Przenikliwość ówczesnych i współczesny prezentyzm. Problemy modernizacji w dyskursie politycznym sprzed pół wieku

Abstract

The subject of the present analysis are speeches by Polish left-wing intellectuals, published in the late 1950s and early 1960s in the press and individual authors’ books on the political and sociological subjects. Articles by, for example, Stanisław Ossowski, Jan Strzelecki, Zygmunt Bauman and even Władysław Bieńkowski, more integrated into the communist system but interested in the theoretical aspects of social development, may also today be read as an interesting testimony of that era and in some cases as a penetrating anticipation of the future. In this sense, reflections on the interdependence of processes of modernization, social structures and individual attitudes were significant. Despite the often articulated criticicism of the acceptance of socialism, they stripped down the simplified version of the Marxist-Leninist doctrine, they tried to diagnose what restrictions resulted from the modernization of Poland’s political positioning, and from the legacy of the past, the post- Stalinist rule and the condition of the economy. They stressed the importance of the idea of progress, expressed their approval of technological innovation, balanced post-war achievements demonstrating a large distance of the Polish economy in comparison with the countries of Western Europe. They promoted the development of science, including the need for non-ideologized practicing of social sciences. It was important to demonstrate the differences between the main and peripheral centers, to stress the importance of education, to show discrepancies between the ideal system shaped by the vision and the realities of everyday life.