The political discourse of the Commonwealth of Two Nations (the First Republic) - concepts and ideas 4018-WYK49
The lectures have two main goals. First of all, to provide students with basic tools for understanding Old Polish political discourse, the language describing the political reality of the time. Secondly, an analysis of the main concepts of the political language and political reality of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will be the starting point for an attempted synthetic presentation of the history of certain political ideas and values important to the political gentry nation. The lectures are based on very broad preliminary research of sources, both “first-rate” sources, the political writings of prominent authors, and texts which were the effect of the ongoing political discussion. They will be of a synthetic nature. Each lecture will present and analyse one concept in a dynamic approach, including changes (if any) in its understood meaning between the late 16th and late 18th century. The lectures will focus on key issues of political discourse in the Commonwealth of Two Nations, such as “homeland”, “Republic/Commonwealth”, “nation”, “patriotism”, “equality”, “law”, “authority”, “social contract”, “revolution”. These issues will be shown against a European background, in order to consider whether Polish political discourse was unique or formed a part of a certain European tradition of speaking and writing about the state, the community, and the individual’s place within them.
The lectures aim to help students understand not only Old Polish assertions and attitudes, but also contemporary ones. Most of the analysed concepts and ideas have had their continuation in the 19th and 20th centuries, right up to our times. It could come as a surprise just how contemporary people upheld certain aspects of Old Polish thinking and speaking about politics, but also how differently certain concepts were understood then, compared to now.
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
Knowledge:
after the course, students will:
- be familiar with the Polish literature of the subject and the latest European research trends regarding analyses of political discourse
- know and understand the basic concepts of political discourse in the 16th-18th centuries, their origins and evolution
Skills:
- basic ability to analyse source texts from the period
- the ability to seek hidden meanings of seemingly obvious terms and expressions
- the ability to distinguish the influence of European tradition and unique Old Polish political discourse
- the ability to identify how the tradition of speaking about the state and politics is reflected in contemporary political language
Assessment criteria
Preliminary requirements:
- basic knowledge on Poland’s history in the 16th-18th centuries
- English language reading skills
Attendance - students are allowed one unexcused absence without having to make up for classes. To make up for more classes missed, students will have to meet with the teacher to discuss selected reading material.
Credits will be awarded for taking part in the lectures, taking part in the opening discussions on required reading before each lecture, two oral tests involving using the newly obtained knowledge to analyse sources proposed by the teacher.
Marks will be based on:
attendance 25%
being prepared for classes 50%
mid-semester oral tests 25%
Bibliography
- U. Augustyniak, Granice wolności obywatela Rzeczypospolitej w XVI – XVII wieku. Jednostka wobec władzy, prawa i społeczeństwa, w: Wolność i jej granice. Polskie dylematy, Kraków 2007, s. 13 - 37
- U. Augustyniak, Wazowie i "królowie rodacy", Warszawa 1999
C. Backvis, Wymóg jednomyślności a „wola ogółu”, [w:] Renesans i barok w Polsce, Warszawa 1993
- E. Bem, Funkcjonowanie nazwy Polska w języku czasów nowożytnych, Warszawa 1998
- E. Bem, Termin „ojczyzna” w literaturze XVI i XVII wieku, „Odrodzenie i Reformacja w Polsce”, t. 34: 1989
- Dzieje kultury politycznej w Polsce, red. J.A. Gierowski, Prace XI Powszchnego Zjazdu Historyków Polskich, t. 3: Warszawa 1977
- J. Ekes, Trójpodział władzy i zgoda wszystkich. Naczelne zasady „ustroju mieszanego” w staropolskiej myśli politycznej, Siedlce 2001
- W. Konopczyński, Liberum veto, wyd. 2: Kraków 2002
- Kultura - polityka - dyplomacja, red. A. Bartnicki i in., Warszawa 1990
- D.C. Maleszyński, Corpus politicum. Śródziemnomorskie i staropolskie konteksty topiki organicznej, „Pamiętnik Literacki”, 76: 1985, z. 1, s. 3 - 44
- Między monarchą a demokracją. Studia z dziejów Polski XV - XVIII wieku, red. A. Sucheni-Grabowska, M. Żaryn, Warszawa 1994
- J. Maciszewski, Szlachta polska i jej państwo, Warszawa 1969
- J. Michalski, Z problematyki republikańskiego nurtu w polskiej reformatorskiej myśli politycznej w XVIII wieku, „Kwart. Hist.” 1983
- Michalski, Rousseau i sarmacki republikanizm, Warszawa 1977
- Z. Ogonowski, Filozofia polityczna w Polsce XVII wieku i tradycje demokracji europejskiej, Warszawa 1992
- E. Opaliński, Kultura polityczna szlachty polskiej w latach 1587 - 1652, Warszawa 1995
- A. Rosner, Uwagi o języku politycznym w Polsce czasów saskich, [w:] Polska czasów saskich, red. M. Wrzosek, Białystok 1986
- J. Tazbir, Kultura szlachecka w Polsce. Rozkwit - upadek - relikty, wyd. 2: Warszawa 1979
- Tradycje polityczne dawnej Polski, red. A. Sucheni-Grabowska, A. Dybkowska, Warszawa br.
- A. Walicki, Idea narodu w polskiej myśli oświeceniowej, Warszawa 2000
- H. Wisner, Najjaśniejsza Rzeczpospolita. Szkice z dziejów Polski szlacheckiej XVI - XVII wieku, Warszawa 1978
- H. Wisner, Rzeczpospolita Wazów. Czasy Zygmunta III i Władysława IV, Warszawa 2002
- Republicanism a Shared European Heritage, red. M. van Gelderen, Q. Skinner, CUP 2002,
- B. Szlachta, Wolność republikańska. Na marginesie debaty o tradycji republikańskiej w „Atlantyckiej” myśli politycznej, „Państwo i Społeczeństwo”, t. 1: 2001, nr 1
- Q. Skinner, The foundations of modern political thought, CUP 1978
- M. Viroli, For Love of Country. An Essay on Patriotism and Nationalism, Oxford, 1995
- A. Zajączkowski, Szlachta polska. Kultura i struktura, wyd. 2 (pod zmienionym tytułem)
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: