Homo Agonalis: от агона к агональности

Человек: образ и сущность. Гуманитарные аспекты. 2025. № 4(64). С. 209–226.

Ananeva E.

This paper explores the problem of defining the boundaries of the term “agon” as a type of competition. There has been a revived interest in agonality, giving rise to voluminous research, especially in philosophy, cultural studies and linguistics where agon is often viewed as a battle, game, war or competition in a broader sense. Therefore, no consensus has been reached concerning what agon entails. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the intrinsic characteristics of the agonal competition. To achieve this aim, the paper focuses on the origins of the term “agon” and its derivatives: “agony”, “agonistics”, and “agonality”; it delves into the peculiarities of an agonal society and posits that “agonal instinct” can only be used in a metaphorical sense. The asymmetry between the terms: “agon”, “war”, “game”, and “competition” is widely discussed. The conducted research showcased that the immanent features of the agonal competition include 1) the presence of opposing parties and the audience; 2) the primary aim being to win through exhibiting one’s excellence rather than obtain any material benefits, 3) adherence to the rules, 4) serious character of the competition that is linked to uncertainty of its outcome and increased tension, 5) cultural nature of the competition, 6) winning by fair means.

Keywords: война, competition, игра, агональность, game, agon, агон, состязание, agonality, war