Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of human identity and its symbolic provision (semiosis). It substantiates and justifies the use of the term «identity» rather than «sameness» in social philosophy, psychology, sociology, and some other disciplines, as it serves a specialized function in these fields and is subject to formal rather than dialectical logic. It is also noted that the term «identity» can be used in cases where it does not carry a special conceptual load in these contexts. It substantiates the thesis that an individual living in a complex sociocultural whole –and virtually all human settlements on the planet are such, especially those included in more complex entities (including states) – cannot possess only one or a few identities. As a person, they are polyidentical. And the larger the sociocultural system they are included in, the greater the number of identities they possess. Moreover, firstly, not all of his identities are equally significant and valuable to him (there are some he would prefer not to have), and secondly, from the perspective of the sociocultural whole and from the perspective of the individual, his identities have different significance and value. The phenomenon of identity, as a rule, along with value-based or value-neutral aspects, always also has semiotic markers. This article demonstrates this using the example of the phenomenon of fashion, the dictates of which became especially strong in the 20th and now 21st centuries.

Key words: identity, self-identity, dialectical logic, formal logic, semiosis, man, woman,  sex, gender, fashion.