The problem raised in the article concerns the essence of cultural studies: What should it be in its diversity? What is the purpose of cultural studies in general? What anthological and axiological notions should construct its basis? These and similar questions form the leading idea of the text, presenting in an essential form the most important dilemmas faced by scientists involved in the study of culture, broadly understood. Truth, realism, instrumentalism or pragmatism are just some of the phenomena that set the path, or rather paths for cultural studies. The choice of these paths at the same time defines individual cultural studies (not only Polish, but also British, German, French or Russian) and leads to non-identical goals and "destinations".