The Significance and Ancient Roots of Fraternity Cover Image

Znaczenie i archaiczne korzenie braterstwa
The Significance and Ancient Roots of Fraternity

Author(s): Jerzy Oniszczuk
Subject(s): Sociology, Sociology of Law
Published by: Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego
Keywords: fraternity; the ancient period; Homer; common kindness; the idea of democracy; post-liberalism; discrimination

Summary/Abstract: Reaching back to the sources and the meaning of essential European values is of great importance to creating the vision of democracy and freedom. This applies also to values such as fraternity. The root thereof is found in pre-ancient poetry, later in the reflection of early philosophers – especially of the Sophists and the Stoics. Fraternity stands for the common descent, background, and heritage of humans. Descriptions of social reality nowadays reveal various forms of discrimination, e.g. on account of passing over the imperative of fraternity. A guarantee of only majority decision-making without common kindness as defined by C. Znamierowski and without fraternity will not make a system democratic. In such circumstances, the righteousness of legal acts is also debatable.

  • Issue Year: 10/2018
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 218-241
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Polish