DANILO KIŠ - O NACIONALIZMU Ideje, br. 4. za 1973. (intervju) Čas anatomije, 1978. Nacionalizam je, pre svega, paranoja. Kolektivna i pojedinačna paranoja. Kao kolektivna paranoja, ona je posledica zavisti i straha, a iznad svega posledica gubljenja individualne svesti; te, prema tome, kolektivna paranoja i nije ništa drugo do zbir individualnih paranoja doveden do paroksizma. Ako pojedinac, u okviru društvenog projekta, nije u stanju da se «izrazi», ili zato što mu taj društveni projekt ne ide na ruku, ne stimuliše ga kao individuu, ili ga sprečava kao individuu, što će reći ne daje mu da dođe do svog entiteta, on je primoran da svoj entitet traži izvan identiteta i izvan tzv. društvene strukture. Tako on postaje pripadnik jedne skupine koja postavlja sebi, bar na izgled, kao zadatak i cilj probleme od epohalne važnosti: opstanak i prestiž nacije, ili nacija, očuvanje tradicije i nacionalnih svetinja, folklornih, filozofskih, etičkih, književnih, itd. Sa teretom takve, tajne, polujavne ili javne misije, N.N. postaje čovek akcije, narodni tribun, privid individuuma. Kad smo ga već sveli na tu meru, na njegovu pravu meru, pošto smo ga izdvojili iz krda, u koje se on sam smestio -- ili gde su ga drugi smestili, imamo pred sobom individuu bez individualnosti, nacionalistu, rođaka Žila (Jules). On Nationalism Danilo Kis Performing Arts Journal 53, 18.2 (1996) 13-16 First of all, nationalism is paranoia -- collective and individual paranoia. As a collective paranoia, nationalism is born out of fear and envy. But above all, it appears as a result of an individual's lost consciousness. Therefore, collective paranoia is nothing else but a summary of many individual paranoias brought together to a level of paroxysm. If an individual is not able to "express" himself within the framework of his given society, or if that given society does not stimulate him as an individual, or if disqualifies him -- that is, if the society does not allow him to discover his own entity -- then that individual is forced to look for his entity outside the society's identity and outside society's social structures. In so doing, the individual becomes a member of a clandestine group whose goal and task is, or seems to be, to solve problems of monumental importance: a survival and prestige of that group's nation. It seeks to preserve its national tradition, values, and relics, its national folklore, philosophy, ethics, literature, etc. Obsessed with that secret, semi-public or public mission, our Mr. X becomes a man of action, a national tribune, a pseudo-individual. And now, when he is brought down to earth, to his own size, when he is isolated from the faceless crowd and removed from the post where he has placed himself, or where others have placed him, we have before our eyes an individual without individuality, a nationalist, Cousin Jules.

• published: 24 Sep 2013
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