HERMENEUTICS OF HUMAN BEING IN C. GEERZ’S SYMBOLIC ANTHROPOLOGY

Background. Current development of the philosophical-anthropological knowledge is largely associated with the synthetic-integrative theoretical and methodological approaches to the problem of human being, which develop in the interdisciplinary field of interaction between humanities and philosophy and suggest ways of bridging the gap between biological, cultural and social aspects of human life. Analysis of resent research and publications has shown that the available few studies don't reveal C. Geertz's symbolic anthropology in general and its heuristic potential for a holistic understanding of the problem of human being. The aim of the article is to identify and analyze the theoretical and methodological foundations of C. Geertz's symbolic anthropology and explicate hermeneutical approach in anthropology to disclose its heuristic potential for the human science. Materials and methods. Translations and original sources of C. Geertz, critical literature were studied. In the process of research the following methods were used: analysis and synthesis, comparative analysis, semiotic approach and hermeneutic procedures of interpretation and understanding, as well as a philosophical generalization of the material. Results. C. Geertz's symbolic anthropology has been formed at the intersection of powerful philosophical tradition of understanding human from the point of view of the symbol's role in his life, as well as structural anthropology in the context of General theoretical and methodological crisis in cultural anthropology. C. Geertz has developed the symbolic concept of man by referring to the hermeneutics philosophy of P. Ricker and substantiated the hermeneutic way of human being. In addition, he develops interpretative approach in anthropology that generalizes in scientific theory. Conclusion. Heuristic potential of C. Geerz's symbolic anthropology for a holistic understanding of human being has been disclosed in the article. Besides, the hermeneutic conception of human being is synthetic, because all the modes and dimensions of human being are equivalent variables in a single analysis system. Within this anthropological conception the human being is understood not as given, but only as giving, constantly revealed in dynamic human experience and not fundamentally cannot be recognized in a static complete model.