Human Being in History vs History in Human Being – Part 2: Recipe of Unity of History and Life from Benedetto Croce

In: Mižnarodni zv'jazky Ukrai͏̈ny: naukovi pošuky i znachidky : mižvidomčyj zbirnyk naukovych prac', Heft 29, S. 248-272

Abstract

This article continues the author's study initiated in the previous number of a given collection. It also regards the specific problem of interconnection between history and psychology. However, in this sequel the main accent is on the style of thinking and value criteria of Benedetto Croce, who is an outstanding European theoretician and methodologist in the sphere of History, original philosopher, authoritative connoisseur of Culture and Arts, an unswerving supporter of high ideals of Italian Risorgimento. The concept of absolute historicity, grounded by the scholar on the basis of deep philosophic probation into mechanisms of historic thinking, had a significant impact both on further development of historic theory and on the formation of new understanding of a role of historic experience for social practice of a full-fledged democracy. Croce's works help to comprehend the paradoxy of a phenomenon of historic consciousness, which is always modern by its nature. It remains modern irrespective of whatever temporal layers it resurrects at each particular moment of human life. Historic consciousness is an important component of psychologic reality of any human being and that is why it requires a subtle feeling of profound homogeneity. It's important not to forget that historic consciousness preserves a considerable potentiality of an actual impact on human behaviour in particular and on communicative processes within the frames of society in general. It proves the fact that history is always with the human being and within him. That is why historic policy on the stage of democratic transformation should be especially grounded and should be characterized by a high level of psychologic culture