EUROPE, EUROPEANISM, AND NATION IN THE WORKS OF JÓZEF CHALASINSKI

The authoress alludes to Józef Chalasinski's article from 1946 entitled 'Polska lezy w Europie' (Poland lies in Europe) and published in the major weekly of his day, 'Odrodzenie' (Rebirth) devoted to social and cultural issues. That article is claimed to be absolutely valid today when Poland has joined the EU. By emphasizing the European aspect of the Polish culture and history, Chalasinski successfully played up the problem of Poland's place in Europe and the need to consider the practicalities. In which Europe? He developed this idea further over the next 20 years of his scholarship (1946-1966) which he then compiled in his book 'Kultura i naród' (Culture and nation) published in 1968. According to the authoress, Chalasinski treats the notion of society as primal and preceding the notion of socialism which only broadens the notion of society with ideas of social justice, freedom and solidarity in attaining common good. She also suggests that by linking the ideas of Europe and Europeanism with those of Poland and Polish Europeanism in 1946 he was accentuating not only their geographical but most of all historical and cultural connections.