Inside and outside of science the legacy of Elemér Hankiss

Abstract

Elemér Hankiss was one of the most influential and brilliant thinkers of the past half century in Hungary and Central Europe. His work overarches disciplines from literary criticism and sociology, to political science, anthropological philosophy and civilizational theory. Thanks to his numerous essays and media appearances he was highly appreciated and well-respected as a non-partisan public intellectual. This essay investigates some of the lesser known aspects of his oeuvre, and his contribution to creating a unique advanced study centre in Western Hungary’s historic city of Kőszeg. It also highlights his outstanding ability to oscillate between different disciplines and public activities, while at the same time continuously focusing on the existential questions of human existence.