Page 245 - Marcello Potocco, Nacionalni imaginariji, literarni imaginariji, Dissertationes 20
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mary
The book National Imaginary, Literary Imaginary is structured as
a series of separate, but intertwined studies on the topics of im-
aginary, national ideology and their role in the Slovenian and – prima-
rily – in the Canadian literary system. The author tries to cover both lit-
erary phenomena as well as their socio-historical basis.
To begin with, the author focuses attention to the imaginary as a
common ground of social identification. Following Cornelius Castori-
adis’ theoretical basis, the imaginary is understood as a capacity to pro-
duce images. The radical imaginary must be limited by entering into
symbolic relations if the individual is to conceive one’s own identity, the
latter being limited by the institution of society. While each historical
society tends towards the closure of imaginary significations and their
fluidity, the “post-platonic” societies seem to be characterized by a par-
ticularly forceful fixation. The study suggests that such a society is deeply
related to the emergence of the autonomous subjectivity, as well as to the
modern way of conceiving one’s own social identity and identifications.
The following essay focuses on the problem of national identifica-
tion and starts by evaluating studies by several Slovenian philosophers
and literary historians (Dušan Pirjevec, Tine Hribar, Ivan Urbančič,
Dimitrij Rupel and Janko Kos). It also focuses on some key aspects, as
well as the disadvantages of constructivist theories of nation and identi-
ty. Based on the theories of Anthony Smith and Adrian Hastings, it ar-
gues for a definition of the nation that takes into consideration both its
constructed nature as well as the relative stability and continuity of na-
tional identifications. These are inevitably constructed by using exist-
The book National Imaginary, Literary Imaginary is structured as
a series of separate, but intertwined studies on the topics of im-
aginary, national ideology and their role in the Slovenian and – prima-
rily – in the Canadian literary system. The author tries to cover both lit-
erary phenomena as well as their socio-historical basis.
To begin with, the author focuses attention to the imaginary as a
common ground of social identification. Following Cornelius Castori-
adis’ theoretical basis, the imaginary is understood as a capacity to pro-
duce images. The radical imaginary must be limited by entering into
symbolic relations if the individual is to conceive one’s own identity, the
latter being limited by the institution of society. While each historical
society tends towards the closure of imaginary significations and their
fluidity, the “post-platonic” societies seem to be characterized by a par-
ticularly forceful fixation. The study suggests that such a society is deeply
related to the emergence of the autonomous subjectivity, as well as to the
modern way of conceiving one’s own social identity and identifications.
The following essay focuses on the problem of national identifica-
tion and starts by evaluating studies by several Slovenian philosophers
and literary historians (Dušan Pirjevec, Tine Hribar, Ivan Urbančič,
Dimitrij Rupel and Janko Kos). It also focuses on some key aspects, as
well as the disadvantages of constructivist theories of nation and identi-
ty. Based on the theories of Anthony Smith and Adrian Hastings, it ar-
gues for a definition of the nation that takes into consideration both its
constructed nature as well as the relative stability and continuity of na-
tional identifications. These are inevitably constructed by using exist-
