War and responsibility in the reflection of intellectuals (1918-1938)

The monograph in the original perspective considers the First World War and a number of significant issues are raised that retain their significance to this day. The attention of the researchers is focused on the figure of an “engaged intellectual”, which, as an influential player, grew up during the period directly preceding the war, is responsible for its displacement (adoption, glorification, excuse). The intellectual, facing the challenges of the most important historical events, is involved in the sociocultural processes of constructing a new collective identity in the conditions of the collapse of empires and takes responsibility for the future. The authors create a single platform for understanding the methods, role and significance of intellectual reflection in the world of modern culture. Therefore, in the field of view of researchers, both published texts of different genres are included in the wealth of reactions to the war, and ego-documents indicating the internal work of intellectuals to understand the experience of war, the role of the intellectual class in society, its identity and responsibility in the situation of transforming societies. Methodologically, the analysis of texts is implemented as an analytical and symptomatic reading, which will not so much interpret the obvious goals and concepts of the thinker, but to find the hidden meanings representing the specifics of the “transformation” of key concepts (war, empire, intellectual and its role) in the interwar period. The historical and cultural context is also investigated, which sets the choice of the topic of reflection of intellectuals in Russia, France, Austria, Germany, Spain, Japan.