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The Dynamics of Polish Patriotism After 1989: Concepts, Debates, Identities

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The Dynamics of Polish Patriotism After 1989: Concepts, Debates, Identities The dynamics of Polish patriotism after 1989: concepts, debates, identities by Dorota Szeligowska submitted to Central European University Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervisors: Prof. Lea Sgier Prof. Balázs Trencsényi CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2014 Declaration I hereby declare that this thesis contains no materials accepted for any other degrees, in any other institutions. The thesis contains no materials previously written and/or published by any other person, except where appropriate acknowledgement is made in the form of bibliographical reference. Dorota Szeligowska 30 June 2014 CEU eTD Collection ii Abstract During rapid social changes, such as democratic transition, both intellectual and political elites discuss the essence of key political concepts. After 1989, in Poland, during such intellectual debates academics, editorialists and politicians have discussed extensively the legacy of the communist regime, and the nature of the new democratic regime, and have redefined important concepts. Particularly, discussions over the concept of patriotism or its re-definition have occurred with astonishing frequency since 25 years. Already in 1990, the renowned historian of ideas Andrzej Walicki suggested that “a new kind of Polish patriotism must be developed: a patriotism free from the archaic features of the democratic legacy of Old Poland, critical of Romantic illusions, but no less critical of [Roman] Dmowski’s version of political realism.” This statement built on the idea of civic patriotism, proposed by a dissident left-wing intellectual Jan Józef Lipski, in his significant essay “Dwie ojczyzny, dwa patriotyzmy (Two fatherlands, two patriotisms),” published in 1981. Since 1989, many other important intellectuals of various ideological allegiances have debated the desirable new formula of patriotism adapted for the times of peace and for future (Marek A. Cichocki, Dariusz Gawin, Jerzy Jedlicki, Marcin Król, Wojciech Sadurski, Władysław Stróżewski, Jerzy Szacki, Magdalena Środa, etc.). This research project analyzes a number of public debates in which the CEU eTD Collection meaning of patriotism was discussed. The approach is indebted to applied political theory, and history of political thought, using the methods of conceptual history. In order to grasp the entire contestation over the meaning of political concepts and iii conceptual change, the analysis is threefold: textual, contextual and morphological.1 The use of concepts and changes in their meaning is not only due to individual authorial attempts and the influence of contextual elements, but also to the situating of concepts in specific constellations, broader chains of concepts and counter concepts.2 The work of interpretation, to be complete, needs to address both synchronic and diachronic perspectives of political languages/discourses and their continuous or discontinuous use in political arguments. Understanding the dynamics of these debates, the nature of the contestation over the meaning of patriotism, and why and how patriotism is made into a politically relevant concept makes it possible to explain the importance of this concept for the public sphere, political culture and thought in Poland after 1989, linking it to earlier developments. The analysis contributes to a better understanding of the re- construction of political community at the critical juncture of regime change, and of intellectual preoccupations linked to the foundations of a democratic regime. Starting from the definition of patriotism as ‘love of one’s country,’ I show how in the first decade of the democratic transition the uncertainty linked to the social, political and economic transformation pushed the discussion towards the ‘country’ aspect of the definition, the object of the allegiance. Later ‘discursive events’ offered different openings for discussing the ‘love’ aspect of the definition and the nature of allegiance. While discussions prior to 2000 attempted to find a compromise solution and middle ground in the quest for the conceptual definition, CEU eTD Collection later on the debate gradually became increasingly polarized. However, despite conservative attempts at monopolization of the concept, a discursive closure has not 1 Michael Freeden, Ideologies and political theory. A conceptual approach (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996), 13-139. 2 Reinhart Koselleck, Futures past. On the semantics of historical time (Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: The MIT Press, 1985), 155-191. iv happened, and a variety of ideological positions are still available, and continue to be put forward by emerging strong circles of conservative, left-wing or liberal intellectuals. CEU eTD Collection v Acknowledgments First of all, I want to thank my supervisors. Without their steady support I would probably not make it to the end of this long and sometimes-bumpy road. I want to thank Nenad Dimitrijevic for his support in the initial phases of my project and Lea Sgier for her patient and thorough help with cutting through the jungle of my sometimes entangled, and often verbose arguments. Last, but not least, my endless gratitude goes to Balázs Trencsényi, for being there all along, and serving as a compass and a reality check for my research, making me believe it would come to a successful end at some point. Much of my gratitude goes to Kriszta Zsukotynszky and Robert Sata, for having a fast and efficient answer to any question. I would like to thank John Harbord from the Centre of Academic Writing, for his precious help with polishing the linguistic edges of this thesis. I also want to recognize the importance of the support of the International Visegrad Fund in the initial years of my doctoral studies. I would like to thank all teachers and researchers who have inspired me and helped me to attain this milestone. I’m deeply indebted to Hans-Dieter Klingemann, the first professor who, by his genuine excitement for working with ever new generations of students, inspired me towards an academic career. I also want to thank Georges Mink for inciting me to do a PhD at CEU. I will not be able to thank everyone who provided me with advice in the thesis writing process, but I want to express my appreciation towards those whom I had a pleasure to meet during my studies or at conferences, and who took their time to discuss my research and share their thoughts in order to help me advance: Jan-Werner Müller, Joanna Michlic, Geneviève Zubrzycki, Joanna Kurczewska, Maciej Janowski. I want to thank all my friends who have been there all the time, and put up with my tight schedule in the last years, without too many complaints. My love goes to Olga Löblová, who from an ‘academic stalker’ became a very good friend, and has been the kindest and most efficient proof-reader I have ever had. Without Divna Manolova this PhD experience would not be the same, and it would surely be much less enjoyable and fun. My big thanks go to András Szalai for the movie nights, and the earnest hugs. Thanks to Susana Cerda, Andres Moles, Elene Jibladze, Orsi Reich, Agi Kiss, Jagoda Gregulska, and Stearns Broadhead, for laughs and talks, and walks. Bori Bodolai made me feel in Budapest like at home, so I must also thank Ádám Hoffer for finding me this perfect match of a flatmate. Big thanks to my entire cohort, the SU Board 2008/2009, and Shane McCollam for making the first year of the PhD less painful. CEU eTD Collection Budapest will always feel like home to me and I hope to be back soon. Mamo, Tato, dziękuję Wam za wszystko! vi CEU eTD Collection Cioci Irce i babci Czesi vii CEU eTD Collection “To może być patriotyzm (It can be patriotism)”, © Andrzej Mleczko3 3http://mleczko.interia.pl/zdjecia/rysunki-kolorowe,10561/zdjecie,96, Accessed January 10, 2014. viii Table of contents DECLARATION ................................................................................................................................... II ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... III ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................... VI TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................... IX LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................... XIII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................... XIV 1 CHAPTER ONE – INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 1.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONCEPT OF PATRIOTISM FOR POLISH PUBLIC DISCOURSE ......... 4 1.2 THE THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE DISSERTATION ................ 8 1.3 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS ...........................................................................................................11 2 CHAPTER TWO – THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY .................14 2.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .....................................................................................................14 2.1.1 HISTORY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT .................................................................................................... 14 2.1.2 ANALYSIS OF ELITE-LED
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