Abstract

Fright is analyzed both as one of the important characteristics of a person, and as a topical issue of humanitarian science, in particular philosophy. Phenomenon of fright is substantiated as an innate ontological nature of a person which is inherited from nature but "cultivated", "socialized" and is considered to be the object of a personal reflection. It is shown that fright is immanently connected with a complex of human rights and freedoms and, especially, with satisfaction of human safety needs. It is proved that freedom is the key source of fright and these phenomena are closely interconnected. Fright both in the conditions of straitened freedom by perforce, and in the conditions of straitened freedom in itself is characterized. Fright features of a Western European medieval man in the conditions of so called stable unfreedom, that is straitened freedom by perforce, with his psychological disharmony, suffering from spiritual and social depression, as well as from the risk to manifest his real "Self" is shown. Fright features of a Western European Renaissance man in the conditions of liberation from church dogmata but in the context of inside constrained freedom are shown. Taking into consideration the tendencies and the features of modern world, the conclusion is drawn that today's epoch is an epoch of fright and today's man is a man of fright.