Universals in Cultures

The universals in culture, which is part of the academic field known as the humanities, cannot be defined in a simple statement. The universals are the cumulative artistic and intellectual achievements of humanity.

They are a body of work created by those who have been singled out for special praise, extraordinary achievers of whom all human beings can be proud. But they are also the universal artistic and intellectual experiences of those who appreciate, and also participate in, the global experience.

The universals in culture are the study of great achievements in art and philosophy and the critical process by which they can best be understood and communicated to others so that they will never be forgotten.

The universals in culture, if understood, could also be a technique for living, accessible to every human being who wants to do more with life. They are a way of life filled with joyous moments of thought and esthetic pleasure.

When one understands the universals in a culture or cultures he or she will be addicted. Song and story, music and dance, and words and ideas, once embraced, become an essential part of life.

This article is intended to reaffirm the value of the humanities as they are represented in the universals of culture. As we are embarking into the new millennium we have to redefine the term human, and we must expand it far beyond anything known to our ancestors. We have a golden chance to enjoy the many dazzling facets of human genius as represented in the universals of culture.

In understanding the universals in culture we must understand the classification of culture. In other words we have to comprehend the classifications of ourselves, who we are as humans beings. The best person that has done this is the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900), who applied the term Apollonian to describe order, logic, clarity, moderation, and control in society and in the human personality, and the term Dionysian to describe rebelliousness and reform in society, and spontaneity, passion, and excess within the human personality. Apollo was the god of the sun, hence of light and truth; Dionysus was the god of the earth, of spring and renewal, hence everything that was natural and beyond rational analysis.