Publication Details

Abstract

The problem of the continuity of cultural development is a very complicated and broad question. Culture as a way of the appropriation of the world by Man which makes the development of human quality in Man and society possible cannot be explained as a continuous creation of the new only, without any connection with the preceding development. The continuity appears as a regularity of the evolution of all sides of social life, it is brought into reality by means of a great amount of links between various stages of cultural development. Its substance is inherent in keeping and making use of individual elements of the cultural heritage of past generations under changed conditions of the new culture. The continuity as a universal law of cultural development of mankind is a permanent, though selective process. Each society takes over from the cultural heritage all that answers its needs. It is necessary to make difference between a progressive and reactionary continuity. Under progressive continuity of cultural achievements of mankind their creative transformation in favour of humanizing elements is understood. The taking over of cultural values is not subject to national restraints either. Due to mutual enrichment national cultures acquire international content whereby their universal human value is rising and their humanistic character is strengthened.