Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies

Abstract

Although “Philosophy of Culture” is commonly taken to refer to a rather new and interdisciplinary branch that has been developed in Germany since late twentieth century, one can trace the first philosophical ideas about culture, in the modern sense of the term, back to Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803). In this context, one of Herder's most important legacies (or lasting contributions) is "cultural pluralism,” which he utilized as a tool against the colonial totalitarianism of Enlightenment. Herder was critical of the commonly held belief in the superiority of European culture over other cultures, and introduced a new definition and understanding of culture that could potentially be used to defend the cultures of other parts of the world, especially Eastern cultures. With the aim of explaining Herder’s concept of "cultural pluralism," the present article will organize and explain this concept under three key sub-headings of "cultural singularity", "internal judgment," and “concept of force.” It will analyze its opposition to "cultural Europeanism" and demonstrate its possibilities for confronting the European-centric concept of totalitarianism. Finally, a brief section will be devoted to the discussion of the charge of relativism against Herder’s "cultural pluralism”.

Keywords

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