Language and Language Policy as Instruments for Shaping National Identity

Abstract

This article presents a philosophical analysis of the interconnection between language, national and personal identity, and the role of the modern Ukrainian elite in the context of Ukraine’s language policy. It examines the philosophical aspects of forming national identity through language, the impact of social changes on identity, and the contradictions in the views of various authors on these issues. A novel methodological approach is applied, based on the theoretical and methodological concept of J. Derrida, which demonstrates a transition from the language of identities to the language of differences in both ontological and epistemological dimensions of research. The prioritization of the procedure of differentiation over the search for identity leads to an innovative interpretation of the concept of unity through the combination and coexistence of social diversity. The cultural unity of the nation emerges as a construct founded on the significant presence of diverse subjects that create a shared cultural and political world. Drawing on the works of B. Azhnyuk, V. Kulyk, O. Lytvynchuk, and M. Piren, it analyzes contemporary approaches to understanding language policy, its European foundations, and its influence on Ukraine’s state-building processes. The role of the elite in consolidating society and implementing democratic reforms is highlighted, with specific examples and proposals for improving language policy. The article also identifies prospects for further research in this area.