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In 2020, Belarus erupted in protest against a rigged election and the brutal response of its authoritarian regime, marking a pivotal moment in the nation's history. Though the revolution did not topple the government, it birthed something profound: a new, collective democratic subject. How did a populace, once politically indifferent, transform into a bastion of solidarity, unity, and fierce dedication to democratic ideals? This book delves into the heart of this transformation, exploring the emergence of a vibrant political community.
Drawing from her firsthand involvement in the movement, the author combines philosophical inquiry with insights from social and political theory. Through personal narratives and in-depth interviews, she paints a vivid picture of the genesis of this new 'we', a democratic multitude galvanized for enduring political change. This exploration is essential reading for anyone captivated by the dynamics of political awakening, the power of democratic solidarity, and the resilience against authoritarian control.
About the author
Dr. Tatiana Shchyttsova is Professor of Philosophy at the Department of Social Sciences and Head of the Center for Research of Intersubjectivity and Interpersonal Communication at the European Humanities University (EHU) in Vilnius. She studied philosophy at the Belarusian State University in Minsk and Russian State University for the Humanities in Moscow. Shchyttsova serves on the International Advisory Board of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany). She is also a member of the Board of Central and East European Society for Phenomenology and editor-in-chief of the journal Topos (published since 2000). Among her previous books are the Russian-language volumes The Event in the Philosophy of Bakhtin (Logvinov 2002), Do You Want to Talk about It? The New Psychological Culture of Post-Soviet Belarus and Ukraine (EHU 2014), Anthropology. Ethics. Politics (EHU 2014), and No Future: Depression and Authoritarian Society (EHU 2020), as well as Jenseits der Unbezüglichkeit: Geborensein und Intergenerative Erfahrung (Königshausen & Neumann 2016). Her papers have been published in The Journal of the British Society of Phenomenology, Emotions and Society, The Ideology and Politics Journal, and other periodicals.
Report
"This is a much needed and clearly written exploration of the Belarus revolution-the 2020 mass democratic protest against Lukashenka's regime. The emergence of a community of thousands of citizens capable of efficient networking and solidarity leads the author to tackle a pervasive yet complex problem, namely, how does a new national 'we' emerge? Tatiana Shchyttsova illustrates her argument with compelling examples from sociological polls, field work, her own political activism, media, and psychology, and explains the significance of such essential concepts as contingency, political triangulation, sublime, and vulnerability. In exposing the logic of post-electoral political antagonism, the author compellingly demonstrates the role philosophy can play in understanding the transformations of Belarus society vis-Ã -vis global changes."
-Elena Trubina, Research Fellow, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC
