HEROIZATION OF CRIMINALS: PHILOSOPHICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Abstract

The article examines the phenomenon of criminal glorification, which is being implemented by the modern mass media. It is noted that a significant reason for the glorification of criminals is their use by those in power to cover up their own crimes or to divert public attention from other, more significant crimes and violations committed by the authorities. Based on the work of C.G. Jung, the author concludes that one of the reasons for the heroization of a criminal is the presence of the Shadow archetype in each of us, which embodies negative and often criminal aspects of our behavior or character, so the criminal popularized by the media is an actual reflection of our Shadow. Based on the analysis of historical and mythological figures and heroes, the author concludes that humanity has been heroizing criminals for thousands of years. Based on the works of E. Fromm, it is shown that the acceptance by society and the elevation of criminals to the rank of idols is due to the transition of European society back to paganism and the gradual departure from Judeo-Christian values. It is proved that most of the heroized criminals are pagan characters, most of whom are tricksters according to the archetype. Based on the works of M. Foucault, it is revealed that the authorities often use criminals and lonely people with a criminal past to satisfy their own goals and needs, which is confirmed by many examples from Foucault's works. Taking into account that the concept of metamodernity, which was first proposed in 2010 by Vermeulen and R. van der Akker, is not able to explain all the phenomena of modernity and is rather another simulacrum from postmodernism, since the main ideas of metamodernity help modern society to justify its own crimes, but they do not solve the issues and problems that are relevant to modernity and, on the contrary, can plunge humanity into chaos and help to glorify criminals, destroying the basic Western European moral values. It is determined that the heroized criminals are mostly loners, and their loneliness is due to rejection by society and the fact that they are individuals of everyday life according to the classification of meta-anthropology as a philosophical anthropology by N. Khamitov and are characterized by the will to power and destructive intentions.