Oor die republikeinse gedagte: 'n oefening in herinnering Translated title: On the republican idea: an exercise in remembrance

Abstract

In die artikel word 'n bondige politiek van herinnering met betrekking tot die republikeinse tradisie van Afrikaners beoefen. Die bedoeling daarmee is nie om aan te voer dat Afrikaners in antwoord op die uitdagings waarvoor hulle vandag as kultuurgemeenskap te staan gekom het, op 'n simplistiese of reaksionêre wyse na hulle republikeinse tradisie kan terugkeer nie. Die bedoeling is eerder om in en deur die vraag na (en herinnering aan) die betekenis van hulle republikeinse erfenis, die ruimte vir 'n "anders dink" oor hulle kontemporêre toestand lewendig te hou. In die eerste afdeling word stilgestaan by die betekenis van die begrip "politiek van herinnering" self. In die daaropvolgende afdelings word slegs by enkele belangrike eienskappe van die republikeinse gedagte stilgestaan. In die besonder sal gevra word na die republikeinse voorstelling van die verhouding tussen die geheel en die dele (in onder meer die Amerikaanse en Franse republikeinse erfenis); die republikeinse idee van vryheid (onderskeid van die liberale idee van vryheid); sowel as die republikeinse voorstelling van die verhouding tussen politiek en godsdiens (die sogenaamde teologies-politieke probleem).

Translated abstract

In essence the article is nothing but a brief exercise in what can be referred to as a politics of remembrance with regard to the republican tradition of Afrikaners. The aim of this brief exercise is not to argue that Afrikaners as cultural-historical community can respond to the many crises it faces with a mere return to their republican tradition. Rather, the aim of such a politics of remembrance is to keep the question about the meaning of the republican tradition alive. In the first section the meaning of the concept "politics of remembrance" is discussed. In the following sections, the focus shifts to three important characteristics of the republican tradition: firstly, the way in which the republican tradition represents the relationship between the whole and its parts (with specific reference to the American and French republican traditions); secondly, the republican idea of freedom (as distinguished from the liberal idea of freedom); and lastly a republican representation of the relationship between politics and religion (in other words, the theological-political problem).