At the International Book Fair in Belgrade, in the conference call “Vasko Popa”, the promotion was held of the book “Two Centuries of the Serbian Characterology. Bibliography of the works about the character and mentality of the Serbs (1824–2024)” written by Dobrilo Aranitović and published by of the Foundation “For Serbian People and State”.
This capital edition was spoken about by its author Dobrilo Aranitović, Professor Jovica Trkulja, PhD, legal expert, and Professor Uroš Šuvaković, PhD, member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
The publication consists of 1,774 bibliographic units and constitutes the first comprehensive review of the works dealing with the characterology and mentality of the Serbian people in the course of two centuries. The author collected the works of the most prominent scientists and thinkers who explored the essence of the Serbian character through various disciplines – psychology, philosophy, sociology, pedagogy, theology, literature and many others.
“By publishing this bibliography, Dobrilo in a certain way paid off the debt to great people who founded Serbian characterology and indebted the Serbian nation. This book is, in my opinion, a credit both to Dobrilo Aranitović as the author and the Foundation as the publisher”, said Jovica Trkulja who, at the beginning of his speech, dedicated great attention to Dobrilo Arenitović’s biography, in which an important place is taken by the prestigious award “Stojan Novaković”, granted to Aranitović four times.
Dobrilo Aranitović, the author of the book, emphasized a great role and merit of the editor, Vesna Bašić, as the most important person in the publication process of this book and the cooperation with the Foundation which recognized this work as one of exceptional significance. The motto of this book, chosen by the editor and the author, are the words of Stojan Novaković, at that time a sixteen-year-old secondary school student living in a rented flat in Belgrade, who wrote the following in his diary: “Love your people. Deserve your mother’s milk and your grave. Do it for your fatherland. Say that you are Serbian and justify this name in the eyes of the whole world. Those are the principles guiding me.”
In this bibliography, Aranitović points to the wealth of interdisciplinary approaches and the continuity of scientific interest in this complex question of the Serbian intellectual tradition. The book “Two Centuries of the Serbian Characterology” is a significant contribution to the preservation of cultural and national identity, as well as a relevant source for future research.
Foundation “For Serbian People and State” will continue to support publication ventures which connect cultural heritage and modern understanding of the national being.
