In principle, the art brings us closer to truth and freedom, but I know many artists who are not free and that makes their lives much harder. "With this forceful expressed Tzvetan Todorov (Sofia, 1939), director of the Center for Research on Language Arts and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France, in this interview.
Considered one of the key thinkers of the Europe of the last two decades, Todorov, Bulgarian by birth and French by adoption, has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Arts and Letters in France and the Prince of Asturias Prize for Social Sciences in 2008. The English jury said, when the granting of that distinction, that this philosopher and historian who taught educational courses at the universities of Paris, Yale, New York, Columbia, Harvard and California, "represents the spirit of unity Europe, East and West, and commitment to the ideals of freedom, equality, inclusion and justice. "
Considered one of the key thinkers of the Europe of the last two decades, Todorov, Bulgarian by birth and French by adoption, has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Arts and Letters in France and the Prince of Asturias Prize for Social Sciences in 2008. The English jury said, when the granting of that distinction, that this philosopher and historian who taught educational courses at the universities of Paris, Yale, New York, Columbia, Harvard and California, "represents the spirit of unity Europe, East and West, and commitment to the ideals of freedom, equality, inclusion and justice. "
what role art plays in the achievement of those ideals for which he was awarded the Prince of Asturias? He said the musician
German Richard Wagner to the supreme end of man is the end of art, that art is the highest human activity, which ends its existence on Earth, and that true art is the pinnacle of freedom ... Well, they are words that for some may be considered excessive from a great artist who is meant to equate art, freedom and human dignity. Art is now a phenomenon of multiple forms and diverse manifestations. Therein lies its richness. I think art has a negative connotation when viewed from one angle, from a single formula. Art is an important part of society and the individual. Artistic expression us closer to freedom, truth if you will, but it is not synonymous with or otherwise. I know many artists who are not free and not a few who are not in truth his main objective.
From the romantic era art takes leading role, as it is considered that provides a superior knowledge and represents the highest activity to which human beings can engage. He has spent time with all its vagaries and history teaches us that the romantic dream, but infinitely less deadly than political utopia also houses a large portion of disappointment. But no art without artists would be lost. For decades
totalitarianism has been studied in Europe. Do you think it may be extended in the near future and generally anti-democratic attitudes?
One of the characteristics of fascism, and Nazism, is to have a very strong nationalist component. We see that in this sense, in Europe today are developing in a certain behavior and disturbing footage of position could be considered as remnants of the past. I mean, xenophobia and distrust abroad and to the immigrant. This suggests the possibility, however remote I think, that there is a revival of these unacceptable positions totalitarian. Some seem to defend Europe as were a kind of strength that would preserve the "pure" versus the outside.
Communism also may constitute a risk in this regard because this ideology adopts a doctrine of salvation that promises great improvements in terms of equal human beings, although we know and the reality has amply demonstrated its total failure. The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end, the collapse of communism. Born as a solid then hope for a more harmonious world order. But today, just 20 years later, if we look at the reality we find that this hope was illusory and that certain features of the ultra-liberal democratic project marked disturbing shadows by messianism and totalitarianism. We must be attentive to these signs.
What prompted you to study the forms of totalitarianism and repression?
come from a country that experienced a strong repression. I was born in Bulgaria on the eve of World War II. My country went to the zone of Soviet influence in September 1944. Until I went to France at age 24 I experienced the ordeal of a harsh dictatorship. In Sofia, where I was born and studied Arts, I began to value more and more negative the scheme in which he lived. Only within the family and closest friends could express my opinions. After the terrible repression in Hungary in 1956, Bulgaria dissent and public expression of what you thought was a mere utopia as they ruthlessly repressed by the slightest expression of protest. As I have written in my book The totalitarian experience, at first there was a risk of being expelled from university, work and even the city in which one lived. If relapsed, it was difficult to finish in one of the remote prison camps, they were real colonies of imprisonment and repression that are often not out alive. What moves
dictators and those who abet?
Its purpose is, as Obviously, winning and retaining power and the means by which they use are just beautiful and false ideological constructs. Bottom line, whatever the supposed ideology behind a dictatorship, is to seize power. Naturally, this makes individuals living in a totalitarian country people "no opinion." At the time, society in the countries of Eastern Europe join the communist ideology played a simple ritual. All or many, the claim, but nobody, or almost no one believes it.
Moreover, it is essential to submit unconditionally to the head. Those who assist the dictator, and this applies to any kind of dictatorship, in general are not fanatics, but cynical careerists who do what they do to access a privileged position and secure a better life. The motor of social life in a dictatorship is not the faith and belief in an ideal, but the will to power.
You have remarked that sometimes the intellectuals are tempted by these ideologies ...
Yes, that is, and is a curious phenomenon. When I came to France from a country without freedom, I noticed that there were few who defended the regime that horrified me, I had been deprived of the freedom to express my thoughts and, of course, to act. It was an enigma to me. After I realized that those people, those intellectuals who argued that they did so from a purely ideological and far from reality. The ideas were very attractive, but the reality of undeniable cruelty. I think that the intellectual, as the engine of thought of a community has an obligation not to move only in the world of ideas, but down to reality, check it and then judge, take a stand and act.
What do you think about the recent controversy in France and Italy expulsion of Roma from Romania?
We crashed the lifestyle of these groups, different from the average. Do not live in central cities do not wear a suit and tie, do not bring children to school. That is harvested and used as a throwing against them. As if they were all violent and put the community at risk. But do not forget that they are European citizens and members of the Union. They were expelled to Romania, but they can come back tomorrow. They have their rights as European citizens. That said, everything that has been created around this issue I think is a way to distract the community of more serious problems. There is talk of this and so do not talk about some of the major problems these countries live. From that standpoint I think that what's past is a mockery of citizenship, a masquerade. Does
medications against the risk of sectarianism, both individually and collectively?
I think we should look at reality from an objective. Freedom of information is essential. The function of journalism is of decisive importance. We talked about a free press, no straightjacket. No bound or biased. Education in the broadest sense is a key tool to prevent these hazards. Of course, school education, but also to be exercised by reporters, politicians, etc.. An education based on respect and consideration of the diversity of the world and who in the world live. May we open ourselves to others, to other worlds, and fail to consider us as the only and best.
And the art?
As we mentioned at the beginning of this talk, art and the artistic are essential elements of being human. I wrote four years ago, adventurers of all, a book is very focused on creating and artistically. He recalled in an editorial that text from a magazine that began: "Beauty will save the world. Dostoyesvski phrase has never been present. Because when so many things go wrong around us is the time to talk about the beauty of the planet and human beings who inhabit it. "
Beauty, wrote then, involves not spend your life watching the sunsets or moonlight, nor strive to enrich it with decorative items acquired in a trade. Rather, it refers to the attempt to order it in a way that considers individual consciousness harmonious, so that their various ingredients, social, professional, intimate, material-constitute an intelligible whole. The art in all its expressions and in the sense that it involves creation, clearly contributes to the harmony Logar.
German Richard Wagner to the supreme end of man is the end of art, that art is the highest human activity, which ends its existence on Earth, and that true art is the pinnacle of freedom ... Well, they are words that for some may be considered excessive from a great artist who is meant to equate art, freedom and human dignity. Art is now a phenomenon of multiple forms and diverse manifestations. Therein lies its richness. I think art has a negative connotation when viewed from one angle, from a single formula. Art is an important part of society and the individual. Artistic expression us closer to freedom, truth if you will, but it is not synonymous with or otherwise. I know many artists who are not free and not a few who are not in truth his main objective.
From the romantic era art takes leading role, as it is considered that provides a superior knowledge and represents the highest activity to which human beings can engage. He has spent time with all its vagaries and history teaches us that the romantic dream, but infinitely less deadly than political utopia also houses a large portion of disappointment. But no art without artists would be lost. For decades
totalitarianism has been studied in Europe. Do you think it may be extended in the near future and generally anti-democratic attitudes?
One of the characteristics of fascism, and Nazism, is to have a very strong nationalist component. We see that in this sense, in Europe today are developing in a certain behavior and disturbing footage of position could be considered as remnants of the past. I mean, xenophobia and distrust abroad and to the immigrant. This suggests the possibility, however remote I think, that there is a revival of these unacceptable positions totalitarian. Some seem to defend Europe as were a kind of strength that would preserve the "pure" versus the outside.
Communism also may constitute a risk in this regard because this ideology adopts a doctrine of salvation that promises great improvements in terms of equal human beings, although we know and the reality has amply demonstrated its total failure. The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end, the collapse of communism. Born as a solid then hope for a more harmonious world order. But today, just 20 years later, if we look at the reality we find that this hope was illusory and that certain features of the ultra-liberal democratic project marked disturbing shadows by messianism and totalitarianism. We must be attentive to these signs.
What prompted you to study the forms of totalitarianism and repression?
come from a country that experienced a strong repression. I was born in Bulgaria on the eve of World War II. My country went to the zone of Soviet influence in September 1944. Until I went to France at age 24 I experienced the ordeal of a harsh dictatorship. In Sofia, where I was born and studied Arts, I began to value more and more negative the scheme in which he lived. Only within the family and closest friends could express my opinions. After the terrible repression in Hungary in 1956, Bulgaria dissent and public expression of what you thought was a mere utopia as they ruthlessly repressed by the slightest expression of protest. As I have written in my book The totalitarian experience, at first there was a risk of being expelled from university, work and even the city in which one lived. If relapsed, it was difficult to finish in one of the remote prison camps, they were real colonies of imprisonment and repression that are often not out alive. What moves
dictators and those who abet?
Its purpose is, as Obviously, winning and retaining power and the means by which they use are just beautiful and false ideological constructs. Bottom line, whatever the supposed ideology behind a dictatorship, is to seize power. Naturally, this makes individuals living in a totalitarian country people "no opinion." At the time, society in the countries of Eastern Europe join the communist ideology played a simple ritual. All or many, the claim, but nobody, or almost no one believes it.
Moreover, it is essential to submit unconditionally to the head. Those who assist the dictator, and this applies to any kind of dictatorship, in general are not fanatics, but cynical careerists who do what they do to access a privileged position and secure a better life. The motor of social life in a dictatorship is not the faith and belief in an ideal, but the will to power.
You have remarked that sometimes the intellectuals are tempted by these ideologies ...
Yes, that is, and is a curious phenomenon. When I came to France from a country without freedom, I noticed that there were few who defended the regime that horrified me, I had been deprived of the freedom to express my thoughts and, of course, to act. It was an enigma to me. After I realized that those people, those intellectuals who argued that they did so from a purely ideological and far from reality. The ideas were very attractive, but the reality of undeniable cruelty. I think that the intellectual, as the engine of thought of a community has an obligation not to move only in the world of ideas, but down to reality, check it and then judge, take a stand and act.
What do you think about the recent controversy in France and Italy expulsion of Roma from Romania?
We crashed the lifestyle of these groups, different from the average. Do not live in central cities do not wear a suit and tie, do not bring children to school. That is harvested and used as a throwing against them. As if they were all violent and put the community at risk. But do not forget that they are European citizens and members of the Union. They were expelled to Romania, but they can come back tomorrow. They have their rights as European citizens. That said, everything that has been created around this issue I think is a way to distract the community of more serious problems. There is talk of this and so do not talk about some of the major problems these countries live. From that standpoint I think that what's past is a mockery of citizenship, a masquerade. Does
medications against the risk of sectarianism, both individually and collectively?
I think we should look at reality from an objective. Freedom of information is essential. The function of journalism is of decisive importance. We talked about a free press, no straightjacket. No bound or biased. Education in the broadest sense is a key tool to prevent these hazards. Of course, school education, but also to be exercised by reporters, politicians, etc.. An education based on respect and consideration of the diversity of the world and who in the world live. May we open ourselves to others, to other worlds, and fail to consider us as the only and best.
And the art?
As we mentioned at the beginning of this talk, art and the artistic are essential elements of being human. I wrote four years ago, adventurers of all, a book is very focused on creating and artistically. He recalled in an editorial that text from a magazine that began: "Beauty will save the world. Dostoyesvski phrase has never been present. Because when so many things go wrong around us is the time to talk about the beauty of the planet and human beings who inhabit it. "
Beauty, wrote then, involves not spend your life watching the sunsets or moonlight, nor strive to enrich it with decorative items acquired in a trade. Rather, it refers to the attempt to order it in a way that considers individual consciousness harmonious, so that their various ingredients, social, professional, intimate, material-constitute an intelligible whole. The art in all its expressions and in the sense that it involves creation, clearly contributes to the harmony Logar.
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