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Feliks Koneczny and Civilizational Fundamentalism in Poland
In this first English-language monograph about the Polish historian Feliks Koneczny (1862-1949), Andrew Kier Wise explains Koneczny's theories and the ongoing debate about their meaning and relevance for Poland in the twenty-first century. Koneczny believed in a "plurality of civilizations" rather than a universal path of historical development. Developed fully during the troubled interwar period, his "science of civilizations" prefigured the "clash of civilizations" theories of our own era. Koneczny was especially concerned with pressure from "the Orient" on Polish society by the so-called Byzantine, Turanian, and Jewish civilizations. He believed that Poland's distinct cultural identity wa...
On Order in History
80 pages. This is a short summary of the whole teaching on civilizations by Feliks Koneczny written shortly before his death. He believed that a view of history must be a posteriori, based on facts. When towards the end of his life, Koneczny asked whether there is any order in history analogous to that perceived in the natural sciences, he was not searching for some objective historical course leading inevitably to progress. He was looking only for a key to interpret social reactions that appear when conflicting ethical models of life meet. "History is governed by abstracts", he said, the ideas that people have about what they want to do. These abstracts he referred to as the quincunx, there being five of them, two spiritual, the notions of good and truth, two material, health and prosperity and one in between, beauty, linking the spiritual with the material. All civilizations have special attitudes to this quincunx.
The Laws of History
898 pages. Since early youth Koneczny was convinced that there is such thing as laws in history. He sought for them throughout his professional life as a historian. On retirement he spelled out his findings in this volume. He defined several laws of history such as that it is not possible to be civilized in two different ways. There is no such thing as synthesis of two or more civilizations. They must be constantly in combat for supremacy. Equality between civilizations is impossible because people are not equal. When there is a mixing of civilizations the lower one wins because it is less demanding. Koneczny considered the Latin civilization as the highest because it is most demanding of its adherents. It has to be constantly and consciously defended against encroachments by other civilizations. Koneczny observed that private property is possible only in a monogamous system. This brings personalism, so important in the Latin civilization.
The Jewish Civilization
1100 pages. The Jewish civilization is one of the oldest on earth. It exists for four millennia and is likely to continue for a few more. It is defined by the ability of Jews to live among other civilizations and yet maintain a separate identity. What is this identity? Koneczny tries to answer this question in this volume. He points out that Jews have a double ethic, a different one in Palestine and a different one in the diaspora, a different one when dealing with Jews and a different one when dealing with gentiles. It struggles between monotheism and monolatry, the latter being a form of polytheism where there is a cult on one God and an acceptance that other peoples have other gods.Jews appear to be in all parties, on all sides of any conflict, but after the conflict is settled the Jews on the winning side make sure that no harm comes to Jews on the loosing site, regardless of what kind of believers or even atheists they are. This type of solidarity helps them to survive among the gentiles.
The Development of Morality
80 pages. Koneczny claims that ethics is a science that deserves to be studies as all others. Ethical reactions may come from the heart but they need reason to be fruitfully employed. It is the Chinese who derive ethics from emotional assumptions. In the Latin civilization we base it on reason. Koneczny rejects the notion that morality is eternally unchangeable. It develops and he, as a historian, studied this development. It used to be acceptable to have slaves, now it is not. It used to be acceptable to have duels, now it is not. Revenge (vendetta) used to be considered a moral obligation, now it is forbidden. There is moral progress regardless whether in a particular society morality or immorality is dominant.There is no crime that would not be considered a virtue in some society, be it killing children and the aged, sexual license in honor of some deity, human sacrifices, cannibalism, polygamy, polyandry etc. Yet all develop in the direction of improvement. This requires a culture of action.
Feliks Koneczny
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The Latin Civilization
898 pages. Koneczny never wrote a book on the Latin civilization but he wrote about the civilization in all his works. The present volume is a compilation of texts on the Latin civilization left by Koneczny. The Latin civilization is what is generally referred to as the Western civilization, but Koneczny preferred the term 'Latin' to include areas that were under the Romans, thus excluding Germany. The Latin civilization developed on the basis of Greek philosophy, Roman law and Christian ethic. It allows Church to interfere in state matters. It demands that all walks of life be under the same one and only ethic, the ethic of the Catholic Church, including state policies, which differs it fro...
The Turanian Civilization of Russia
472 pages. Koneczny was preparing himself to write a book on the Turanian civilization covering the topic from the Mongols to Turks and to Russia, but he never produced it. However he wrote much about the Turanian civilization in all his works, particularly when writing about Russia. The present volume is a compilation of texts on the civilizational development of Russia from its original Slav roots, through the Nordic invasions of the Rus, to Byzantine influences, primarily religious, and finally to the invasion of the Mongols which placed an indelible mark on Russia. Following the Mongols Russia became a state with one-man rule. The ruler is exempt from ethical evaluations and is obeyed. His value is judged by the number of successful conquest he makes. The whole country is run as military camp, with loose family links, often changing location, basically nomadic in style. There is total religious indifference provided religions do not interfere with the state. The civilization includes also the Cossack subculture.
On the Plurality of Civilizations
For the first time in nearly 50 years, Feliks Koneczny's magnum opus, On the Plurality of Civilisations, is available in an English translation. This book is a concise overview of the dominant civilizations of the world as well as an attempt to contrast and order them based on their histories and values - particularly law and ethics. It is an attempt to study the sum of human history from the standpoint of the diverse number of cultures and civilizations, and what they could in turn teach us about the human condition. For Koneczny was among the first proponents of what we would now call comparative historical and civilizational studies. For he believed in the possibility, and importance, of a general study of human affairs. In short, Koneczny's conclusions are the concern of the whole of Western Civilization, especially during today's crucial juncture. Even if this or that detail of his words will not pass the test of time, the essence of his doctrine seems unassailable. Everyone to whom the fate of his own country, as well as that of Western society, is dear, can learn much from Koneczny.
From Ruthenia to Russia
456pages. Before encroaching on his writings on civilizations after his retirement Koneczny was basically a professor of history in Kraków and in Vilnius. This book dates from that period. He was a specialist on the history of Russia. He wrote a shortened version of this history (here in English translation) and several volumes of more detailed history, starting from prehistory to the year 1505 (death of Ivan III). His views on the later development of Russian history can be glanced only from this early volume which was first published in 1917, dealing with pre-World War I times. It was entitled "The History of Russia" but it was decided to alter the title to stress the pre-Soviet perspective and to underline that it describes well how Ruthenia changed in Russia.
