Reflections on Culture... By Farouk Hosny
Culture, over the centuries, has had its beginnings in man's awareness of nature and of the contents of the imagination. It was man's aspirations that gave rise to creativity in all domains.
Ancient myths and religious, aphorisms of sages, proverbs and the inscriptions of the Pyramids, as recorded in documents and on papyri are our window on epochs and achievements of the past. Together with other factors, they heralded man's later cultures and noble human values.
With the onset of the Renaissance, Italy showed a great interest in ancient manuscript stored in churches and monasteries, embodying, as they do, European culture. By the same token, the East was full of temples, churches and mosques housing texts that gave expression to its wisdom, canons, literature and proverbs. This revival of interest in the past went side by side with the invention of the printing press and the growth of modern European languages to replace Latin, The common language of culture and science in The Middle Ages. Ancient monuments and fine arts were to receive serious attention by scholars and laymen alike.
In the 16th century, King Francois I of France funded an academy for the study of the humanities which gave rise to a vigorous literary movement. On the other side of the English Channel, a reformist movement centered in the University of Oxford sought to free humanistic studies from the control of the Church, thus giving artists and men of letters an unprecedented degree of freedom of expression. This cultural awakening, together with geographical discoveries, enabled scientists to pursue their researches free from the censorship of the clergy. In the meantime, these geographical discoveries brought to light remote civilizations that were unknown to Europeans before. The Orient came to be the focus of interest for orientalists and historians. Hence a new phase in the history of learning, covering intellectual, scientific and artistic domains, set in entailing an active exchange of experiences of diverse cultures.
The cultural and artistic revival noted above could not have taken place but for the contribution of Arab civilization that played a prominent part in laying down the foundations of human culture. Thanks to dozens of Arab scientists, philosophers, men of letters, artists, architects, physicians and poets, knowledge was disseminated, reaching the shores of Europe. The harvest of the thought was thus augmented and the cultural arena witnessed a wide variety of philosophies and schools of thought. Learning gave rise to artistic creativity and a competition among nations in the fields of art and science set in.
It was a new domain on the horizon with bright prospects. A new dimension augured well for humanity – namely, Culture, a magic word with deep roots in the history of human civilizations. It comprises intellectual, scientific, artistic and philosophical achievements of all peoples on our planet. The speedy development of mass media was instrumental in making this rich heritage available to everyone thus enhancing man's experience and freeing the imagination to roam unhindered over past, present and future.
The word Culture, accordingly, carried much weight. Nations with a rich cultural heritage were the most influential and the ones most capable of shaping the forms of things to come. In its various manifestations, culture was an umbrella term covering man's most original creations. Philosophy sought to strike a balance between existence and identity. Arts gave expression to man's deepest emotions and thought, enriching meanwhile the human soul. Museums, art galleries, libraries, opera houses and theatres were to be the abode of men's aspiration for beauty and truth. In some cases, culture became an economic asset and a source of income for governments and individuals.
Culture sets great store by man's surrounding environment. Having laid down the foundations of judgment, letters and arts provided men with criteria whereby to assess spiritual values, explore the world in search of other cultures and observe the way of life of other peoples. Human behavior, in all its varieties, was thus made the subject of serious study.
Mention should also be made of language which I regard as one of the most important channels for traffic in ideas, exchange of experiences and keeping a record of history. It was language that transmitted emotions and ideas, taught people how to live with each other, preserved faiths and values and put on record man's historical experience over the centuries. It was the epitome of knowledge, an invitation to communication and interaction, a storehouse of cultural values and the means by which they were handed down from one generation to another.
It remains to refer to culture's various manifestations, in drama, music, literature, plastic arts and architecture. Schools of art grew and flourished in ancient times, the middle ages, the Renaissance and modern times. Classicism and Romanticism left their impact upon the products of their respective periods: from Baroque to the present. Architecture, art, letters and music acquired a specific character through successive ages.
Music, in the age of Baroque, was represented by the Bach family, Palestrina and Ramean. Correspondingly, Baroque architecture was embodied in magnificent churches and other places of worship. The period was given expression in Shakespeare's drama and poetry, as well as in the painting and sculpture of Michelangelo and Veronese. The Baroque sensibility was replaced in time by other schools: Classicism, Romanticism, Expressionism and Modern Art. They all carried the prints of time, an elemental and eternal force in the midst of change.
It was in this way that culture took various forms enriching, in the process, man's existence. In dealing with culture, we are dealing with a human heritage as ancient as man's first appearance on the face of the earth. Culture is a record of man's confrontation with the world. Guided by certain laws of thought and art, culture has sought to rectify human wrongs, to overcome the base and mean in our nature, and to enhance whatever is noble and dignified in human character.