Kategorie ekonomiczne w literaturze staropolskiej

Abstract

Rozprawa skupiona jest na badaniu dawnej praktyki literackiej i konkretnych tekstów – zarówno tych, w których pojawiały się kategorie ekonomiczne (takie jak kupno, sprzedaż, zysk itp.), jak również takich, w których zjawiska z zakresu szeroko pojętej praktyki gospodarczej znalazły swój opis w języku literackim pozbawionym wyrazów znaczeniowo związanych z ekonomią. W centrum zainteresowań badawczych znajduje się jednak człowiek i tekstowe manifestacje jego tożsamości. Praca powstała jako efekt badań z zakresu antropologii literatury prowadzonych na tekstach kultury europejskiej od wczesnego średniowiecza po oświecenie. Główna część pracy poświęcona jest kształtującym się w dobie renesansu i wczesnego baroku ideałom ekonomicznym, które artykułowane były również w przestrzeni literatury. Ideały te powracają w twórczości późniejszych pisarzy (W. Potockiego, A. M. Fredry i innych) aż po publicystykę wczesnego oświecenia (na przykład w pismach Jabłonowskiego czy Garczyńskiego). Trwałość tych ideałów istotna jest dla kultury staropolskiej. Stają się one podstawowym elementem powszechnych przekonań związanych z ekonomią i etyką bogacenia się. Streszczana dysertacja dowodzi, iż w kształtowaniu się tych ideałów najistotniejszą rolę odegrała literatura. To bowiem właśnie literatura miała tę nieprawdopodobną moc upowszechniania przekonań, myśli i idei, a także całego systemu aksjologicznego, który trwale kształtuje elementy powszechnej świadomości wśród przedstawicieli danej strefy kulturowej.

The work is focused on the study of ancient literary practice and specific texts - both those in which economic categories appeared (such as purchase, sale, profit, etc.) and also those in which phenomena in the field of broadly understood economic practice have found their description in a literary language devoid of semantically related economics. At the center of my research, however, is the man and the textual manifestations of his identity, so it can be said that the whole work was created as a result of research in the anthropology of literature carried on the texts of European culture from early medieval to enlightenment. Economic categories are abundantly penetrating into old polish literature. They appear in various literary genres (for example: exemplum, epigram, comedy) and create complex symbolic structures or they call the phenomenon of economic practice. Next to the repetitive and predictable appear literary writings, which characterized by innovation and present an ever deeper level of reflection on the essence of money. Most economic categories appear within moralistic literature. The extraordinary economic and social revival found in the Renaissance (and early Baroque) Republic of Poland and the accompanying dynamic development of culture made financial practice a universal subject. In the literature of this period, the question of how to live comfortably and at the same time keep a clear conscience is often asked. This question obviously provided different answers (the influence of reformist ideology was of significance here). In these answers, several elements can be considered universal. The ideals created in this way were described in the work as "noble", and their formation can be seen first of all in the writings of Rey and Kochanowski. Thanks to the new interpretation of these texts, the basic elements of these noble economic ideals were determined. Firstly - the ethics of riches based on the ideal of the golden mean (aurea mediocritas). Secondly, the conviction that land-based life is the most appropriate form of noble existence and the most beneficial form of economic activity (which, however, does not relieve citizenship). Thirdly, praise for diligence, efficiency, and prevention, in which respect for family "property". Fourth, the mercantilistic way of perceiving economic issues (including fiscal or monetary) of the state. Formed in the era of Renaissance and early Baroque economic ideal returns in the works of later poets (like Waclaw Potocki or Andrzej Maksymilian Fredro). We can say that all this rich range of ethical beliefs in economics will come to speak much later. For example, in the journalism of early enlightenment (for example in the writings of Jabłonowski or Stefan Garczynski). The durability of these ideals is important for old polish culture. They become the basic element of common beliefs in the economics and ethics of wealth. The doctoral dissertation proves that in the formation of these ideals, the most important role was played by literature. This literature had the power to spread beliefs, thoughts and ideas, as well as the entire axiological system, which permanently shapes elements of common consciousness among the representatives of a given cultural zone. These beliefs accompany the Poles to this day, not only in the form of proverbs or phraseologies or as legacy of ancient literature. They have never been fully questioned and their noticeable reconstruction can only be said in the epoch of positivism.