Philosophical Analysis of Marginality Problem

The article analyzes several concepts of marginality in socio-psychological and cultural dimensions. These days, two opposing epistemological tendencies have emerged regarding the understanding of marginality. The first tendency views marginality positively, equating it with creative renewal. Conversely, the second tendency emphasizes the destructive implications of marginality for both individuals and society. These two divergent perspectives primarily arise from a problematic conflation, and sometimes even an identification, of two concepts: liminality and marginality; lumpen and marginal. Therefore, the scope of the marginal concept is so expansive, and often includes phenomena with opposing social functions, leading many researchers to question its scientific validity. The aim of this article is to engage in a philosophical reflection on the cognitive paradigms that have shaped contemporary understandings of marginality. The goal is to identify a semantic constant amid the equally significant yet contradictory semantic vectors related to this concept. A key element of the meta-language concerning marginality is prehension of the concept, which makes possible to discuss specifics surrounding the convergence of meanings and explore the ontological prerequisites that underlie their identification. Furthermore, the article analyzes modern interpretations of social marginality in the context of its original meaning: “marginalia”, referring to notes made in the margins of a page. This perspective facilitates a reconsideration of the fundamental metaphor that serves as a cognitive framework for studying the processes of marginalization. The author examines this issue within the framework of Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social fields, alongside the philosophy of the Other. The examination of the mythologeme of “own/alien” and the homo sacer formula provides insight into the semantic constant of marginality, suggesting that marginality is intrinsically linked to the category of social norm, which itself is apophatically determined by the phenomenon of marginality.

Keywords: marginal; marginality; liminality; lumpen; prehension of the concept; doxa; social norm