Intellectuals and Literary Artists in Times of Crisis

Responsibilities of intellectuals and creative writers in times of crisis have been a topic of discussion throughout history. However, the issue has assumed significance in the context of frequent human rights violation and defiance of the ethics of governance in contemporary times. This chapter explores the topic by examining various discourses, particularly those of Antonio Gramsci, Michel Foucault, Edward Said and Noam Chomsky. The issue becomes complicated when intellectuals and writers encounter counter-discourses, fake news, pseudo-arguments and sometimes violent retaliations. Some are even appropriated by the establishment such as the state, corporate giants and religious orthodoxy. Taking all this into account, this chapter will examine discourses on the definition, history and responsibilities of intellectuals. It will demonstrate how intellectuals, along with creative writers, perform their duties by responding to critical real-life situations. Through a brief examination of some literary texts, it will show how intellectuals and writers ‘witness’ scenes of precarity, death and destruction, while simultaneously being ‘witnessed’ by the catastrophic scenes as well. In doing so, the chapter will invoke the concepts of ‘witness’ (Czeslaw Milosz and Shoshana Felman) and ‘face-to-face’ encounter (Emmanuel Levinas) to explain how witnessing and being witnessed trigger responses.