On the Concept of Alien

Gyenge, Zoltán (2023) On the Concept of Alien. Éditions L'Harmattan, Paris, Budapest. ISBN 9782336414805

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Abstract

How do Game of Thrones and Hegel fit together? My answer: easily. Now, at a time of a great wave of immigration or migration, emotions are running completely out of control. At one end there is a thoughtless "Willkommenskultur" (love the stranger), at the other the wall (defend yourself against the stranger). To be fair, neither 'side' felt that their position needed any substantiation, but rather beliefs and the sharp emotions, even hatreds, that sprouted from those beliefs were/are pitted against each other. It is difficult to argue against emotions. Therefore, this writing is in no way intended to take a position for or even against one or the other view, idea, ideology, etc. It merely draws attention: One cannot speak of the notion of the foreign or the other without 'the same' being the origin of any analysis. It is quite interesting that almost nobody pays attention to this, when really it would be enough to read a little Hegel. For there is no 'same' without 'other', and vice versa. Then comes the 'other', which is not necessarily the same as the concept of 'other': for the 'other' is always the 'other', but the 'other' is not necessarily the 'other'. Lastly, anyone who has read Game of Thrones will know that the radical concept of the alien follows: the 'enemy'. And 'enemy' is always 'alien', but 'alien' is not necessarily 'enemy'. Identical, other, alien and enemy. This paper merely seeks to try to formulate some basic principles from an ideological-historical point of view, without claiming any exclusivity, reserving the possibility (and the right) to be wrong. For let us not think that the problem is as easy as Samwell thinks: 'he watches wide-eyed as the Other shrinks and melts into a puddle (...) and finally there is nothing left of it but the dragonglass dagger surrounded by a smouldering wreath of steam' (Game of Thrones).

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