Kierunki ewolucji świadomości moralnej Polaków
Directions in the Evolution of Moral Awareness among Poles

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the changes taking place in Poles' moral awareness, referring to the findings of research studies conducted both on representative studies and those based on the method of focus group discussions. They enable the distinguishing of seven dimensions on which the said changes are occurring. Morality is not considered such an important social fact as was the case when Maria Ossowska laid the foundations for the sociology of morality in Poland. Effort, which was emphasised by Ossowska, is ceasing to be an important factor in the defining of moral behaviours, a factor characterising them. The multidimensional process of the secularisation of morality is becoming deeper, as is apparent in the increasingly universal conviction that man, when making ethical choices, should be guided primarily by individual conscience independent of any figures of authority whatsoever, especially formal authorities. The circle of those for whom the individual’s moral autonomy constitutes a special value is expanding. More and more people share the view, characteristic of ‘ethical situationism’, that the majority of moral norms apply not in an absolute manner, but depending on the circumstances. This is only partly confirmed by Hanna Świda-Ziemba’s conception, according to which a widespread phenomenon today is ‘moral permissiveness’, meaning tolerance for violating norms coupled with a simultaneous ‘abstract’ conviction of their validity. Partly - because the focus groups indicate that such a diagnosis only holds true in regard to the violation of certain norms, while one cannot talk of such forbearance where other norms are concerned.

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