Kroeber’s works

In thinking AL Kroeber term “configuration” used by him in the “Configuration cultural growth,” later gave way to the concept of “style”. Scientists widely interpreted style – a phenomenon that characterizes any cultural phenomenon: letters, poetry, music, decorations, philosophy, and politics. Although he reveals Spengler in dogmatic approval to the existence of a source of similarity in all phenomena and processes of a culture, yet recognizes that in this direction

“Some possible hidden truth” and therefore “there is no need to reject all to the point that there are only nothing.”

The researcher notes that the word “style” has his work metaphorical meaning. Etymologically, the word “style” comes from the stylus – “pointed stick” that the Greeks and Romans used for writing on wax tablet. In the early style was always individual, but gradually its importance to social and thus style was regarded as a social and cultural phenomenon. Styles are art, can be distinguished styles in fashion, in part – in science, but the main theme of his research – civilization education in general, endowed stylistic traits. In this regard, it raises the problem of defining a universal style that characterizes a particular culture (civilization), but divides it into three interrelated points: firstly, unity of culture are only partially; secondly, variable; in the third, gradually matures when connectivity is not just unfolds inside, but increases by conscious effort.

In the middle of the last century AL Kroeber called for the formation of experimental art. Analyzing the direct connection of specific civilizations and their inherent distinctive style, he admitted that in the future may be a combination of different styles, and noted that such eclecticism he picks up new opportunities. Quite rightly distinguishing between good and bad art, he wrote: “Weaker performers will produce a patchwork, cooking, eclectic, but their influence is not strong, but the memory of them – long lasting. But the stronger will be able not only to master the different performing style but the very nature of their work will be to tangible and transmitted contrast of style. in this case we will have something new: style, which is a benchmark – instead of a particular style, a style that is aware of the general history of art – instead of style, I the staff is carrying on in the dark. The risk is great, but the opportunities are extraordinary. Thinker foresaw the possibility of forming a single universal style. This trend, he noted universalization of culture and earlier historical periods, but its optimization linked to the culture of the future. The manifestations of this trend will be kind, being mediated Certain features of art. For instance, the music he wrote: “If there is a universal style of music, it owes its existence not collecting or excavation and movement of people and contacts, listening and learning style of performance.” Consideration style culture as a component in origin and not as a primary – an important feature of the concept AL Kroeber. Thus, it does not fall into unsubstantiated intuition and mysticism, and offers anthropologists to investigate the processes that help to explain the formation of identity, originality and homogeneity of culture.

A distinctive feature of the AL Kroeber as a thinker is its lack of correctness and imposing definitive conclusions. He suggests that perhaps the problem as a problem of expanding civilizations style phenomenon wrongly posed and formulated, but nevertheless convinced that the concept of identity will enable greater understanding of civilization.

In the works of L. Kroeber, compared to all the aforementioned authors, we find a more productive and largely outdated development of the subject, many of which have not lost their novelty and the beginning of the XXI century.