What is cultural studies as a scientific discipline defined by Polish law?

The author of the article concentrates on the long and difficult process of the Faculty of International and Political Studies (at the Jagiellonian University, Krakow) in obtaining the right to educate students in the field of cultural studies. Problematic issues are described on the basis of Polish law which codifies individual disciplines and fields of science. Paying attention to the fundamental differences between Polish, British, French, German or Russian cultural studies was the starting point for taking a deeper reflection on the essence of what cultural studies is and what it should be, with a diverse and thereby rich structure

The intention and will of the law-giver in John Fortescue

Artykuł przedstawia analizę rozważań Johna Fortescue poświęconych genezie wspólnoty politycznej, w których myśliciel ten wyznaczał główny kierunek angielskiego konstytucjonalizmu późnych wieków średnich, a w każdym razie ustalał treść koncepcji na zawsze złączonej z jego imieniem: dominium politicum et regale, władania opartego na prawie politycznym, które wyraża chcenie ludu lub wspólnoty. Korzystając z ustaleń Arystotelesa, Cycerona oraz świętych Augustyna i Tomasza Fortescue twierdził bowiem, że lud nie stanowi ciała póki nie posiada głowy. Gdy jego „rozumne chcenie” domaga się przekształcenia w ciało polityczne (corpus politicum), musi się pojawić jedna osoba rządząca ciałem, zwana zwykle królem, która „wyrasta” z powstającej całości, jak głowa wyrasta z „chcącego się rozumnie rozwijać” każdego innego organizmu lub jak serce, które jest przyczyną sprawczą jego poruszeń i wzrostu. Fortescue odchodził od myślenia w kategoriach właściwych wiekom średnim i wprowadzał kategorie nowe, które stały się charakterystyczne dla kolejnych wieków

Political science as an academic discipline aware of its foundations (a biased contribution to the debate containing four remarks)

The text presents remarks on four issues political scientists often take into consideration when reflecting on the borders of their research. The first issue concerns the call to scrutinize the course of legislative procedures, the second one – the need to recognize and note various traditions of political thought in the platforms of political parties and the statements uttered by politicians; the third – the fundamental question of whether political topics are grasped in the structure of sensual perceptions reflected in language; and, finally, the disputable postulate that the philosophy of politics, approached as an element of reflection on political science, clarifies exclusively the notions and concepts applied in the political sciences. These considerations pose problems rather than solve them, and they are completed by a warning that political science should not be developed towards common knowledge, and it should not become increasingly indeterminate and blurred.The text presents remarks on four issues political scientists often take into consideration when reflecting on the borders of their research. The first issue concerns the call to scrutinize the course of legislative procedures, the second one – the need to recognize and note various traditions of political thought in the platforms of political parties and the statements uttered by politicians; the third – the fundamental question of whether political topics are grasped in the structure of sensual perceptions reflected in language; and, finally, the disputable postulate that the philosophy of politics, approached as an element of reflection on political science, clarifies exclusively the notions and concepts applied in the political sciences. These considerations pose problems rather than solve them, and they are completed by a warning that political science should not be developed towards common knowledge, and it should not become increasingly indeterminate and blurred

История польского консерватизма (до 1939 г.)

Autor prezentuje najważniejsze środowiska konserwatywne kształtujące się na ziemiach polskich od lat 30. XIX w. aż po wybuch II wojny światowej. Przedstawia również główne problemy dyskutowane przez ich uczestników oraz odmienność odpowiedzi udzielanych przez nich niekiedy w debacie toczonej ze zwolennikami innych stanowisk formułowanych w tym okresie w myśli politycznej.The most significant conservative environments, which had appeared in Poland in 30 years of XIX century till the Second World war began, are demonstrated. The main problems, which were discussed by the conservative environments members, and the contrast of opinions, which were expressed by them during the disputes with other point of view owners, which were formed in political thought of that time, has been presented

Problems of cultural rights

When one reads the declaration of UNESCO from the early twenty-first century and wonders not so much on the phenomenon of coexistence of different cultures, but rather on the multicultural projects formulated in relation to the above, one relates the key questions to its origin and possible new solutions, first political and then legal. In political philosophy today developed in the so-called Western societies, these projects are linked to the reflection on their liberal and democratic foundations, especially on the issue of individual and group rights. Outlining these problems may be the introduction to the discussion of the key issues emerging in the reflection on the modern citizenship, as well as the expected legal order of multicultural societies

On natural law as a possible normative reference point in legislative processes

W epoce nowożytnej jedynym wyznacznikiem słuszności prawa jest uchwalenie go przez władzę zgodnie z procedurami. Czy klasyczna teoria prawa naturalnego przestała mieć już znaczenie? Autor powołując się na współczesne wypowiedzi papieży i dokumenty Kościoła Katolickiego analizuje jakie znaczenie prawo naturalne ma dzisiaj z punktu widzenia normatywnego i dlaczego właśnie w czasach obecnych ma ono znaczenie szczególne także w świecie wielokulturowym.In the modern era, the only indicator of the validity of law is that it is passed by the authorities in accordance with procedures. Has the classical theory of natural law ceased to matter? The author, referring to contemporary state-ments of popes and documents of the Catholic Church, analyses what significance natural law has today from a normative point of view and why it is particularly important in the present-day world, as well as in a multicultural world

The concept of constitution in the history of political thought

The aim of the present volume is to discuss the notion of constitution from the perspectives of history of political thought. Its scholarly intention is to go beyond the approach concentrating on the formal understanding of constitution and bring forward more complex historical and philosophic-political interpretations. Our point of departure was the need to revive the somehow neglected distinction between the idea of constitution as an act of conscious law-giving activity and the notion of constitution conceived as the set of fundamental political rules derived from the very nature of political regime and its historical development