Kirjandusteadus ja rahvus - mõistus ja tunded
Literary studies and the nation – sense and sensibility

Summary/Abstract: The “societal impact” of Estonian literary studies on political and cultural nationalism (nation building, national discourse) has not been as big as corresponding impact of historiography, archeology, folkloristics, and linguistics, not mentioning literature itself. Disciplines dealing with ethnogenesis and political history have contributed more to the national narrative. On the other hand, national sentiments have probably had even bigger influence on literary studies than on any other branch of humanities. Large parts of the input (authors, works and other literary phenomena) and output (essays and their public) of literary research are national, being confined to the Estonian culture. The theoretical parts of input (concepts, methods) are, of course, partly international. The methods of administration of scientific research encourage strongly the internationalisation of output as well. But as most of the important Estonian authors enjoy only local renown, only some very specific aspects of Estonian literary studies have export potential. Between the pressure of internationalisation and national-cultural significance of literary research there is a tension, and it is difficult to pursue both aims at once. The international and national interest of literary scholarship is quite independent of each other or even inversely related.

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