Kritika postkolonijalnog uma

Author(s): Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak / Language(s): Serbian

In the first full treatment of postcolonial studies, a field that she helped define, Gayatri C. Spivak, one of the world’s foremost literary theorists, attempts to describe a responsible role for the postcolonial critic within the postcolonial enclave. A Critique of Postcolonial Reason track the figure of the ‘native informant’ through various cultural practices – philosophy, history, literature – to suggest that it emerges as the metropolitian hybrid.

The City That Is Not: Apophasis and Anglo-Saxon Urbanism

Author(s): Rafał Borysławski / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The article discusses two Old English cases of walking through cities that no longer exist and the implications that such visions entail for early medieval philosophical perspectives. The first part proposes a conjectural vision of the city of Rome from around the time of the visits of young Prince Alfred of Wessex, future King Alfred the Great, in 853 and in 855 A.D. The second part is constructed upon an understanding of one of the Exeter Book elegies, “The Ruin”, presenting musings on whatever remained from another Roman city, conceivably identifiable with Aqua Sulis, that is, Bath. The reflections of the former encounter with the city may be, perhaps, found in the Meters that accompany Alfred-inspired translation of Boethius’s “De consolatione philosophiae”, and the city present in “The Ruin” is another example of the excidio urbis theme. Together, the two visions confirm the Old English metaphysical value of the city that becomes its negative, that is, the city that is formed by absences, lacunae, and vestiges of its past. Seen in this light, the “cities that are not” are presented here as instances of apophatic thinking, akin to that of Pseudo-Dionysius, whereby more can be expressed by questions and negative statements than by factual testimonials. The proposed Anglo-Saxon walks through ruined cities paradoxically offer an augmentation of reality and an existential practice in the elusiveness of signification extending beyond urban boundaries.

Anxious City: The Fears and Apprehensions of Citizens and Tourists in Modern Urban Areas

Author(s): Bożena Kilian / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

In today’s world numerous dangers seem to threaten human lives. Modern society is claimed to be fearful and anxious, hence it is exposed to perils that are neither comprehensive nor controllable. Both global and local threats, such as economic crises, unprecedented technological advancement, terrorism or climate change and the increasing instability in the job market, crime or otherness influence everyday existence of modern man, who becomes increasingly apprehensive. The persistent atmosphere of fear is additionally nourished and sustained by the ubiquitous message presented by the media, which selectively focus on the negative broadcast. Modern cities, which are now perceived as a location where otherness is to be rather feared than praised and cultivated, are believed to be places which encapsulate almost all contemporary fears. First and foremost, they are scenes where the fear of crime takes its toll. Not only does it shape the structure of the city, as it leads to the establishment of the so-called gated communities, occupying closed and guarded estates, but primarily the relationships among different formal and informal social groups existing within the city. Feared are those of different race, religion, nationality, social status, gender, and even age. Being other, feared are also those coming to cities as tourists. In the face of the fact that city tourism is on the increase one could suspect that this is entirely safe and entertaining pastime; however, the analysis of urban tourism leaves no doubt that it also brings certain dose of fear and anxiety. The article aims at presenting various fears and anxieties experienced within urban area by both tourists and citizens.

Between Architecture and Cultural Studies: Reflections on the Constitution and Devaluation of Urban Public Spaces

Author(s): Andrzej Bełdowski,Tomasz Burzyński / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

This interdisciplinary paper aims to outline the role of architecture in the societal construction and devaluation of civic public spaces from the perspectives of theoretical architecture, cultural studies, and theory of culture. When perceived in the context of the agency/structure duality, urban public spaces could be seen as societal constructs whose character and identity can be traced to the holistic organisation of architectural forms within a given locale. At the same time, the deflation in the quality of public spaces may be explained by making references to mutually reinforcing processes of spatial commodification and symbolic violence which are both exercised by implanting pure, self-explicable architectural forms into well-entrenched urban spaces.

The Mount Athos Archival and Library Evidence

Author(s): Kyrill Pavlikianov / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Digitalno ja

Author(s): Jelena Guga / Language(s): Serbian

The ubiquitous use of digital technologies has enabled vast possibilities such as instant access to information, presence on any part of the planet, multiplication and transformation of identity, as well as re-articulation and reconstruction of embodiment. Science fiction film and literature, new media art practices, scientific research, and cyber theories often deal with the idea of leaving the body behind and uploading the immortal mind into digital databases where we can be whatever and whoever we want. Compared to modern technology, biological body is often considered obsolete and, as such, it is not “equipped” keep up with the exponential technological development. It is not surprising then that many studies, either scientific or popular, disregard the problem of corporeality and focus more on the issues of identity, consciousness, and disembodiment in digital worlds. Therefore, this book presents the works that focus on the issues of embodiment in the context of new media and their impact on social reality. The starting premise of the discussions is that without a physical body, there is neither virtual nor real. The book points to the importance of the physical body in biotechnological interfaces and the ways the role and functions of the body transform in virtual environments and affect our perceptions and understanding of human ontology

Bosanski identitet kao protuteža nominalnom hrvatstvu i hrvatsko-muslimanskom književnom kanonu: kratki i neobjavljeni povijesni pregled bošnjačke književnosti Envera Čolakovića iz 1942. godine

Author(s): Muhidin Džanko / Language(s): Bosnian Publication Year: 0

This paper analyzes the unpublished overview of Bosniak literature written by Enver Čolaković. Written during the time of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) within the project entitled “Croatian Muslim Monographs”, this study, content wise, had to adhere to the rigid national-ideological framework of the cultural policy of that time. However, the author, insisting on his Bogomil roots, Bosnianhood and Bosnian identity of the Bosniak literature managed to achieve, to the extent it was possible, a counterbalance to the nominal Croatianhood and the officially promoted “Croatian-Muslim literary canon”. The quality of his work can be seen in the fact that Čolaković wrote not only literary-historical overview of the Bosniak literature, but also provided its general periodization, and established, according to his personal ideas and literary-esthetic predilection, anthological-chrestomathic order of writers and works of Bosniak literature.

Променената идентичност в поезията на Адам Мицкевич. Или от Адам и Ева до Кончита Вурст

Author(s): Panayot Karagyozov / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The essay surveys the different types of identity transformations of the protagonists in the literary works of the Polish Romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz in the context of the physical and spiritual transformations of the humankind from Adam and Eve until the 21st century. The supernatural changes the Mickiewicz’s heroes undergo are based on the Romantic postulate that the rational mind cannot always provide an explanation for the things happening in our lives. Through the multiple identity transformations in his works, Mickiewicz underlines the strong connection between the worlds of the living and the dead and instructs his reading audience on how to deal with current social, ethical and nationally significant issues.

Animus i anima w pismach Gastona Bachelarda i Mircei Eliadego

Author(s): Ionel Buse / Language(s): Polish Publication Year: 0

Entre temps cyclique et temps linéaire. Temps, littérature, théologie

Author(s): Evagrina Dîrțu / Language(s): French Publication Year: 0

Our main objective in the present paper is to analyse how time is understood and reflected in some theological and some literary examples, while connecting these perspectives with how science, on the other hand, understood and reflected this dimension of our universe, in different historical periods. We use in our analysis three scientific sources in which the transdisciplinary or the vulgarisation approaches prevail, from which we extract the physical explanations and models. Our starting point is that fiction and religion are often annexes to science in the paradigm of knowledge, as they ask questions and propose answers, in accordance with their own rules, distinct from the ones that science puts forward, but which wonderfully converge so often, that the mirroring is worth bringing to light. Our approach focuses on three main topics, i.e. the issue of the beginning/ending of the universe, the past-present relationship, and the existence of the ‘multiverse’ in relation to the existence of the multiple universes as treated by narratology.

FIGURA NEPRIJATELJA: PREOSMIŠLJAVANJE SRPSKO-ALBANSKIH ODNOSA

Author(s): / Language(s): Serbian

Ideja o pisanju knjige i pokretanju projekta o srpsko-albanskim odnosima javila se, kako to na Balkanu često biva, u kafani (koja je, doduše, u neposrednoj blizini Narodne biblioteke Srbije). Pošto su se u Betonu pojavili tekstovi Milana Miljkovića o predstavljanju Albanaca u srpskoj štampi i Aleksandra Pavlovića o figuri Turčina kao neprijatelja, Milan je uz čašicu predložio da se inicira projekat koji bi okupio srpske i albanske intelektualce, teoretičare i teoretičarke u oblasti društvenih nauka koji bi zajedno obrađivali srpsko-albanske odnose. Verovatno je najčešći način borbe protiv politika neprijateljstva začudna i retka politika prijateljstva. Tako je bilo i u slučaju Aleksandra Pavlovića i Rigelsa Halilija, koji su zbog sličnosti u naučnim temama i interesovanjima najpre uspostavili „naučno pobratimstvo“, a ubrzo došli i do nekolicine drugih srpskih i albanskih kolega zainteresovanih da učestvuju u ovom projektu. Da sve ne ostane na kafanskoj priči (što na Balkanu takođe često biva) zasluga je i urednikā Betona, prevashodno Saše Ćirića, koji je kumovao projektu i knjizi predloživši njen naziv Figura neprijatelja: preosmišljavanje srpsko-albanskih odnosa, a obezbedio je i pomoć prevodilačke mreže Traduki koja je odmah prihvatila da sufinansira prevođenje tekstova sa srpskog na albanski jezik i obrnuto. Usledilo je nekoliko neuspelih inicijativa sa domaćim institucijama – naši prijatelji iz albanskog Ministarstva kulture rekli su nam da misle da za ovako nešto još nije vreme, a na konkursu srpskog Ministarstva kulture uprkos obimnoj dokumentaciji koju smo poslali u traženih 7 (i slovima sedam) primeraka (!), projekat na godišnjem konkursu nije dobio ni dinara. Za razliku od rečenih institucija, kolege iz Instituta za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju, pogotovo sadašnje koordinatorke projekta i kourednice ove knjige Gazela Pudar Draško i Adriana Zaharijević, uz mentorstvo Petra Bojanića, založile su se za projekat i značajno ojačale prvobitnu aplikaciju, koja je zatim podržana u okviru švajcarskog Programa za promociju istraživanja na zapadnom Balkanu koji finansira Švajcarska agencija za razvoj i saradnju, na čemu im dugujemo veliku zahvalnost. Pored IFDT-a i KPZ Beton, saradnici na projektu su i „Ćendra multimedija“ („Quendra Multimedia“) iz Prištine, koja je 2011. godine zajedno sa KPZ Beton objavila antologije Iz Prištine, s ljubavlju (o savremenoj kosovskoj literaturi na albanskom jeziku) i Iz Beograda, s ljubavlju (o savremenoj prozi mlađih autora u Srbiji), i „Poeteka“ iz Tirane, ugledni izdavački i kulturni centar koji kontinuirano objavljuje prevode savremene i ranije srpske književnosti na albanski jezik.

Between Two Worlds: Romania and India. Essays on Expanding Borders through Culture

Author(s): / Language(s): English

The cultural relations between India and Romania are interesting to study and to understand. India is a country of immense diversity, of extraordinary customs, and a genuine feast of opinions, which attracts researchers from all over the world. Romanians are people with a profound sensibility. The two cultures met on the common ground of spirituality and the results are remarkable, as it is shown in this special volume.

Seuils de la connaissance ésotérique dans « Le langage des oiseaux » de Farid-ud-Din 'Attâr

Author(s): Atmane Bissani / Language(s): French Publication Year: 0

Knowledge in the mystical tradition of Islam progresses from the exoteric to the esoteric. We are referring to a progress that transforms the reality of the sensible world into a way to get access to the secrets that only the devoted sâliq – wayfarer – is able to discover. On the other hand, the way and the thresholds along the way to the esoteric require perseverance, patience and bravery from the Soufi. The reason is the fact that the progress towards the esoteric knowledge is consubstantial with the progress towards the knowledge of God, the knowledge of the Truth. This knowledge is not available to everyone, but it divulges itself in the heart of the wayfarer as being God’s secret word. Le langage des oiseaux by Faridud- Din ‘Attâr, the text we deal with in the present paper, comes in the wake of the Soufi masters’ Thresholds leading to the esoteric knowledge, in many respects. Indeed, the birds crossing the seven valleys (thresholds, stations) in order to find the Simurgh (God) end up discovering themselves as being God. The illumination, God’s light, reigns then and the esoteric knowledge takes shape and makes sense, resulting in the access to the Numinous. Our paper questions the Thresholds of this mystical progress towards the ultimate experience of the Xvarnah, God’s light and glory.

Към изворите на похвално слово за Светите Константин и Елена от Патриарх Евтимий

Author(s): Pirinka Penkova / Language(s): English,Bulgarian,Old Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The subject of investigation is the textological relationship between Eythymios’ “The Panegyric for St. Constantine and Helena” and a number of Greek and Slavonic medieval sources: Eusebius of Caesarea’s “Life of Constantine”, Athanasius of Alexandria’s “Orationes contra Arianos”, the Guidi-Vita of Constantine (BHG 364), the Gedeon-Vita of Constantine (BHG 363), “De inventione sanctae crucis” by Alexander the Monk, the Homily of Gregorius Presbyter “Κυριακή τῶν Αγίων πατέρων τῆς Α’ Οἰκουμενικῆς Συνόδου” and the anonymous “De donatione Constantini”. The Greek biographers used the Church chronicles of Eusebius, Sokrates, Rufinus of Aquileia and Theophanes. Тhе Eytimius’ Panegyric indicates the free use of the Greek and Slavonic sources: some events are probably transferred from an earlier Slavonic pro-Vita based on extracts from the Greek Vita BHG 363/364 and “De donatione Constantini” acc. the manuscript 793 in the library of Troice-Sergeevsk Lavra. The description of the miracles of the martyrs Chrisantios and Musonios, the dispute between Alexander of Alexandria and one unnamed philosopher as well as the narrative on Elena in Jerusalem has been found in the Greek Homily of Gregorius Presbyter. The author identifies the philosopher mentioned by Eythymius as Asterius the Sophist acc. to Athanasius’s “Orationes”. Acc. to the linguistic details Eythymius became acquainted with one kompiled pro-Vita of Constantine. The author suggests, that one pro-Vita of Preslav origin was edited at the same time as Konstantin of Preslav’s translation of Athanasius of Alexandria’s “Orationes” before the transfer of “Orationes” to Novgorod.

RECEPCIJA FELDMARŠALA SVETOZARA BOROJEVIĆA U USPOREDBI HRVATSKE, JUŽNOSLAVENSKE I EUROPSKE BIOGRAFSKE LEKSIKOGRAFIJE

Author(s): Josip PRGOMET,Marino Manin / Language(s): Croatian Publication Year: 0

Setting forth from the assumption that encyclopaedia-production in any country reflects the time in which it emerges, the objective of this work is to explore any possible divergences in the treatment of the life and deeds of Borojević among the encyclopaedia entries of various nations. Stated differently, the objective of this research is to ascertain whether there were encyclopaedia entries that were influenced by or were in correlation with the origin of the national encyclopaedic source, with the specific encyclopaedia-production of a given nation. In this context, emphasis will be placed on an inter-lexicographic biographical comparison of national biographical lexicographic entries and an examination of any differences in interpretation in the approach to the material, which may have been caused by the heterogeneity of national lexicographic sources and approaches. The basic hypothesis lies in examining the assumption that the framework of national lexicography focuses on a specific vision, and the objective of this work is to detect these views as encapsulated in biographical lexicographic entries as research units during the period from the 1920s to the present. In methodological terms, the work presents an attempt to ascertain the approach and analysis in articles about Borojević and, in this sense, the focus is on a more factual description of encyclopaedia entries than an analytical and critical approach to their sources, without moving beyond the factual generalizations contained in the encyclopaedic entries. The overview of encyclopaedia entries is based on the assumption that encyclopaedia entries reflect the spirit of the time, and that the idea that lexicographical entries personify the spirit of the time within all limits of national/state or ideological provenance must be either confirmed or refuted.