Abstract. The article considers constituting a theory of cultural research (culturology). Special attention is given to the history of European philosophy that has provided a context for development of cultural knowledge, which also meant a break with classical philosophising and address to cultural particularities. A wider spectrum of approaches to divers types of cultures was opening together with a transition from reflexive forms in perception of culture to the descriptive ones, from speculations about foundations of culture to specific cultural research. The disruption of classical philosophising laid open the main constituent of cultural research: the relation between nature (physis) and convention (nomos) and the correlated issues including anthropological ardour of culture, culture as the “second nature”, culture as a means of translating social experience, etc. that have filled a new thematic space in.