A Project of War: from Identity to Violence

Abstract

Up to what extent are contemporary local conflicts rational projects of violence? Why both the local and international public opinions are so acceptable to propaganda of a negative image of the Other? How it motivates real wars and why it legitimates forms of violence unseen before? The author responds to these questions by philosophical consideration of a concept of cultural identity. His approach is critical towards Modern interpretation of the identity as the integrity of a social system and various cultural lifewords in a perspective of universal consensus through rational communicative actions and communication as such (Habermas and Apel). He also opposites nationalistic understanding of ethnic identity as based on reified features of a culture. Relying upon Kant’s theory of productive imagination and B. Anderson’s imagined communities the article develops ontological approach to understanding of the identity. The author uses both Heidegger’s theory of ontological difference and latest ideas of J.-L. Nancy, R. Esposito on community being as different from usual representing it in terms of the beings, being of things. It gives an opportunity to see identity co-being as a common experience of its basic existentials (resoluteness to be, the fear, care) that are being realized ‘outwards’ by projecting themselves in a form of objective actions. In its turn the projected identity being creates opportunity to legitimate hybrid war that combines both blood violence and communicating propaganda (as das Man, talks) to manipulate public opinion.