ASAC） of Venice （in Appendix）, the circumstances bringing about Stravinsky＇s refusal can be fully understood. The references to recent studies by David H. Smyth, Akane Mori, and Jonathan Kramer regarding the identification of palindromic and proportional structures in the Canticum, offers further proof sustaining Stravinsky＇s declaration that to enlarge the piece would have been impossible. These events confirm the composer＇s unbending determination to undertake a new experimental stylistic direction already tried out in pieces like the Three Songs from William Shakespeare and Agon.展开更多
The Russian theatre has not been neglected in the studies on theatre history, literary criticism and dramatic arts. The paper attempts to have a look at the 1787 Drama Dictionary, the first theatre reference book publ...The Russian theatre has not been neglected in the studies on theatre history, literary criticism and dramatic arts. The paper attempts to have a look at the 1787 Drama Dictionary, the first theatre reference book published in the country （with a very long Russian title containing 35 words） as a cultural product of the Enlightenment Age produced by its representative. In the introduction to the dictionary the compiler says that the publication would help young people develop a taste for refined entertainment and reject violent leisure activities of the past, enjoy theatre and learn life moral lessons from it. He considers theatre as a powerful means of changing Russian society as has been demanded by the Enlightenment Age. The structural and sociocultural analyses of 1787 Drama Dictionary materials give us an insight into some ways of westernising Russian society through theatre and how this westernisation was reflected in the theatre terminology of the time. I have argued that Russian-European Relationships resulting in the westernisation of Russian theatre theory and practices went hand in hand with the Russian translation-adaptation of Western plays and adaptation of some Western cultural patterns of social thinking and behaviour without rejecting completely the national identity in newly-born Russian dramatic literature.展开更多
The aim of this article is to analyze one of the most recognized in the Russian intellectual-cultural tradition and Russians＇ social self-consciousness ways of identification of the nature of Russianness and Russia--...The aim of this article is to analyze one of the most recognized in the Russian intellectual-cultural tradition and Russians＇ social self-consciousness ways of identification of the nature of Russianness and Russia--and comprehend it in the category of the ＂Russian Sphinx＂. The Russian thinkers and writers discussing the nature of Russia often return to the motif of Sphinx. Opposed to its ancient Greek archetype-counterpart, ＂the Russian Sphinx＂ does not have to resort to intricate questions--he is a riddle himself. As I show and explain, the livelihood and dissemination of the Russia-Sphinx motif in the homeland of Dostoyevski are not incidental. This motif is a synthetic medium of many archetypal contents, which accurately articulate a set of traditional intuitions and imaginations held by the Russians and concerning the alleged essence, nature, or depth of ＂Russianness＂. To conclude, I demonstrate the need to make the people comprehending Russia in a similar way aware that the accompanying, the particular--in its basic framework a priori assumed by them--image of the Russian reality is de facto a correlate of their subjective cognitive intention.展开更多
Profound cultural changes are transforming the Moslem world of Central Asia, partly as a response to dramatic events in the Middle East and partly to the great economic development in the region. These changes in the ...Profound cultural changes are transforming the Moslem world of Central Asia, partly as a response to dramatic events in the Middle East and partly to the great economic development in the region. These changes in the Moslem world especially affect the lives of women, since the cultural norms involving the protection of women are an important facet of Moslem life. The goal of this investigation is to show the importance of the ethnographic contribution to anthropological and sociological theory in investigating the new aspects of life in Central Asia. The first concept is the cultural identity of the Uyghur population of China. The second concept is that of Uyghur women, namely, the varied range of women from their role in a conservative, and patriarchal family structure to that of independent actors in a contemporary urban society. We understand that young Uyghur women face a more different set of choices than those of women in other Moslem cultures or in the rest of China. If they identify with their culture as Uyghur and Moslem, their culture restricts their opportunities as Chinese citizens. As students at Minorities University of China （MUC） in 13eijing, the relative freedom of Beijing influences them a great deal. Education and employment are the vehicles for integration into the larger Chinese group. Institutions, such as schools of ethnic studies, and the college competitive exam （the gaokao）, provide opportunities as well as obstacles for Uyghur women as part of the dynamic change in the Moslem world.展开更多
Paulo Coelho＇s novels call into question the nature of the literary text and the act of reading in a post-Einsteinian world. Amidst the debate over his popular writings （Albanese; Ndagano）, the discussion turns to ...Paulo Coelho＇s novels call into question the nature of the literary text and the act of reading in a post-Einsteinian world. Amidst the debate over his popular writings （Albanese; Ndagano）, the discussion turns to whether Coelho continues a poetics of narrative developed by Jorge Luis Borges. This paper explores how Coelho＇s work may depart from a reading of Borges, yet goes beyond it into what Bakhtin established as ＂the Einsteinian universe applied to literary studies＂, as posited by Stone （2008）. Coelho＇s work is affected by hypertexts, new ways of connecting and perceiving subjectivities, and cross-cultural pilgrimages. A hermeneutic reading of his novel, The Zahir： A Novel of Obsession （2005b）, allows us to delve into the Coelhian the notion of the zahir as a tensional metaphor （Ricouer） of world-making （Valdes）. This underscores the postmodern assumption of the author as just another reader, albeit an ably active one. Through the courageous act of making his reading（s） transparent through writing, he invites other readers into the dialectical presumptions of his world.展开更多
Recently, economists have rediscovered the fact of the cultural embeddedness of institutions. This raises the question whether there are transcultural universals of institutions and institutional design. The paper pro...Recently, economists have rediscovered the fact of the cultural embeddedness of institutions. This raises the question whether there are transcultural universals of institutions and institutional design. The paper proposes that such universals cannot possibly be empirical givens, but have to be continuously created through transcultural discourse. I take a first step by putting family resemblances in the moral and social philosophy of Adam Smith and the Confucians into the context of the evolution of Western culture and economics. The tour d＇horizon starts with the thesis that the biased perception of Smith（ neglecting the moral philosopher） in economics mirrors its cultural embeddedness into what sociologist Norbert Elias has called the ＂homo clausus＂ construct in Western societies. I continue with a survey of most recent research in behavioural, institutional, and evolutionary economics which clearly prove the fallacies of the ＂homo clausus＂ assumptions of individual autonomy. This explains the recent revival of interest in the ＂Theory of Moral Sentiments＂ on part of economists. Indeed, many Smithian insights can be supported by the recent advances in economic research. One fascinating implication is that opening up a transcultural discourse between Western and Eastern moral philosophy might show the way towards a transcultural foundation of institutions. A number of ＂family resemblances＂ between Smith and Confucius are presented. I conclude by highlighting some contentious issues between China and the West in the global economy, where the transition to a moral economy with Smithian and Confucian foundations might help to find workable solutions.展开更多
文摘This study aims at illuminating the institution and customs of marriage in the pre-lslamic period （Al-]ahiliyya）, and at the same time at putting to rest certain completely unfounded, fabricated and slanderous claims about this period which have been disseminated by a not inconsiderable number of scholars. It will present the facts about marriage in the period in question by way of showing how it appears in pre-lslamic literature, prose as well as poetry, and how the social and humane relations between husband and wife reflected in the pre-islamic poetry and prose.
文摘The article concerns the commission that was made by the Biennale di Venezia to Stravinsky in the 50s＇ which led to the composition of the Canticum Sacrum. The discovery of the correspondence between the composer, the artistic director Alessandro Piovesan and the organizers of the Venetian Festival allows to reconstruct the events that led Stravinsky to change his initial plans for a Passion selon Saint Marc in favour of a short Canticum. The objections, which concerned above all the limited size of the piece, were repeated several times by Piovesan, but were all disregarded by Stravinsky. In the light of the eight letters deposited in the Archivio Storico delle Arti Contemporanee （ASAC） of Venice （in Appendix）, the circumstances bringing about Stravinsky＇s refusal can be fully understood. The references to recent studies by David H. Smyth, Akane Mori, and Jonathan Kramer regarding the identification of palindromic and proportional structures in the Canticum, offers further proof sustaining Stravinsky＇s declaration that to enlarge the piece would have been impossible. These events confirm the composer＇s unbending determination to undertake a new experimental stylistic direction already tried out in pieces like the Three Songs from William Shakespeare and Agon.
文摘The Russian theatre has not been neglected in the studies on theatre history, literary criticism and dramatic arts. The paper attempts to have a look at the 1787 Drama Dictionary, the first theatre reference book published in the country （with a very long Russian title containing 35 words） as a cultural product of the Enlightenment Age produced by its representative. In the introduction to the dictionary the compiler says that the publication would help young people develop a taste for refined entertainment and reject violent leisure activities of the past, enjoy theatre and learn life moral lessons from it. He considers theatre as a powerful means of changing Russian society as has been demanded by the Enlightenment Age. The structural and sociocultural analyses of 1787 Drama Dictionary materials give us an insight into some ways of westernising Russian society through theatre and how this westernisation was reflected in the theatre terminology of the time. I have argued that Russian-European Relationships resulting in the westernisation of Russian theatre theory and practices went hand in hand with the Russian translation-adaptation of Western plays and adaptation of some Western cultural patterns of social thinking and behaviour without rejecting completely the national identity in newly-born Russian dramatic literature.
文摘The aim of this article is to analyze one of the most recognized in the Russian intellectual-cultural tradition and Russians＇ social self-consciousness ways of identification of the nature of Russianness and Russia--and comprehend it in the category of the ＂Russian Sphinx＂. The Russian thinkers and writers discussing the nature of Russia often return to the motif of Sphinx. Opposed to its ancient Greek archetype-counterpart, ＂the Russian Sphinx＂ does not have to resort to intricate questions--he is a riddle himself. As I show and explain, the livelihood and dissemination of the Russia-Sphinx motif in the homeland of Dostoyevski are not incidental. This motif is a synthetic medium of many archetypal contents, which accurately articulate a set of traditional intuitions and imaginations held by the Russians and concerning the alleged essence, nature, or depth of ＂Russianness＂. To conclude, I demonstrate the need to make the people comprehending Russia in a similar way aware that the accompanying, the particular--in its basic framework a priori assumed by them--image of the Russian reality is de facto a correlate of their subjective cognitive intention.
文摘Profound cultural changes are transforming the Moslem world of Central Asia, partly as a response to dramatic events in the Middle East and partly to the great economic development in the region. These changes in the Moslem world especially affect the lives of women, since the cultural norms involving the protection of women are an important facet of Moslem life. The goal of this investigation is to show the importance of the ethnographic contribution to anthropological and sociological theory in investigating the new aspects of life in Central Asia. The first concept is the cultural identity of the Uyghur population of China. The second concept is that of Uyghur women, namely, the varied range of women from their role in a conservative, and patriarchal family structure to that of independent actors in a contemporary urban society. We understand that young Uyghur women face a more different set of choices than those of women in other Moslem cultures or in the rest of China. If they identify with their culture as Uyghur and Moslem, their culture restricts their opportunities as Chinese citizens. As students at Minorities University of China （MUC） in 13eijing, the relative freedom of Beijing influences them a great deal. Education and employment are the vehicles for integration into the larger Chinese group. Institutions, such as schools of ethnic studies, and the college competitive exam （the gaokao）, provide opportunities as well as obstacles for Uyghur women as part of the dynamic change in the Moslem world.
文摘Paulo Coelho＇s novels call into question the nature of the literary text and the act of reading in a post-Einsteinian world. Amidst the debate over his popular writings （Albanese; Ndagano）, the discussion turns to whether Coelho continues a poetics of narrative developed by Jorge Luis Borges. This paper explores how Coelho＇s work may depart from a reading of Borges, yet goes beyond it into what Bakhtin established as ＂the Einsteinian universe applied to literary studies＂, as posited by Stone （2008）. Coelho＇s work is affected by hypertexts, new ways of connecting and perceiving subjectivities, and cross-cultural pilgrimages. A hermeneutic reading of his novel, The Zahir： A Novel of Obsession （2005b）, allows us to delve into the Coelhian the notion of the zahir as a tensional metaphor （Ricouer） of world-making （Valdes）. This underscores the postmodern assumption of the author as just another reader, albeit an ably active one. Through the courageous act of making his reading（s） transparent through writing, he invites other readers into the dialectical presumptions of his world.
文摘Recently, economists have rediscovered the fact of the cultural embeddedness of institutions. This raises the question whether there are transcultural universals of institutions and institutional design. The paper proposes that such universals cannot possibly be empirical givens, but have to be continuously created through transcultural discourse. I take a first step by putting family resemblances in the moral and social philosophy of Adam Smith and the Confucians into the context of the evolution of Western culture and economics. The tour d＇horizon starts with the thesis that the biased perception of Smith（ neglecting the moral philosopher） in economics mirrors its cultural embeddedness into what sociologist Norbert Elias has called the ＂homo clausus＂ construct in Western societies. I continue with a survey of most recent research in behavioural, institutional, and evolutionary economics which clearly prove the fallacies of the ＂homo clausus＂ assumptions of individual autonomy. This explains the recent revival of interest in the ＂Theory of Moral Sentiments＂ on part of economists. Indeed, many Smithian insights can be supported by the recent advances in economic research. One fascinating implication is that opening up a transcultural discourse between Western and Eastern moral philosophy might show the way towards a transcultural foundation of institutions. A number of ＂family resemblances＂ between Smith and Confucius are presented. I conclude by highlighting some contentious issues between China and the West in the global economy, where the transition to a moral economy with Smithian and Confucian foundations might help to find workable solutions.
