China’s image in culturological and philosophical thought of the new age
In this article author carries out comparative study of western New Age philosophy with consideration of East-West dichotomy. Special attention is paid to the analysis of western approach towards Eastern philosophy from the viewpoint of Taoism. Comparative analysis also contributes towards a better understanding of the main cultorological and philosophical ideas of different scientists. The article describes that G. Vico was the first, who analyzed a myth as an object of scientific analysis, showing a myth as a product of the special type of cognition that differs from scientific. It is shown that Guenon understood his mission as actualization of traditional Eastern philosophy. According to his viewpoint, classic ancient metaphysics and metaphysics of the middle ages were interpreted as a close to Eastern spiritual tradition. It is presented in the article, how G. Hegel in his own way interprets an essence of the Tao, defining Tao as the mother of the universe and misnamed beginning of the Sky and the Earth. The article contains reflections of J. Herder’s theme of purity of intelligence, his ideas of morality, justice and historic-cultural description of Eastern civilizations. The author pays attention to the role of languages in expression of mentality. Also, the article describes how L. Tolstoy understood Tao and developed this category in his works.