The book “Ukraine – between War and Peace” (Home Wydawnictwo Miśl Polska 2023) was published by us on the occasion of the publication of the book “The Ukraine – between War and Peace” – a collection of articles by prof. Stanisław Bielenia (under the title “Under the Current of the Call of the Dead”), which have been published in our publications in the last 3 years.
Partly, this book came from our inspiration, due to the fact that we wanted prof. Bielenia's publicist not to "die" in a larger collection of texts which we included in the book "Ukraine – between war and peace". First of all, due to the rank of this writer and author, who has been a recognized investigator of global relations for many years, besides known outside Poland. It is remarkable that the scientist of this rank was placed on the alleged black list and subjected to environmental ostracism, which is compromising for the planet of Polish discipline and is an illustration of its moral decline, the failure of those values which were of the importance of this environment, besides during the period of the Polish People's Republic. Opportunism and cowardice are now the dominant phenomenon.
In a publishing review Dr Lech Mażewski writes:
"Since the time of the Bar confederation (1768-1772), many Poles believe that the reason for Poland's existence is to fight Russia – regardless of the chance of winning. If Poland does not fight Russia, it loses the right existence, they seem to think. Stanislaw Bielen, a supporter of realism in the sciences of politics, surely does not share this view. For this reason, experts in global relations of the Eurasian colossus is not any mythical empire of evil. "Russia plays an crucial function in global relations in an nonsubjective sense, as a associate in the Western community, but as a counterweight," he notes. It should so not be amazing to have an opinion on the views of the president of the Russian Federation: "According to Putin, no imagination of global governance can be dominated by a single universalized strategy of values and a single strategy model". Therefore, it would be unacceptable to proceed to keep the de-liberal dominance of the planet with the United States as the primary. And we learn that "Poland has a unique chance to decision to a function which is simply a logical consequence of its position in the mediate of Europe – a «shrewd intermediary» in the Euro-Atlantic-Euro-Asian system". This is something completely different than the ever-emplicable view of Mark Porciusz Katon about the ancient Carthage, but present it would be Russia that would be destroyed, and Poland would participate in it.
Realism appears in Polish political reasoning usually after the terrible disasters of anti-Russian insurrections; this was so both after the fall of the January 1863 Uprising and the Warsaw uprising in the summertime of 1944. Must there be atomic Armageddon for Poles to sober up, provided that any of us survive? In order to guarantee that the transition to more realistic behaviour in politics is not so costly this time, we should at least effort to realize the conflict in Ukraine. This is well served by the book Bielenia, which does not request to be “a vain cry against the current.”
At the end of this presentation, let us give the level to the Dear Author:
"There would not be this book if it were not for the circumstances that decided on the interior request to respond to dynamic changes and processes in both political and individual life. The war in Ukraine caused massive emotional uplift, to the detriment of reasoning and rational cold analysis. My opinions and comments met with misunderstanding and environmental oppression. Contrary to local “makkartists” and “sycophants”, I began to talk in a wider forum than the University, believing that asking questions about the legitimacy and senselessness of war and calling for dialog and seeking a peaceful compromise at all level of social life are most legitimate and even necessary.
Carrying the baggage of professional experience from the past half century, I believe that academic freedom obliges not only to care for university autonomy, but besides to practice discipline as a critical thought towards all phenomena around us world. I do not want political discipline to become a ‘dworska’ and ‘servilistic’ discipline again. Not even with a peculiar power, but with all the dogmas of neoliberal capitalism. In the field of political sciences and global relations, researchers must not stay indifferent, and all the more obsequious, to the applicable doctrine and the superimposed correctness. Only then will we defend a free (and democratic) society if, as people of science, we critically review and constructively inspire the rulers, as well as broad social circles, to think based on realism and sound education. Only it allows a better knowing of complex reality and triggers in people the reflexes of opposition and protest erstwhile needed.
Invited by Mrs. Editor Anna Leszkowska from “The Science” and Mr. Editors of “Polish Thoughts” Jan Engelgard and Dr. Mateusz Piskorski, I found that the best way to argue are not verbal “conversations” in cabinets and crucures, but open statements, even if they were written “under the current” of the popular opinion. This created a series of essays on the most current topics, straight burning, related to the dramatic increase in tensions on the global stage, their detonation in the form of a war in Ukraine, and yet existential problems of discipline and university in Poland. The repetitions contained in them were only meant to strengthen the power of authorial persuasion. They are besides a evidence of the author's reasoning at specified dates of publication of the time.
First of all, I defend the position that the essence of academic freedom is the right to express doubts and to ask even the most uncomfortable questions. I powerfully object to the claim that the usage of freedom can lead to dangerous “devolution” which, from the point of view of “sycophants” and of all authorship of “signalists”, threatens heresy against the current “political correctness”. In fact, we have faced a dilemma one more time in history, in so far as political discipline should be "apolitical". After the unpleasant experiences at the University's home, connected with crossing the boundaries of this correctness, I rapidly decided that this time, at the end of my professional commitment, I would not be forced into any "rail", imposed free academic thought by zealous officers and blunt bureaucrats. All the more reason why I do not gotta give in to the only communicative from the mouth of the political government and the ideologicalised mainstream media.
Prof. Stanisław Bielen and ed. Jan Engelgard
So I would like to thank the editors of discipline and Polish Thoughts, that they not only encouraged me to speak, but besides extended their "helpful hand" in moments of expanding oppressive attitudes. I am aware that with my "call" I do not gotta convince those convinced of the "realist" imagination of reality, and I leave my opponents with the hope that with the change of circumstances they will gradually approach liberation from the regulatory truths and ideological dogmas,
The most hard situation is those who put the war on the right communicative in Ukraine after the outbreak. In Poland no 1 always admits mistakes in politics or in science, not to mention mass media. 1 can, of course, gradually decision on to the fresh facts and yet admit that reality is different from what it was originally presented (and was mistakenly created). The worst option, however, may be the fresh aggressive offensive of all “pseudopatriots” based on “proukrian zelotism” who do not announcement the traps that naive, reckless and deprived of thorough cognition of the amateur world.
So I would like to dedicate this collection of political essays to anyone whose way is simply a public debate about the most crucial issues for the existence of national and modern identity. So that we do not lose the most crucial sensitivity of the academic planet – the sensitivity to the truth!
The recipients of my peculiar thanks are the editors Jan Engelgard and Przemysław Piasta and the publisher Mr Jan Rodzim, without whom it would be impossible to print this book.”
Stanislaw Bielen, "Under the Current of the Call in vain", Oficyn Wydawnictwo ASPRA JR (in cooperation with the Publishing home of Myśl Polska), Warszawa 2023, p. 368.
The book can be purchased at the Polish thought Online Bookshop: thinkpolska.info/Shop
In the photo: Prof. Stanisław Bielen and Dr. Mateusz Piskorski during a gathering at the cafe “At the Crossroad”
