Tenderness Has Saved the World

E. G. Yakovlev writes about new rethinking of the emotional, sensitive components of the world and knowledge about it, based on the achievements and realities of present time, in his article The Category of Good in the History of World Aesthetics. The scientist draws attention to the concepts of beauty and good that were inherent in the aesthetic culture of the peoples of the Ancient EastChina, Japan, and India. What the philosophers of the East called good and beautiful defined as the independent philosophical and moral-aesthetic categories. Due to development of society, comprehending the historical, social, and moral aspects of being, a person realized and comprehended the advanced aesthetic ideas of his time in their inseparable connection with universal human values and ideals. Aesthetic categories developed by ancient Eastern civilizations are akin to similar discoveries made by ancient Greece, where also the term calos-agatos used to characterize the good and beautiful.

Moreover, the aesthetic category of beauty and tenderness has always been presented in the Kyrgyz oral folk creativity. No wonder, in this respect, that Aitmatovs works continued and developed these traditions of oral folk art, which is an integral part of the aesthetics of the East, but great writers shift up the problem of awareness of aesthetic values to the next level.

What we have seen today as acceleration development of technologies and information culture on a global scale has demonstrated enormous potential and possibilities of the humankind and our epoch. At the same time, the very development of technology and information technology have required a new awareness and discovery of moral and aesthetic values that are not only the result of this development but must be contribute with additional moral efforts for the sake of further harmonious development of mankind. The earlier we understand this, the sooner we will rebuild our attitude to the reality surrounding us and going away from a purely technocratic perception of reality. Whats more, such approach will contribute significantly to the harmonious development of our society.

No matter how we try to limit our achievements within the framework of purely technological foundations, however, if we avoid studying and comprehending the problems of aesthetic rethinking of our present reality and future, our advance will be limited and our existence is fragile and our surviving problematic because aesthetic and emotional component of our being will remain as the most important part of it, which is only capable of ensuring our harmonious development and safe future.

That is why E. G. Yakovlev, in his study of aesthetics, draws close attention to the nature of beauty in the ancient literature of the East. Although he does not speak of the category of tenderness, nevertheless, there no doubt that exactly tenderness is one among many categories that is combating rudeness, cruelty, and imperfection, which is reigning in ...