ISBN:
0231081049
Language:
English
Pages:
XII, 108 S.
Series Statement:
European perspectives
Uniform Title:
Lettre ouverte à Harlem Désir
DDC:
305.8/00944
Keywords:
Désir, Harlem
;
Gaulle, Charles de 〈1890-1970〉
;
Désir, Harlem 〈1959-〉 Philosophy
;
Gaulle, Charles de 〈1890-1970〉 Philosophy
;
Nationale identiteit
;
Vreemdelingenhaat
;
Nationalbewusstsein
;
Nationalismus
;
Philosophie
;
National characteristics, French
;
Nationalism
;
Racism
;
Nationalismus
;
Frankreich
;
Frankreich
;
Frankreich
;
Nationalismus
Abstract:
Underlying Julia Kristeva's latest work is the idea that otherness - whether it be ethnic, religious, social, or political - needs to be understood and accepted in order to guarantee social harmony. Nations Without Nationalism is an impassioned plea for tolerance and for commonality, aimed at a world brimming over with racism and xenophobia. Responding to the rise of neo-Nazi groups in Germany and Eastern Europe and the continued popularity of the National Front in France, Kristeva turns to the origins of the nation-state to illustrate the problematic nature of nationalism and its complex configurations in subsequent centuries. For Kristeva, the key to commonality can be found in Montesquieu's esprit general - his notion of the social body as a guaranteed hierarchy of private rights
Abstract:
Nations Without Nationalism also contains Kristeva's thoughts on Harlem Desir, the founder of the antiracist organization SOS Racisme; the links between psychoanalysis and nationalism; the historical nature of French national identity; the relationship between esprit general and Volksgeist; Charles de Gaulle's complex ideas involving the "nation" and his dream of a unified Europe. In the tradition of Strangers to Ourselves, her most recent nonfiction work, Nations Without Nationalism reflects a passionate commitment to enlightenment and social justice. As ethnic strife persists in Europe and the United States, Kristeva's humanistic message carries with it a special resonance and urgency
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