The sacred and The rational in the tradition of mentoring

Annotation

The article offers a comprehensive analysis of the concept of “mentorship”, tracing its evolution through the history of ideas and pedagogical anthropology. Using the conceptual history methodology (R. Koselleck, Q. Skinner), the study reveals the diachronic transformation of mentorship from its mythological origins (the figure of Mentor in the Odyssey) and sacralinitiatory practices in world religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism) to its rationalization and institutionalization in the Modern era. The author highlights the methodological challenge of avoiding anachronism when applying modern terminology to historical phenomena. The analysis shows how the initially non-verbalized practice of mentoring, embodied in the archetypal guide, became conceptualized during the Enlightenment and was formally framed in the 20th century within the activity approach. The methodological basis of the study is V. S. Bibler’s dialogical model. The article concludes that the contemporary interpretation of mentorship as a tool for knowledge and skills transfer has reduced its original anthropological dimension, which was fundamentally linked to the existential transformation of the individual. It raises the critical issue of balancing operational efficiency with the need to restore the holistic, meaningful nature of mentorship in modern practices.

Keywords

mentorship, conceptual history, activity- based approach, educational practices, sacred, rational, dialogue of cultures

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