Three books from the rich oeuvre of the distinguished political scientist Prof. Dr. Jovan Komšić provide the occasion for a thematic discussion to be held under the title “Illusions of Identity.”
The discussion will focus on the following books: Illusions of Identity – Democracy in the Fog of the “National Rebirth”, Downfall – A Chronicle of Great Manipulation, and Reflections of Great Decline – Serbian Transitional “Elites” – From War to Peace and Back (1987–2024).
The book Illusions of Identity is an extensive study (628 pages) dedicated to identity politics and their effects, which the author examines primarily through the example of contemporary Serbia from the breakup of Yugoslavia to the present day. On the one hand, it addresses concepts such as identity, difference, identification, essence, and culture, while on the other it analyzes the impact of identity politics on the political fabric of Serbia.
Downfall – A Chronicle of Great Manipulation offers an analysis of Serbia’s unfinished democratic transition and explains the causes of the current return to the spiritual and political climate characteristic of the 1990s. With this book, the author affirms the idea of political theory as an indispensable tool for building a better world, as well as the notion of the identity of truth as the homeland of one’s own soul.
The book Reflections of Great Decline – Serbian Transitional “Elites” – From War to Peace and Back (1987–2024) provides a comprehensive analysis of Serbia’s political elites from 1987 to the present, with special attention given to nationalism and the political ideas that have shaped not only Serbia but the wider region as well.
The speakers at the event will include, alongside the author Prof. Dr. Jovan Komšić, Prof. Dr. Čedomir Čupić, Prof. Dr. Lino Veljak, and sociologist and journalist Zoran Panović.
The discussion will be moderated by the Director of the Institute of Social Sciences, Dr. Goran Bašić.