Ontology of early childhood in the works of V. V. Bibikhin
E. V. Biricheva
Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
Keywords: infancy, childhood, childish, children, child, childhood ontology, childhood phenomenon, growing up, children’s play, Bibikhin
Abstract
Introduction. Contemporary psychological and pedagogical concepts tend to interpret in various ways mental and social “(in)adequacy” of the child. At the ontological level, this situation actualizes the need for understanding childhood as a contradictory but holistic phenomenon. Such a fundamental analysis of the nature of childhood and growing up permeates the works of the Russian philosopher V. V. Bibikhin. However, the thematization of this area seems to be presented in his works rather fragmentarily, mainly in the form of notes and examples accompanying the discussion of other ontological issues of human being and thinking. Methodology. Examining various works of this thinker, the qualitative content analysis helped in identifying fragments that refer to the phenomena of childhood and growing up. By means of systematization, these data were generalized and represented through interpretation, commenting with elements of hermeneutic analysis. Discussion. Using rich empirical material, Bibikhin shows the features of a child’s development through the transformation of his/her attitude to the world, words and events, the possible and the real, him-/herself and the Other. It is in this vein that the article systematizes the thinker’s views on growing up - through consideration of what the baby gains, loses and transforms at each stage in relation to the designated ontological phenomena. Having a natural inclination to express self-perception, child at first, in the form of babbling “monologues”, gives an account of the exciting changes in the world around him/her and his/her own state. An event vision and a holistic assessment of the situation are developing according to the principles of “like - dislike”, “good - bad”, “this - not that”. An adult language is acquired by processing the already existing ability to name thanks to the constant trying on roles, “getting used to” all the surrounding objects, creatures, phenomena. Continuous role-playing of situations and active development of the space of the imaginary prepare the opening of the “perspective of the grammatical first person”. Conclusion. This is how the proper human perception system tends to be established, built on the category of difference (or boundary), based on the awareness of self-identity in the first acts of reflection.
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