Ksenija Atanasijević facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ksenija Atanasijević
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| Born | February 5, 1894 |
| Died | September 29, 1981 (aged 87) |
| Alma mater | University of Belgrade (Ph.D, Philosophy, 1922) |
| Occupation | philosopher, professor, translator |
Ksenija Atanasijević (1894–1981) was a very important Serbian philosopher. She was the first woman in Serbia to be recognized as a major philosopher. She was also the first female professor at the Belgrade University, where she had studied.
Ksenija wrote about many topics, including the ideas of Giordano Bruno and ancient Greek philosophy. She also studied the history of Serbian philosophy. She helped bring important philosophical books to Serbian readers by translating works from famous thinkers like Aristotle, Plato, and Spinoza. Ksenija was also one of the first Serbian writers and thinkers who supported women's rights.
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Ksenija's Early Life
Ksenija Atanasijević was born in Belgrade on February 5, 1894. She was the youngest of six children. Sadly, her mother, Jelena, died when Ksenija was born. Her father, Svetozar Atanasijević, was a respected doctor and led a hospital in Belgrade. Ksenija's mother's family was connected to Aćim Čumić, a famous lawyer and writer from Belgrade.
When Ksenija was twelve, her father also passed away. Her stepmother, Sofija Kondić, became her guardian. Sofija was a teacher at a women's college and was very good at helping Ksenija learn. Ksenija got her first lessons in philosophy from Sofija. She learned quickly and loved to study. Later, Ksenija faced another sad event when her older brother was killed in World War I.
While growing up, Ksenija was good friends with the poet Rastko Petrović and his sister, the painter Nadežda Petrović.
Becoming a Scholar
When Ksenija was in high school (called a Lyceum), her philosophy teacher, Nada Stoiljković, inspired her. Nada suggested Ksenija study philosophy with her old professor, Branislav Petronijević, at the University of Belgrade. So, in 1918, Ksenija became Petronijević's student.
Professor Petronijević was very strict and expected a lot from his students. He was a brilliant professor and one of the most famous philosophers in Serbia at that time. He pushed his students to think deeply and discuss ideas. Ksenija was one of the best students the university had ever seen. Soon, important thinkers in Belgrade noticed her talent.
She finished her studies in July 1920 with the highest grades in her class. She earned a degree in "pure and applied philosophy and classics." Ksenija wanted to become a philosophy professor. After graduating, she started working on her Ph.D. (a very high university degree) about Giordano Bruno's book De triplici minimo.
She traveled to Geneva and Paris to find rare books and talk about her ideas with experts. On January 20, 1922, Ksenija defended her Ph.D. in Belgrade. She passed with honors in front of important professors like Jovan Cvijić and Branislav Petronijević. At 28 years old, she became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.
Her Achievements
In 1924, Ksenija made history again. She became the first female university professor in the Philosophy Department at the University of Belgrade. For twelve years, she taught about ancient, medieval, and modern philosophy, and about art and beauty (aesthetics).
During her time as a professor, Ksenija was a strong supporter of women's rights. She was part of groups like the Serbian Women's League for Peace and Freedom. She also helped edit the first women's rights magazine in the country, called "The Women's Movement" (Ženski pokret). This magazine was published from 1920 to 1938.
Her book, The Metaphysical and Geometrical Doctrine of Bruno, written in French in 1924, was so important that the Encyclopædia Britannica mentioned it. This book was seen as a key work about Giordano Bruno's ideas.
Later, Ksenija faced a difficult time when she was unfairly dismissed from her university job. Many people in Belgrade, especially intellectuals, were upset about this. At a public meeting, many spoke up for her. Famous people like law professor Živojin M. Perić and poets Rastko Petrović and Sima Pandurović supported her.
Challenges in Life
Sima Pandurović, who stood by Ksenija during this hard time, was quoted in a newspaper saying: "She has been accused... by one member of the faculty who has not the remotest inkling of philosophy and who has unaccountably taken it on himself to defend that discipline from a genuine thinker." This shows how unfair the situation was.
Even with all the support, Ksenija never got her university job back. She then worked as an inspector for the Ministry of Education until 1941.
World War II brought many problems. Ksenija, who usually stayed out of politics, faced trouble. She wrote articles against anti-Semitism (hatred of Jewish people) and National Socialism (the ideas of the Nazis). Because of this, the Gestapo (the secret police of Nazi Germany) arrested her in 1942.
After the war ended, Ksenija was arrested again. This time, it was by Tito's communists, who accused her of war crimes for teaching during the Nazi occupation. She was later released. In 1946, she retired after working briefly at the National Library of Serbia.
Ksenija's Legacy
Ksenija Atanasijević left behind a huge amount of work. She wrote over 400 texts, including books and essays on philosophy, psychology, history, and literature. She was interested in many different areas of philosophy, like ethics (how we should live), metaphysics (the nature of reality), logic (how to reason), aesthetics (the study of beauty), and the history of philosophy.
She is best known for her new ways of understanding Giordano Bruno's work. She is also famous for her "philosophy of meaning," which she wrote about in Filozofski fragmenti (Philosophical fragments, 1928–1929). Many people think this is her most important work. Ksenija Atanasijević passed away in Belgrade in 1981.
Selected Works
- Brunovo učenje o najmanjem, Belgrade, 1922.
- Počeci filozofiranja kod Grka, Belgrade, 1928.
- Filozofski fragmenti I-II, Belgrade, 1929-30.
- La doctrine métaphysique et géométrique de Bruno, Bg et Paris 1923.
- L'Atomisme d’Epicure, Paris 1928.
- Un fragment philosophique, Belgrade, 1929.
- Considération sur le monde et la vie dans la littérature populaire des Yougoslaves, Paris 1929/30.
- Die gegenwärtigen philosophishen Strömungen in Jugoslawien – Der russische Gedanke, Internationale Zeitschrift für Philosophie, Bonn, 3, 1930.
- Die Anfänge des Philosophiernes bei den Griechen, 1928.
- Organon, a translation
- Ethics, a translation
