Idea narodowa a ustrój demokratyczny w publicystyce

Abstract

The Idea of Nationality and Democracy in Mieczysław Szerer’s Writings This article analyses political thought of Mieczysław Szerer (1884‑1981), one of the few emitent followers of liberal democracy during interwar period in Poland. Szerer was clever analyst of idea of nationality. In his opinion democracy as a political system has been embeded in nationality as concept, which guarantee social cohesion. However nationality being fundamental concept of modernity have its dark side, as a Skurce of conflicts. In this situation international federation of democratic nations is only remedy to negative effects of democracy. Szerer was also fervent critic of interwar dictatorships, he analysed it as unstable and uneffective political systems. He percived modern society as unstable in deeper meaning, oscilating from democracy to dictatorship. He criticized J.S. Mill’s idea of democracy trough education, maintaining that the deepest source of unstability of modern political systems is contradiction between political equality and economical inequality. Szerer’s political thought is analysed in contecst of his Jewish origin. Although he was manifesty Polish, his identity was in suspicion, this was a silent problem of Szerer’s thought.

Keywords

• Mieczysław Szerer
• political systems
• democracy
• World Federation
• dictatorship