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Jacek Kwaśniewski: In Memory of Jacenty Siewierski
Why Europe is a section authored by the late Jacenty Siewierski, whose work I was delighted to host on my website. Jacenty was my close friend, an outstanding scholar, a remarkable individual, and an erudite thinker. He authored excellent works on the history, origins, and mechanisms of various civilizations. Our collaboration began in 2017, and it is with profound sorrow that I share the news of his passing on September 24, 2023.
This homage honors Jacenty Siewierski and his extraordinary contributions to the field of civilization studies
Jacenty Siewierski (to the left) and Jacek Kwaśniewski
Jacenty Siewierski: My Interests and Plans
Greetings to all readers interested in the cultural determinants of civilization development and visitors to Jacek Kwaśniewski’s website, where I am honored to contribute.
Here, I present my research on the influence of Christianity on the expansion of Western civilization. This topic, alongside the uniqueness, vitality, and expansion of Western culture—and its current decline—has been my primary focus. Naturally, this led me to study Confucian culture and civilization, often compared to the West. I have published several works on this topic.
Beyond civilizations, my interests span history, anthropology, philosophy, and sociology, particularly issues of collective identity, community, tradition, multiculturalism, and cultural patterns of social life. I planned to continue exploring these areas in collaboration with this platform.
Jacek Kwaśniewski: Highly Recommended
I wholeheartedly recommend Jacenty Siewierski’s work, one of the finest analyses of Christianity’s role in the emergence of the European phenomenon. His panoramic approach highlights Christianity and the Church as the foundations of Europe, fostering individualism, modern legal systems, municipal autonomy, and institutionalized intellectual activity. Without resorting to apologetics, Siewierski’s work also examines the erosion of Christianity’s civilizational role. The conclusion, written a decade ago, offers a sobering perspective on the West’s future, which we are now witnessing.
Spis treści / Contents
Jacenty Siewierski, book “Christianty and the Expansion of Western Civilization” (in Polish)
Entire book pdf version Synopsis pdf Synopsis on-line
Introductory Remarks
Synopsis on-line Introductory Remarks pdf (open / download)
Culture and Civilization. Definitions of key terms
Religion and Culture
History of Europe: Split Into Periods
Content of the Study
1. Christianity As the Foundation
Synopsis on-line Chapter 1 pdf (open / download)
From Romanitas to Christianitas
The Birth of Christian state
Institutionalization of Christianity and position of Rome
Christian moral and political Universe
Cultural unity of Christian Europe
Gradual erosion of Christianity
Conclusion
2. Individualism in the European Culture
Synopsis on-line Chapter 2 pdf (open / download)
Culture in the post-Christian era
Individual and Community
Christian sources of individualism
Change of cultural purpose
Individualism as a threat to the foundations of culture
Gradual erosion of individualism
3. The formation of an autonomous urban community
Synopsis on-line Chapter 3 pdf (open / download)
Cultural and civilization universals
Differentiation of civilization designs / patterns
Christian inspirations of the autonomous urban community
The town’s road to autonomy in medieval Europe
Base of town autonomy
Influence of the medieval urban community on dynamics and economic changes. From the urban community to capitalism
Conclusion. The special role of the town in historical development
4. Birth of the legal order (Ordo Iuris)
Synopsis on-line Chapter 4 pdf (open / download)
Law in Confucian culture
Forming of Western legal tradition
Reform of Church in 11th century
5. Prelude to the scientific revolution
Synopsis on-line Chapter 5 pdf (open / download)
God and nature’s order
Scientific knowledge in ancient and medieval times
The benefits of scholasticism
Authority and knowledge development
Conclusion
Synopsis on-line Conclusion pdf (open / download)
Bibliography, Index pdf
Jacenty Siewierski, Other texts (in Polish)
Historic race of civilization. Why did the West win? The role of Christianity
2018, Historyczny wyścig cywilizacji. Dlaczego Zachód zwyciężył? Rola chrześcijaństwa, 19 pages
Christian legitimization of the development of science and technology in the Middle Ages
2019, Chrześcijańskie uzasadnienie rozwoju nauki i technologii w Średniowieczu, 8 pages
Culture and economic development. Comparative analysis of the West and East Asia
2010, Kultura a rozwój gospodarczy. Analiza porównawcza Zachodu i Azji wschodniej, 81 pages
Autonomy and individual and community. Comparative analysis of economic development in the West and in East Asia
2011, Autonomia jednostki a wspólnota. Analiza porównawcza rozwoju gospodarczego na Zachodzie i w Azji wschodniej, 95 pages
Jacenty Siewierski, Biographical note
Sociologist. Lecturer at the Warsaw School of Economics, Academy of Humanities, College of International Cooperation. PhD in sociology.
Carrier
- 1971 master’s degree. Master’s thesis: “Historiosophy De Civitate Dei at St. Augustine”
- 1971 work in the PWN (Polish main scientific publisher)
- 1972 work at SGPiS (now SGH – Warsaw School of Economics)
- 1980 doctor’s degree at the Warsaw University. PhD thesis: “The idea of socialism in the works of Kautski and Bauer and disputes about how to implement the ideas of socialism”
- Internships at the universities of Leipzig, Mannheim and Duisburg
- Currently a senior lecturer at SGH
- From 1972 employee of the Department of Sociology at SGH. In the years 2002–2010 the chairman of the Solidarity Trade Union at the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) and was a member of the university senate with an advisory vote
Scientific and research interests:
- the 1970s – idea of socialism German and Austrian thought
- 1980s – transformations in local communities
- 1990s – transformation of the economy and society in free market environment
- Since 2004: cultural determinants of economic and social development
Selected publications (in Polish)
- Socjologia gospodarki [Sociology of the economy] (with L. Gilejko, J. Gardawski i R. Towalski), Difin Publishers, Warszawa 2006; 2. ed. 2007
- Chrześcijaństwo jako fundament kultury europejskiej, [Christianity As the foundation of the European Culture], in: Studia i Prace KES, zeszyt naukowy 13, Warszawa 2007, OW SGH
- Chrześcijaństwo a ekspansja cywilizacji zachodniej (Christianity and the expansion of Western civilization], SGH Publishers, Warszawa 2009
- Idea wielokulturowości. Tradycja Rzeczypospolitej a doświadczenia obecne [The Idea of Multiculturalism – Polish Historical Tradition and Current Experience], SGH Publishers, Warszawa 2010
- Chrześcijaństwo i konfucjanizm jako kulturowe stymulatory rozwoju gospodarczego. Zachód i Azja Wschodnia [Christianity and Confucianism as cultural stimulators of economic development. West and East Asia], (in print, SGH Publishers)
- Azjatycki model rozwoju na przykładzie Chin i Japonii [Asian development model: example of China and Japan], in: K. Górak-Sosnowska, J. Jórewicz (editors), Kulturowe uwarunkowania rozwoju w Azji i Afryce, Łódź 2010, Ibidem Publishers.
Classes: lectures on sociology, sociology of economy and sociology of labour, social anthropology and European civilization
Hobbies: chess, bridge, ancient history, Eastern culture