ML: Polish Brethrens’ Ideas Influence on the Philosophical Debate in 17th Century England WF-FI-KUCHPoBr-ER
The Socinians were the most significant and influential group of protestant reform’s rationalists, a group that began with the teachings of Laelius Socinus (+1562) and his nephew, Faustus Socinus (+1604). Faustus Socinus's fast-growing fame brought him to the attention of a like-minded group of reformers living in Raków, Poland, where he moved in 1579; hence the group was known as the "Polish Brethren”. They insisted that religion must be freely chosen if it were to be at all praiseworthy, and if religion had to be freely chosen then it could not be natural to man in any sense. They claimed however that men possessed a critical reasoning faculty which they must use to interpret revelation. That set of ideas proved to be influential in the XVIIth Century philosophical-theological debates. The lecture will focus especially on the important shift towards rationalization of religious beliefs which took place as a result of these debates.
(in Polish) E-Learning
(in Polish) Grupa przedmiotów ogólnouczenianych
Learning outcome code/codes
Type of subject
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge: Student knows and understands, comprehensively and thoroughly, selected currents and positions of modern philosophy in the field of ethics, political philosophy, social philosophy, philosophy of culture, philosophy of religion; knows and understands, comprehensively and thoroughly, the views of the chosen leading philosophical authors and the current state of research in selected philosophical issues
Skills: Student can creatively use philosophical and methodological knowledge in formulating hypotheses and constructing critical arguments; can determine the degree of relevance of theses for the problem or argument being investigated
Competences: is ready to take into account the relevant importance of humanistic reflection for the formation of social bonds
Assessment criteria
Assessment criteria:
• Attending classes
• Taking part in the discussions
• Submitting one essay on a chosen topic concerning the Cabbala's influence on the modern philosophy (6-8 pages)
Bibliography
1. P. Brock, Conscientious Objectors in the Polish Brethren Church, 1565-1605, The Slavonic and East European Review, 70(1992)4, pp. 670-687.
2. J. Edwards, The Socinian creed, or, A brief account of the professed tenents and doctrines of the foreign and English Socinians wherein is shew'd the tendency of them to irreligion and atheism, with proper antidotes against them, London 1697. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A38033.0001.001/1:5.6?rgn=div2;view=toc
3. S. Mortimer, Reason and Religion in the English Revolution. The Challenge of Socinianism, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2010.
4. J. Wojcik, Robert Boyle and the Limits od Reason, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1997, The Threat of Socinianism, s. 42-75.
Additional information
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