Slovenian philosophy explores the ethics of burying the dead

Matic Kocijančič explores the cultural and philosophical reception of the Antigone myth in Slovenia in his work for Slovenskem Matica Kocijančiča.

The book traces how the ancient Greek tragedy serves as a reference point for modern Slovenian social conflicts, particularly those arising between the second world war and the post-war period. Kocijančič argues that the myth reflects the country's cultural evolution by linking rural uprisings to post-war violence.

The author examines how the myth entered the Slovenian spiritual space through the 20th-century drama Antigona by Dominik Smole. Kocijančič connects this thousand-year-old tradition to questions about the burial of those killed during the post-war period. He notes that the myth saw a resurgence during the French Revolution in 1789, which established a link between revolutionary conflict and violence. In Slovenia, the critical reception of the myth dates back to the 19th century and flourished after the second world war.

Kocijančič focuses on the philosophy of Tinet Hribar, a prominent Slovenian philosopher. He analyzes how Hribar linked the actions of post-war executioners to the character of Creon. The author describes Hribar's project as a bridge between secularity and religiosity, where Hribar replaced God with "being" and divine revelation with "clarity." Kocijančič ultimately critiques Hribar's ethics for being inconsistent and naturalistic, while also exploring how the myth serves as a platform for criticizing Christianity.