Kavolis’ concept of consciousness of exile

Abstract

The lessons of Vytautas Kavolis’ humanistic sociology and cultural liberalism have had a profound influence on Lithuanian cultural thought. Scholarly engagement with the professor’s intellectual biography began immediately after his death, yet many of his most powerful insights remain insufficiently understood in their full depth. One such area is the state of consciousness along the historical trajectory of Lithuanian exile: a mental and cultural space to which Kavolis devoted many years of research. This article seeks to explore the concept of exile consciousness and to illuminate its universal significance, which remains relevant today.