Historical Distinctiveness of Central Europe

The aim of the course is to familiarize the students with

- the concept and problems of substantial philosophy of history,

- the notions of Western, Eastern and Central Europe and the ways of regionalizing of European continent;

- The sources of economical dualism (XVI century) as the main factor of differentiation of historical development of the Western and Central Europe;

- Overview of explanations of developmental distinctiveness of Central-European societies

- The methodological assumptions: the modelling method in historical sciences;

- The theoretical assumptions: the main models of non-Marxian historical materialism;

- The development of Polish, Czech and Hungarian societies from X to XVIII centuries;

- The consequences of second serfdom and economical dualism (economic, politic and cultural) in the further development of Central European societies

1:On Metanarrative in Philosophy of History and its critics (Berlin, Popper, Lyotard, Tucker)

2: On concepts of Central Europe

3: Conceptualizations of developmental distinctiveness of Central Europe (Marian Małowist, Immanuel Wallerstein, Robert Brenner, Jerzy Topolski)

4: Conceptualizations of developmental distinctiveness of Central Europe (Daniel Chirot, Władysław Rusiński, Jeremy Blum, Jan Rutkowski, Benedykt Zientara)

5: Methodological assumptions: On modelling in history

6: Methodological assumptions: The cascade process and theory of chaos

7: Theoretical assumptions: main ideas of Non-Marxian historical materialism

8: Theoretical assumptions: theory of power

9: Theoretical assumptions: on two kinds of economic revolution

10: The peculiarities of social structure of Teutonic Knight Order

11: The development of feudalism in Central Europe

12: The genesis of second serfdom: the main trends in development of Polish society (X-XVII)

13: The genesis of second serfdom: the development of Czech society (X-XVII)

14: The genesis of second serfdom: the development of Hungarian society (X-XVII)

15: The consequences of historical differentiation of Central Europe

Brenner, R. (1976). Agrarian Class Structure and Economic Development in Pre-Industrial Europe. „Past and Present”, 70, pp. 30-75.

Brenner, R. (1982). The Agrarian Roots of European Capitalism. „Past and Present”, 97, pp. 16-111.

Brzechczyn K. (2009). Between Science and Literature. The Debate on the Status of the History. In: K. Brzechczyn (ed.). Idealization XIII: Modeling in History. Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and the Humanities, vol. 97. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi, pp. 7-30

Brzechczyn, K. (1993). The State of the Teutonic Order as Socialist Society. W: Nowak, Paprzycki (red.), Social System, Rationality and Revolution (Poznań Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and the Humanities, t. 33), L. Nowak, M. Paprzycki (red.), Amsterdam: Rodopi, pp. 397-417.

Brzechczyn, K. (2007). On the Application of non-Marxian Historical Materialism to Development of non-European Societies. In: Jerzy Brzeziński, Andrzej Klawiter, Theo A. F. Kuipers, Krzysztof Łastowski, Katarzyna Paprzycka, Piotr Przybysz (eds.), The Courage of Doing Philosophy: Essays Dedicated to Leszek Nowak. Amsterdam/New York, NY: Rodopi, pp. 235-254.

Brzechczyn, K. (2008). Polish Discussions on the Nature of Communism and Mechanisms of its Collapse. A Review Article. “East European Politics and Societies", vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 828-855.

Brzechczyn, K. (2009), ed., Idealization XIII: Modeling in History (Poznań Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and the Humanities, 97). Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi.

Hall, J. A. (1985). Powers and Liberties. The Causes and Consequences of the Rise of the West, Los Angeles: University of California Press

Kahan, A. (1973). Notes on Serfdom in Western and Eastern Europe. „The Journal of Economic History”, 33, pp. 86-100.

Király, B. K. (1975). Neo - Serfdom in Hungary. „Slavic Review. American Quarterly of Soviet and East European Studies”, no. 2, pp. 269-278.

Klep, P., E. Van Cauwenberghe (eds.) (1994). Entrepreneurship and the Transformation of the Economy (10th-20th Centuries). Essays in Honour of Herman Von der Wee. Leuven: Leuven University Press.

Klima, A. (1979). Agrarian Class and Economic Development in Pre-Industrial Bohemia. „Past and Present”, 85, pp. 49-68.

Nowak L. (1983). Property and Power. Towards a non-Marxian Historical Materialism (Theory and Decision Library, 27). Dordrecht/Boston/Lancaster: Reidel.

Nowak, L. (1987). A Model of Socialist Society. “Studies in Soviet Thought”, vol. 34, pp. 1-55.

Nowak, L. (1991). Power and Civil Society. Towards a Dynamic Theory of Real Socialism. New York/London: Greenwood.

Nowak, L., (1980). The Structure of Idealization. Towards a Systematic Interpretation of the Marxian Idea of Science (Synthese Library, vol. 139). Dordrecht/Boston/London: Reidel.

Pach, Zs. P. (1966). The Development of Feudal Rent in Hungary in the Fifteenth Century. „The Economic History Review”, 2nd ser., 19, no 1, pp. 1-14.

Topolski, J. (1968). Causes of Dualism in the Economic Development of Modem Europe (A Tentative New Theory). „Studia Historiae Oeconomicae”, no. 3, pp. 3-12.

Topolski, J. (1974). The Manorial - Serf Economy in Central and Eastern Europe in the 16th and 17th Centuries. „Agricultural History”, 3 (48), pp. 341-352.

Topolski, J. (1976). Methodology of History. Dordrecht: Reidel.

The students will know:

- the main definitions and critique of the substantial philosophy of history

- the rules of division of European continent,

- problems and types of modeling in history,

- main conceptualizations of the economical dualism in the history of Europe in XVI century

- the notion of second serfdom and it consequences in the history of Central Europe;

- the differences in development of Polish, Bohemian and Hungarian society

5 – excellent knowledge and ability of independent analysis, capability of formulation of problems and their solution with an application of notion apparatus

4.5 – very good knowledge although there are some mistakes; an ability of independent analysis, capability of formulation of problems and their solutions;

4.0 – good knowledge; an ability of formulation of problems and their solutions requires some aid

3.5 – satisfactory knowledge and formulation of problems and their solutions requires a control of the lecturer

3.0 – satisfactory knowledge but there are numerous mistakes, the lack of independent analysis and inability of formulation of problems and their solutions

2.0 – unsatisfactory knowledge

not relevant