Georgian Literature of the 1880s–1890s in the Context of "Social Thought" (From the History of Systematizing the Georgian Literary Process)

Abstract

In the study "Toward a History of the Georgian Intelligentsia" (Jorjadze: 1989), Archil Jorjadze analyzes the literary process alongside the "public thought" (A.J.) of that era. He contends that this subject is not only underdeveloped but that specific epochs are "not even brought to consciousness, remaining unstudied and obscure," which hinders the "establishment of a connection between different ideological directions." Archil Jorjadze focuses on the "principle of classification of Georgian directions," which he perceives as "false." He harshly criticizes the classifications offered by Al. Khakhanashvili and Noe Zhordania, yet pays particular attention to the views of Giorgi Maiashvili, to whom he attributes historical significance in the development of Georgian social and political thought.Jorjadze is interested in the nature of the influence of Russian culture on Georgian youth. From Jorjadze’s perspective, the path of national politics begins with the recognition of cultural peculiarities and must culminate in the future recognition of national rights.When evaluating the literary process, Jorjadze prioritized the identification of "ideological directions" and the compatibility of national literature with "public thought" within "social life." Based on these criteria, he distinguishes only three "great organic phenomena" in social life from the 1860s until the publication of his essay: the National Liberalism of the sixties, the Marxism of the eighties and nineties, and the Socialism-Federalism of the early twentieth century. In his view, "all other directions lacked an independent, 'fully grown' character."