Pôle Sud - Année 1999 - Volume 10 - Numéro 1 - Pages 106-125The contemporary issue of identity is related to the enthnocentric dimension of the cosmosys- tem, i.e. to the identification of the Nation and the State. National Identity is thus hardly separable from thepoliteian or statist identity, whereas ideological identities are related to a primary cosmosystemic step (statocentrism).On the contrary, the precedent of hellenic paradigm, which constitutes, more than a nation, a global anthropocentric system, reveals a multi-dimensional identity phenomenon : the National identity is primarily cultural, and thus clearly differs from State (polis) identity, which relates topoliteian and ideological identities. The dialogue between hellenic cosmosystem (anthropocentrism at a small scale) and its ethnocentric counterpart (anthropocentrism at a large scale) begins with Byzance and continue until the early 20th century. It is of high interest either for analysing the contemporary identity phenomenon in general or for the originality of the greek path from Society to National State, directly through hellenic anthropocentrism and not through Feudality any more. 20 pages Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.