Topology of the Home: an Experiment in Phenomenological Research into the Boundaries of Human Existence

Introduction. The article is devoted to a philosophical-anthropological analysis of the phenomenon of the Home as a response to the technological challenge. The aim is to reveal the ontological status of the Home as a space of human existence, the boundaries of which are eroding in the context of digitalization. The scientific novelty lies in the development of the concept of “anthropic space” and the consideration of the Home as a topos of rootedness. The relevance is determined by the anthropological crisis associated with the delegation of cognitive and creative functions to technology. Methodology and sources. The research is based on a phenomenological approach. The analysis draws on the concepts of M. Heidegger (dwelling, care), M. Scheler (corporality), M. Merleau-Ponty (phenomenology of perception), P. Florensky (the home as a “synthetic instrument”), and G. Bachelard (“the poetics of space”). The method of philosophical hermeneutics allows for the interpretation of the Home through multiple semantics: empirical, axiological, social, cultural, psychological, and mythological. Results and discussion. It is shown that the Home is a space of authentic existence where the “fourfold” (Geviert) gathers. It performs the function of an “external body” (exobody) for both the individual and the community, ensuring the subject's autonomy. The loss of the Home leads to the replacement of existence with mere functioning. It is argued that virtualization and mobility destroy the topology of the Home, depriving human existence of its rootedness. Conclusion. The conclusion is drawn that overcoming the anthropological crisis is possible through the restoration of the Home as an “oikos” (a humanized cosmos). The response to the technological challenge is the integration of technologies into the space of existence, the center of which remains the Home. The preservation of the human essence is achieved through the effort of dwelling, care, and creativity within the boundaries of the Home.

Authors: Alena L. Razava

Direction: Philosophy

Keywords: Home, anthropological crisis, body, thing, being-in-the-world, technological challenge, dwelling

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