Sense variability and typology of cultures

Abstract

The article is concerned with the problem of justification of cultural (civilizational) typological diversity, which is being analyzed in the framework of variant types and meaning-making methods. Authors attempt to prove the leading role of these methods in shaping cultures’ idiosyncrasies, as well as a specific course of their evolution, and sustainability as culture-transforming programs. In the article, the criteria of distinguishing historical culture types set in the XIX-XX centuries by the most influential civilizational concepts are analyzed, and a new criterion is proposed. This is the criterion of the meaning-making method which is considered the most applicable to describe the core of any culture as an integrity of both experimental and textual ways of human existence re-examination. A number of culture (civilization) types were used as examples; the article observes how the key meaning-making model sculpts the civilization as a unique entity and defines it.