Walking and running: humanistic potential and cultural continuity (Part Two)

The subject of the study is the cultural content of walking and running as anthropologically universal types of locomotion and the peculiarities of the translation of the metaphysical components of these "body techniques". The article examines five types of running based on the corresponding types of walking: walking/running for pleasure; walking/running for health; walking/running for personal development; walking/running to achieve political goals; walking/running as sports practices. The names of the presented types of movement concretize the expression of their humanistic potential, and the way to preserve and develop it in the history of mankind is cultural continuity, which is comprehended based on the content of the concepts of "(bodily) embodied memory", "universals of culture", "traditions", "actualization of tradition", "innovations". The second part of the article explicates the humanistic potential and cultural continuity of walking and running, used for personal development, to achieve political goals and as sports practices. The research methodology used was the historical method, the method of categorization, the descriptive method, and the method of analysis. In the aspect of personal development, the deepest concretization of the concept of "humanistic potential of walking/ running" is recorded, achieved on the basis of the study of a special kind of experience that opens up to a person through prolonged cyclical bodily tension and is not accessible to "pure", "out of body" consciousness. The political content of walking is revealed on the basis of R. Solnit's identification of three prerequisites for pedestrian movement: the struggle for free time, for access to walking areas and for freedom of movement. The political dimension of running practices was provided by such properties of running locomotion (in comparison with walking) as more pronounced energy consumption and speed, playfulness and visibility of the runner. Walking/Running acquired a sporting dimension at the end of the XVIII century, when money bets on walking/running over significant open (and later closed) distances for a certain time became popular, demonstrating the outstanding endurance of representatives of the bourgeoisie entering the arena of world history. The modern passion for overcoming super marathon distances is becoming part of a new consumer culture focused on making their own life project unique, mainly by representatives of the middle class, in whose value system the pleasure of a disciplined body has taken root, health has become an area of individual responsibility, and success is understood perfectionistically as achieving new levels of perfection and expanding their capabilities.

walking, run, humanistic potential, cultural continuity, dynamic meditation, kaihegyo, transcendentalism, political marches, race walking, ultra running