Essays

Identity and memory

Alain Finkielkraut ; École Polytechnique, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Paris, France

Abstract

The paper is an authorized version of the author's presentation at a public lecture (Croaticum) held in Zagreb in May 1994. The interrelationship between national identity (search for identity), the individual, democracy and memory (i.e. the relationship to historic values is discussed). In the first part of the paper, the author gives a critical view of the frequent opinion in the West (in France) which emphasized the imagined dichotomy between identity and freedom, as well as the opposition between nationalism and democracy. The West imagines freedom/democracy in the sense of individuals stripped of all their particularities. In the second part of the paper, while acknowledging specific difficulties in Croatia (aggression on the country, misunderstanding from the outside world), the author nevertheless presents some of his views regarding the dangers which he sees in Croatia if the search for identity does not at the same time take into regard its own responsibilities from the past.

Keywords

identity; memory; democracy

Hrčak ID:

127109

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/127109

Publication date:

30.12.1994.

Article data in other languages: croatian french

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