Ideał polityka III Rzeczypospolitej

Abstract

In the article, that is an improved version of the lecture given during XIII Pilgrimage of Voivodes, Provincial Marshals and Civil Workers to Jasna Góra (13 June 2003) an attempt has been undertaken to define the ideal of a politician in III Polish Republic, i.e. Poland after 1989. Three crucial features of a politician have been postulated: 1) credibilitas personae, 2) visio politica, 3) homo religiosus. A politician is required to be, first of all, a reliable person (credibilitas personae). Hence, as homo viator and homo peregrinus he should form himself through all his life, maintaining the proper system of values that is illustrated in the article with the so-called Max Scheier’s ladder of values. A personality realized in this way should refer to the classical ideas formulated by Plato: the truth, good and beauty. A politician should also have visio politica, or a certain purpose he aims at. The present vision of Poland, where democracy is the basis of social life, should be built considering the common good, however, without ignoring the individual. In Poland 98% citizens admit they believe in God; this is why a politician should respect the principles of the professed religion as far as faith, practices and morality are concerned – he should be homo religiosus. In the author’s opinion, the ideal of a politician in III Polish Republic to a considerable degree is formulated in the motto of the Catholic University of Lublin: “Deo et Patriae” – service to God and to the Homeland.