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Samuel Abrahám
(b.1960 in Bratislava, Slovakia) was educated as a political scientist and political philosopher at the University of Toronto and Carleton University in Canada. He is currently the publisher and editor-in-chief of Kritika & Kontext (Bratislava) and founder of the educational institution Society for Higher Learning based in Bratislava. He is also a representative of the Foundation Project on Ethnic Relations, based in Princeton, specializing in inter-ethnic conflicts in Slovakia. He regularly publishes in Slovak and Czech dailies and international journals. Samuel Abrahám is also member of the Eurozine advisory board.
Eurozine Articles
The end of illusions?
Czechoslovakia 1968 and after
The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968 caused the Soviet empire to lose its internal logic even for the communist faithful. Yet today, the naivety of the reform communists of the 1960s serves as a pretext for the cynical dismissal of any vision of a better political system. [more]
Richard Rorty
Editorial for "Kritika & Kontext" 34 (2007)
"A true sceptic remains silent in depression, a cynic laughs with Schadenfreude, while Rorty pleads with us before it is too late – sadly, after 8 June, only through his texts", writes editor Samuel Abrahám in an issue of Kritika & Kontext dedicated to "our intellectual mentor". [more]
The dull decencies of normality
A debate on the contemporary uses of liberalism
Will utopian promises gain sway over the "dull decencies of normality" offered by liberalism in the coming century? Why is it that liberalism's most vehement critics come from within its charmed circle? And how will liberalism and its institutions respond to global social and economic change? Leading Canadian and American political philosophers in correspondence with Slovakian journal Kritika & Kontext. [more]
Public disagreement: The greatest contribution of liberal politics
Can liberalism work in Slovakia? A look at what liberalism truly means and the benefits of liberal politics -- most importantly, the right to disagree. [more]
Bush, Putin and a shining example of Slovakia
The Bush-Putin summit in Bratislava could make one think that Slovakia is a country without spirit and influence. However, that is not the whole truth. [more]
The architecture of the European city
How will the great European cities - London, Paris and Vienna develop in the future, both in a political and in an architectural sense? The Serbian architect Bogdanovic argues that Europe must preserve the civilization of its cities, whilst preventing them from turning into megapolitan cities. [more]
The EU enlargement: hopes and worries
The role of the Visegrad countries in the enlarged EU. [more]
Media, third sector and intellectuals in Slovakia
What are the chances for self-correcting mechanisms in Slovakia's media- and party politics? [more]
The End of Illiberal Democracy in Slovakia?
An Analysis of the 1998 Election
The era of "illiberal democracy" in Slovakia came to an end with the 1998 elections, argues Samuel Abraham. [more]
Without illusion, but with conviction
The pragmatism of Richard Rorty
"The goal of establishing a world federation, a 'Parliament of Mankind', seemed much more realistic fifty years ago than it does now. Then it was thought that the United Nations might evolve into something like a world government. Now nobody has this dream, even though the need for such a government has grown much more urgent", says Richard Rorty in this 1999 interview. [more]