Między totalizmem a jednostkowością. Literatura wobec wojny (z Ukrainą w tle)

Abstract

The article discusses various forms and aspects of the conceptualization of war as a tension between the individual and the total. The starting point is the philosophical reflection of B. Miciński, E. Levinas and G.W. Hegel, and then the conception of war as a form of totalizing, e.g. by subordinating it to ideology, nationality and other forms of collective identity, and reducing man to a material or numerical dimension, are presented. War is often described as an autonomous and inhuman force depriving man of subjectivity and agency. On the other hand, the literature analyzed in the article, mainly non-fictional, often focuses on saving individuality through the description of individual stories. Such conceptualizations also appear in reportages about the war in Ukraine.

Keywords

• war
• literature
• individuality
• totalism