Periodization is what? World Periodization

Periodization can be called almost the most fundamental component in the study of not only history, but also culture - things, in fact, interrelated. Without knowledge of the regularities of the change of epochs, it is practically impossible to build a complete picture of the world.

Definition value

In the most direct sense, periodization is the division of something into temporary segments. As a rule, the term is used in the study of philology, history or culture. It is in the medium of scientific knowledge that it is the most relevant and necessary.

It should be noted that with the explicit meaning of the term, the term periodization is a kind of system of systems. Within one division there can be a second and so on, which facilitates the specification, refinement and concretization of certain phenomena.

Types of periodization

Since humanity has gone through the millennium in its evolution, it is not surprising that its existence is divided into time intervals. First, it greatly simplifies understanding, and secondly - study. Periodization is a kind of reduction of facts into a certain system. In this case we are talking about significant events and events.

The simplest example of periodization is the division of the time of existence of mankind into our era and the gap that existed before it.

A more concrete and precise version is the periodization of centuries. It can be presented in two versions: strict compliance with the time frame and separation over the centuries in accordance with cultural events. For example, the eighteenth century in the literature will differ significantly from the calendar one.

The world periodization will be more general than the time division of a particular country or even a continent. In fact, this kind of systematization can be literary, aesthetic, historical and, as already mentioned above, calendar.

Periodization in art

If we call things by their proper names, the periodization of literature or any other manifestation of art is a division into periods according to the peculiarities of creativity. This is the fundamental sign and distinctive feature.

Traditionally, the periodization of literature and most other forms of creativity includes antiquity, the Middle Ages, revival, baroque, classicism, enlightenment, romanticism, realism and modern times. Of course, this division can be called conditional, since in each of these periods it is possible to find additional currents: sentimentalism, rococo, naturalism and others.

In art (painting, architecture) basically this division is preserved, but some epochs may simply be absent. For example, no one will dispute the right of existence of the Baroque period in the history of world music, but the era of enlightenment, so compulsory for literature, has been missed in the realm of sounds - this time period entirely belongs to classicism.

This largely determines the problems of periodization - the divergence in the development of various types of art and the formation of statehood, and accordingly, the world image of different countries. Due to this peculiarity, the division into specific time periods seems rather complicated.

The periodization of the development of a particular type of human activity, and indeed humanity itself, as already mentioned, depends on two factors: historical events and characteristics. To give a concrete example, it is easiest to turn to how the periodization of literature is presented in the context of other arts.

Time frame

Opens the world culture of the era of antiquity. Most researchers agree that this period lasted until the fifth century BC. In fact, for humanity this period can be called one of the most important - during the ancient period the foundations of world philosophy, aesthetics and logic are laid. The poetics of Aristotle is still considered one of the most fundamental works. In addition, it is precisely this time that mankind is obliged to understand art as a reflection of reality, the art of mimetic art.

"Odyssey", "Iliad", which laid the foundation of the world epic, appeared precisely in the era of antiquity.

In the world of culturology, it is this era that is usually called the Dark Times. First, at this time there was a process of complete suppression of the cult of the body and art as such. The whole world was turned to religion, to God, to the soul. The times of the Holy Inquisition, witch hunts and the existence of exclusively texts related to the church. Since the periodization is a rather mobile concept, there is an additional division into the early and late Middle Ages. The most famous figure of the period is considered to be Dante Alighieri, called the last poet of the Middle Ages and the first poet of the Renaissance.

New time

A new period begins from the fifteenth century of our era and continues until the end of the sixteenth century. Humanity returns to the ideals of antiquity and anthropocentrism, abandoning the previous total theocentricism. The era of rebirth gave the world Shakespeare, Petrarch, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo.

Baroque - one of the most colorful epochs of world culture, the seventeenth - the beginning of the eighteenth century. The world in this era literally tilted, humanity is aware of its helplessness before the cosmos, the transience of life, asks about the meaning of existence. During this period, Beethoven and Bach, Rastrelli and Caravaggio, Milton and Luis de Góngora worked.

Classicism in most countries lasted from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century. This is the time of maximum adherence to the ancient models in art. The real realm of ordering, clear lines, uniform textures. In the literature there is a strict division into high, medium and low genres. The formation of classical art is largely due to the treatise of Nicolas Boileau. Racine, Cornel, Lomonosov, Lafontaine - these are the most famous representatives of the literature of classicism. In music, it's Haydn and Mozart.

For the classicism followed the era of enlightenment, lasted until the end of the eighteenth century. This is a real triumph of rationalism, a striving for comprehension and awareness, the triumph of human thought. Defoe, Swift, Fielding stood at this time on top of the aesthetic manifestation of thought.

Rotation of art

Romanticism, which came to replace the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century, immediately entered into a discussion on the leading principles. This direction in art tends, on the contrary, to escape from rationality, to spiritualize human life, to proclaim the ideals of freedom. Byron, Hoffmann, the Brothers Grimm, Heinrich Heine best reflected the characteristics of the era.

Realism, in turn, began to compete with romanticism, proclaiming a complete rejection of a fairy, mysterious, fictitious man. "Life, what it is" - this is the main postulate of the direction. Gustave Flaubert, Honore de Balzac, Stendhal and many others.

About present and future

Later literature and art developed, new directions appeared: modernism, postmodernism, avant-garde. The periodization of the development of human thought can last indefinitely. In it, there may be more and more branches, realities, components. It is always moving forward, towards the stars and the most mysterious depths. Comprehension and the discovery of eternity.