Against the current – Vinko Krišković as a political philosopher

Abstract

Sveučilišni profesor upravnog prava, političar, šekspirolog i esejist Vinko Krišković (Senj, 1861. – Zürich, 1952.) u više svojih djela s temama iz filozofije politike zagovara liberalizam na fonu engleskih autora i engleske političke prakse. Krišković je razmjerno slabo prisutan u hrvatskoj političkoj i intelektualnoj povijesti, među ostalim i zbog toga što nije pristajao niti uz jednu političku opciju djelatnu u Hrvatskoj dvadesetih, tridesetih, četrdesetih i pedesetih godina prošlog stoljeća (integralno jugoslavenstvo, haesesovski populizam, totalitarno ustaštvo, jugoslavenski komunizam). Autor sugerira mogući odgovor na pitanje - u kolikoj mjeri on argumente za otpor ovim opcijama i nepristajanje uz njih nalazi u filozofiji, i je li Kriškovićev slučaj u nekoj mjeri relevantan i za aktualne probleme i prijepore.Professor of administrative law at the University of Zagreb, politician, essayist and first Croatian member of the Royal Shakespeare Society Vinko Krišković (Senj 1861 - Zurich 1952) dealt in some of his works with the topic of political philosophy. He was an advocate of liberal positions inspired by English authors and English political practice. Krišković is relatively unknown in the Croatian political and intellectual history, i.a. because he opposed all the political options present in Yugoslavia and Croatia in the first half of the 19th century (integral Yugoslavism, Peasant Party populism, totalitarian Ustasha movement, Yugoslav Communism). The author offers possible answers to the questions to what extent did Krišković find the arguments needed to resist these political options in philosophy and whether his case is in any measure relevant for the current issues and controversies