EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT EPIDEMIC IN HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY

Abstract

This article provides a study of the basic transformations of the concept of EPIDEMIC and its connotations in the historical development of mankind. The relevance is explained by the need to rethink of the features of the concept of EPIDEMIC in the collective consciousness caused by COVID-19. An analysis of recent research has shown that the topic has gained popularity in connection with the pandemic, but researchers prefer to turn to the reflection of the coronavirus in modern discourses, creation of memes and neologisms of this period. Most of the attention is focused on the concepts of PANDEMIC, CORONAVIRUS. At the same time, the semantically similar concept of EPIDEMIC remains out of the attention of scientists. The aim of the article is to try to analyze the evolutionary changes of the EPIDEMIC concept in connection with the historical development of society. The paper provides an overview of different approaches to understanding the phenomenon of the epidemic, presented by scientists, philosophers, historians, theologians, politicians and artists of different eras, from the first meaning of the word "epidemic" to its modern interpretation in dictionaries. The article mentions (or quotes) the following historical figures: Homer, Hippocrates, Thucydides, Procopius of Caesarea, Henry of Lancaster, Giovanni Boccaccio and others. This study allowed the author to get as close as possible to a generalized understanding of the historical development and evolution of the EPIDEMIC concept and to present his own vision of the evolution of the concept during historical development. As a result, the article reflects the author's attempt to conduct an analysis of the historical milestones of the word “epidemic”, the linguistic expression of this concept, as well as to emphasize the changes in the collective consciousness associated with epidemics. The practical significance of the article is that it begins a potentially rich layer of philological research, which can be deepened in further work, focusing on the functioning of the concept of EPIDEMIC in different time frames, countries, discourses, etc.