Academician Vladimir Premec on the “University of Sarajevo’s School of Humanism”
If one derives the word humanism from its Latin horizons preserved in the form of humanitas =
humanness, humanity, then one thinks on the valuation of a man in his overall, original values. Placed in the
history, the name humanism significantly marked, nominally, as flatus vocis-noise of words, especially the
history of the 15th and 16th centuries 1. It was the time of the return to the old Hellens' original idealities. It
was known then, and today in particular, the famous Heraclites' thought, preserved in the debris-fragment
No. 53: War is the father and king of all: some he has made gods, and some men; some slaves and some free 2.
This old thesis requires a particular philosophical belief. Long ago, I lost that faith. Prior to this aggression, on
the scale of common values in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in this war annihilation of the country of Bosnia
and Herzegovina in particular, upon concerning the philosophy of Heraclites I can tell that I am deeply
convinced that war is the father of rubble and destruction of human life, animals and plants, which is
essentially mercilessly annihilating of all existing. In this radically aggressive campaign of denial of those
values which belong to the root of people, the following happened: people do not live in herds like beasts,
and they are not alone as the immortal gods are, people are living in a regulated community, to paraphrase
another Hellenic philosopher. And remember, that the war against the values of Bosnia and Herzegovina
launched the famous slogan: living together is no longer possible. As if the cry for the general war on the
entire globe was dispatched, because as such the life was normally given to us by the divine project and
human arrangement, precisely the life in community. The opinion does not know of a better way of life for
humans. War is always violence, always just for maps and territories.
We, the citizens of the city of Sarajevo surrounded by war-mongering flanges, we have realized that
the common life is the necessity, not only in our country which was admitted into the planetary community
of nations, but also by the legal and moral decision of our constitution by which all the peoples of Bosnia and
Herzegovina are constituent one every square centimeter of this only land of ours. Through the ancient habit,
and especially by necessity, we have learned the cosmic importance of others and different, through
Multiversity of this indivisible heritage that is bestowed upon our country, from the immemorial time. The
other in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as its citizens, is no stranger having his land elsewhere in the East or
West. He, the citizen, by its past, present and its future, belongs to his country of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
unless he does not deserve it. If his heart and mind belongs to it, and if he hasn't not subordinated himself to
criminal institution of blood and soil cartography, from the East and West. In the recognition of the other
philosophy lies the secret of life common in the popular and modern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Who is not
able to recognize, the inner-country - terra interior, ancient metaphorical name for the country of Bosnia, in
times of fire and sword crusade campaigns against its Bosnian Church, today, excommunicates himself from
the community of nations, from synagogues, churches and mosques, from the human and the BH history and
now belonging to the Hague history of the former Yugoslav countries. Logically, the bleeding history has its
price. Destroyers ought to pay damage they inflicted, and multifaceted ruin which they committed.
As such, and therefore we establish the „University of Sarajevo's School of Humanism" - to speak and
spread education about our values that are planetary heritage. This means with all people of this blue globe,
the same, and deeply convinced in the phrase: Bosna rediviva re-invigorated Bosnia. It is impossible to divide
colorful BH carpet among heirs. It belongs to all of them as we all belong to her. And we citizens of it are all
disposable, mortal. Only Bosnia and Herzegovina is eternal.
Mišić, Anto: Rječnik filozofskih pojmova, Verbum, Split, 2000, pg. 112.
Premec,Vladimir: Logos u Herákleitosa. DIALOGOS, Mala biblioteka 6 International Peace Center, Sarajevo,
1996, pg. 33.
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