8/2013
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Marek J. Malinowski, Diversity and variety of political, social, cultural, religious, ideological, military, economic, and civilization of the modern world. (Various options and alternatives. Personal reflections)
Koray Tütüncü, The Law or the War of Peoples? Rawls versus Elshtain on Universal Justice
Borys Nowak, Is ethical community possible today?
Edyta Pietrzak, Implications of Globalization for the Idea of Civil Society
Radosław Kamiński, Local government in the light of the principle of subsidiarity
Kamila Lasocińska, The Diversity of Modern Biographies and the Need For Reflexivity in the Development of Adults
Ilona Balcerczyk, Man thrown into the world in the concept of Václav Havel
Agata Szkopińska, The Present Absence. Evangelicals in Sejny Land. Cultural Heritage as a Source of History
Mariusz Strużyński, Death on the way of God - The concept of jihad in the modern world
Abstracts
Marek J. Malinowski, Diversity and variety of political, social, cultural, religious, ideological, military, economic, and civilization of the modern world. (Various options and alternatives. Personal reflections)
The leading message of The Philosophical and Social Yearbook Civitas Hominibus of 2013 are multilateral and multifaceted diversity and variety of political, social, cultural, religious, ideological, military, economic, and civilization of the modern world. The world which at the dawn of the second decade of the twenty-first century going through a severe internal shocks and still is in the embrace of the global economic crisis.
Koray Tütüncü, The Law or the War of Peoples? Rawls versus Elshtain on Universal Justice
Is it possible to establish equality, liberty and justice in a society composed of individuals whose good life conceptions are characterized by an enormous diversity, a diversity arising from philosophical, moral and religious disputes on character and content of human good? Theoretically speaking, political philosopher John Rawls’s magnum opus A Theory of Justice has become a groundbreaking answer to this question in delineating the procedures and achieved principles in order to establish a just and plural society of individuals enjoying equal liberties.
This article also focus on Jean Bethke Elshtain, who also deals with the similar issues yet from very different perspective. Elshtain combines political theory with international relations, brings back an Augustinian just war tradition into global justice theories, while doing this, she offers an American nationalist interventionism and Christian theology for the world order.
Given this framework, this article first delineates Rawlsian theory of justice at domestic as well as global settings. Second, it focuses on Elshtain’s scholarship in general and her religiously oriented political arguments on the world order in particular and finally it concludes by arguing that the Rawlsian wisdom and conscience still offers one of the best insights into global justice within the boundaries of liberal democratic tradition.
Borys Nowak, Is ethical community possible today?
The aim of this study is to answer the question about the possibility of an ethical community in liquid times and the reign of postmodern ideal of individuality. Ethical community brings together individuals involved in the common ideals, not just individual interests.
At the beginning I will examine the contemporary diagnosis of the problem of human identity in the context of ever faster changing forms of individual and social life. Then characterize two different attitudes, aesthetic and ethical, and I will try to show that the former is inconsequent and inadequate, although it may be necessary for a transition stage. The main difference between them lies in the attitude towards the current ideal of individuality. It can be taken as an end in itself or as a tool to achieve something else. Ethical attitude opens the way to real commitment. Changing the perspective of the individual human being is always possible, but the question remains whether, in addition it is also possible the transformation of the community into a community of ethical?
Edyta Pietrzak, Implications of Globalization for the Idea of Civil Society
The aim of this paper is to present how globalization processes and theories influence on the idea of civil society, especially in the issue of relation of civil society with the state which is the best example of development of that idea. From the perspective of political thought important is question, what are implications of globalization processes for the idea of civil society - mainly in global civil society discourse which moves account from the state on an transnational level.
Radosław Kamiński, Local government in the light of the principle of subsidiarity
Today, the principle of subsidiarity has become one of the basic principles of constitutional democratic rule of law. The article discusses issues related to the presence of the subsidiarity principle. The basic premise is to provide part of the state authority to the lowest level of government closest to the citizens. It gives a partial analysis of the overall regulation of local government and its actions based on the principle of subsidiarity.
Kamila Lasocińska, The Diversity of Modern Biographies and the Need For Reflexivity in the Development of Adults
The diversity of lifestyles (biographies) in modern society is a result of the possibility of different approaches and attitudes towards the situation and the problems of life and implies individual interpretation of events, the opportunity to participate in various activities, social groups or situations. This means we need to learn to deal with inconsistency of experiences, diversity of opportunities and choices in life. Self-creation gains the important meaning and it is assuming distance and self-reflection, and also finding the one’s unity by narrative and trough biographical activity. Get a sense of cohesion occurs while the person is accepting the complexity of the situation and their different interpretations. Man is not a passive recipient of the media, trends, but the person who can interpret, analyze and give meaning to what surrounds her and is the result of change. She chooses herself and her way of life, shapes relationships with others, learns to react to difficult experiences.
Ilona Balcerczyk, Man thrown into the world in the concept of Václav Havel
The author presents the idea of a man being thrown into the world in terms of Václav Havel. of the. She analyzes the phenomenon of absolute and specific horizon, the moment of throwing" and the related process of becoming a man - the subject. Formation of the subject is multidimensional - the author draws attention to the relation of the subject to himself, to others, to the world.
Agata Szkopińska, The Present Absence. Evangelicals in Sejny Land. Cultural Heritage as a Source of History
The text considers the phenomenon of visibility and invisibility of heritage, its contemporary passive and living duration, in archives, in memory and in the space of everyday.
It concerns the history of the Protestant religious minorities living in north-eastern Poland. It presents the attitudes of men and times as well as the impact of external factors on the presence of the evangelical cultural heritage in Sejny land at different historical periods. It shows their opposition towards the multicultural heritage of the discussed borderland. It is an attempt at reflection on why the memory of some absent ones expires whereas of some others continues.
Mariusz Strużyński, Death on the way of God - The concept of jihad in the modern world
The concept of jihad is commonly associated with Islamic terror and suicide attacks. It is of particular importance in the era of globalization. Due to the development of information technology and media the notion of knowledge is transmitted through emotions. They make it difficult to understand such a complex problem as contemporary jihad. The purpose of this article is to present the synthetic approach to the concept of jihad. The author also tries to trace the evolution of that phenomenon and its roots dating back to ancient times, and having an impact on contemporary social and political realities