KULTURA KAO SISTEM
CULTURE AS SYSTEM

Summary/Abstract: The traditional criticism of culture starts from metaphysical presuppositions. Generally, it "fetishizes" culture: due to the lack of insight in the aspect character of the metaphysical notion, culture is being objectivied, either by the model of "organism" and "mechanism" (Spengler, Sorokin) or by the model of "crystalization" (Simmel). But if the "objectivity" of the culture object is comprehended as "inter-subjectivity" (Mead), culture appears as a complex system of relations both in vertical and horizontal sense, which cannot be described substantially but structurally and processually. In this sense culture is a functionally capable and adaptable multilevel system, moving "teleonomically" rather than "teleologically". Loose coupling of the levels of the system enables a gradual transition of one phase of balance to another. On the "hierarchy" of culture (Parsons), on can talk only conditionally, namely on the level of social judgement of value, due to which, within heterarchially ordered and "fuzzy" system of culture the following layers appear: trivial culture, life culture and high culture. All changes of the dynamic system of culture which unites firmness and looseness, happen between diametral oppositions of the fluctuating symbolism on one hand and genetically fixed Programme of behaviour on the other. The presupposition of these changes is a dynamic balance, providing macrostability through microstability on the basis of loose coupling and heterarchy. The notion of culture as a loosely coupled dynamic system relativizes all prophecy on the "crisis" or "destruction" of culture.

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