Project leader: Andris Hiršs (PhD)

Project No: lzp-2024/1-0650

Project implementation: 1.01.2025.–31.12.2027.

Project funding: 299 994,00 EUR

Funded by: Latvian Council of Science Contacts: PhD Andris Hiršs, andris.hirss@kultura.lv

The project ‘Conversions and ruptures: epistemic strategies in Latvian philosophy during the Soviet period (1944-1991)’ (Nr. lzp-2024/1-0650) is funded by the Latvian Council of Science.

Abstract

The research examines the relationship between philosophy and power, focusing on events in the intellectual sphere of Latvia during the Soviet occupation from 1944 to 1991. The concept of conversion, traditionally tied to religious contexts and illustrating spiritual transformation, is used within the project to describe rapid adjustment of intellectuals to new ideological systems. This adjustment necessitates not only the individual\'s acceptance of new values and ideas but also a critical reassessment of their prior beliefs. By focusing on the concepts of conversion and rupture, we intend to capture the two pivotal moments in 20th-century Latvian history: the Soviet occupation and the restoration of independence, and their profound impact on the intellectual landscape. Our approach corresponds with the theoretical framework of studies of discontinuities in historiography, which emphasizes ruptures rather than continuity in historical narrative. We utilize the concept of “epistemic strategies”, which describe the ways intellectuals adapted, or resisted to ideological requirements of the Soviet totalitarian state.