Voices From Central Europe: Bauman, Kertész and Žižek in Search of Europe

This article discusses the idea of Europe, its values and identity from a Central European perspective. It uses the concept of Central Europe (1945-present) as a discursive framework in which ideas of Europe are shaped. Analysing the writings of the Polish-born sociologist and philosopher Zygmunt Bauman (b. 1925), the Hungarian writer Imre Kertsz (b. 1929) and the Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj iek (b. 1949), the paper explores what Europe means after the twentieth century placed such heavy burdens on the European idea and how the experience of living under communist rule has influenced that idea. Ultimately, the goal is to reveal how these three intellectuals attempt to restore an intellectual and cultural road towards an alternative Europe.