Public Body: The Idea of Civilized Association in the Age of Classicism 
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Publiczne ciało. Koncepcja cywilizowanego stowarzyszenia w dobie klasycyzmu
Public Body: The Idea of Civilized Association in the Age of Classicism

Author(s): Paweł Załęski
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: classicism; republic; civil society

Summary/Abstract: According to discourse analysis of classicist writings, the reception of Ciceronian concept of societas civilis at that time should be understood as “civilized association”, a political body aimed at resolving conflicts among aristocracy, including king as primus inter pares. State of association or civility was confronted with wild and barbaric state of nature, whose discomfort and dangers moved people towards establishing political i.e. “public body”, as their understanding of concept of res publica should be understood. New concepts were applied as conceptualizations of new political situation of aristocracy within absolutist states. This semantic application stems from troublesome times of Thirty Years War and simultaneous Civil War in England and Fronde in France – the last aristocratic revolutions against territorially consolidating classicist state.

  • Issue Year: 178/2005
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 35-63
  • Page Count: 28
  • Language: Polish