Cooperativism and Democracy: Selected Works of Polish Thinkers

by Bartlomiej Blesznowski (Editor)

Overview

The Cooperativism and Democracy, edited by Bartłomiej Błesznowski is not purely a scientific book, but rather a guide which shows how scholars and activists wrote about the community, social participation and politics in Poland in the early 20th century. The book contains a selection of texts in socio-political thought, led by the work of one of the most important Polish thinkers—Edward Abramowski, socialist, philosopher and psychologist. Polish cooperativism can be inspiring to both contemporary researchers and political activists in Europe post economic crisis, which brought about a crisis of faith in political and economic institutions. These works have a chance to become a significant voice in the debate over the relationship of contemporary economics and politics.

Contributors are: Edward Abramowski, Fr. Stanisław Adamski, Bartłomiej Błesznowski, Zygmunt Chmielewski, Zofia Daszyńska-Golińska, Maria Dąbrowska, Jan Hempel, Jerzy Kurnatowski, Romuald Mielzarski, Remigiusz Okraska, Maria Orsetti, Adam Próchnik, Marian Rapacki, Franciszek Stefczyk, Edward Taylor, Stanisław Thugutt, Stanisław Wojciechowski, and Jan Wolski.

First published in Polish as Kooperatyzm, spółdzielczość, demokracja. Wybór pism by Wydawnictwo Uniwerstytetu Warszawskiego in 2014. The current work includes an additional chapter ‘Through Cooperatives to the Future Order’ by Zofia Daszyńska-Golińska.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608460908
Publisher:	Haymarket Books
Publication date:	01/08/2019
Series:	Studies in Critical Social Sciences , #111
Pages:	438
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Bartłomiej Błesznowski, Ph. D. (1983), University of Warsaw, Assistant Professor of Sociology, is one of the creators of the research project 'Traditions of Polish Cooperativism' and co-editor of Genealogy of Contemporaneity. A History of Ideas in Poland 1815–1939 (WUW, 2015).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix

List of Illustrations x

About the Contributors xi

1 Utopia in the Service of Modernity: On the Sources of Cooperativism Bartlomiej Blesznowski 1

2 From Self-Help to the Vision of New System: An Outline of the Material and Ideological Development of the Cooperative Movement in Poland to the Year 1939 Remigiusz Okraska 47

Part 1 Cooperativism and Democracy

3 The Social Ideas of Cooperativism Edward Abramowski 83

4 Clasped Hands With or without the Idea Maria Dabrowska 109

5 Solidarism as a Doctrine of Democracy Jerzy Kurnatowski 118

6 On Uniting the Movement Romuald Mielczarski 130

7 Through Cooperatives to the Future Order Zofia Daszynska-Golinska 139

Part 2 The Aims and Functions of Cooperativism

8 Woman, Whose Name is Millions (On the Responsibilities of Women in the Cooperative Movement) Maria Orsetti 171

9 The Social Aims of Cooperatives Stanislaw Thugutt 191

10 A National Ideology of Cooperativism Stanislaw Wojciechowski 200

11 An Economic Program for Consumer Cooperativism Marian Rapacki 209

12 The Concept of Cooperativism: Cooperativism as the Organization of Relatively Weak Economic Elements Edward Taylor 226

Part 3 The Social Bases of Labor Cooperativism

13 Consumer Cooperatives and Trade Unions Jan Hempel 235

14 Work Cooperatives Jan Wolski 241

Part 4 Universal Cooperativism or Labor Cooperativism

15 The Universal or Class Nature of Cooperativism Marian Rapacki 269

16 The Ideology of Labor Cooperativism Adam Próchnik 277

Part 5 The Agricultural Cooperative Movement and the Stefczyk Savings and Loan Fund

17 The Past and Future of the Farmers' Agricultural and Trade Cooperatives Fr. Stanislaw Adamski 287

18 The Position of Cooperativism in Agriculture Franciszek Stefczyk 303

19 The Farming Cooperative and Its Development Zygmunt Chmielewski 314

Part 6 Housing Cooperativism

20 The Importance of Cooperative Housing Teodor Toeplitz 333

21 "Glass Houses": An Experiment in Cooperative Life Adam Próchnik 342

Bibliography 351

Personal Index 414