Polish Liberal Thought Before 1918

Description

Based on solid research, this erudite study is a first attempt at presenting a comprehensive analysis of nineteenth-century Polish liberalism. Polish liberal tradition has generally been considered weak or even nonexistent. Janowski, on the other hand, argues that nineteenth-century Poland inherited a strong protoliberal tradition from the nobility-based democracy, and that in the mid-nineteenth century, liberalism was a dominant trend in Polish intellectual life, even if it rarely appeared in its pure form and did not create political movements separating liberal aims from patriotic ones.Janowski sees his subject in a broad comparative perspective, taking into account the historical experience of other nations of Central Europe. Contents Introduction and Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Two Sources of Liberal Thought Chapter 2 The Rise and Decline of Enlightened Liberality Chapter 3 Romantic Liberalism Chapter 4 Liberalism as the Ideology of the Intelligentsia Chapter 5 The Rise of Positivism Chapter 6 Positivism under Attack Chapter 7 In a World of Alien Ideals Conclusion Terms and Currents Bibliography Index