Political power in the reflection of Social Pedagogy humanism

Abstract

The article presents the complex and multifaceted history of power as a political phenomenon and humanism as a system of moral values with an emphasis on their humanitarian sense i.e. on the mechanisms regulating interpersonal relations. Both power and the area of universal humanism are phenomena that are very strongly dependent on time and the conditions that time shapes and imposes on reality, both in the area of human social behavior and economic conditions in which successive generations and various cultural formations of specific societies exist.

Human history quite clearly shows the dominance of power over elements of culture. Nature of power, which may manifest itself in the form of “service” or in the form of “dominion” is the factor which determine the quality of social life and shape the quality of human culture.
The distinction between these two forms of power goes back to the religious sources of the books of the New Testament and to the oldest documents of Greek philosophy – Aristotle and the Stoics. The practice of ancient and medieval, power led to the permanent formation of power as a tool of domination. This was most clearly manifested in the concepts of Machiavellianism at the beginning of the 16th century.

Moreover this article illustrates historical examples of “servant” and “reigning” rulers. Unfortunately, the dominance of one type is overwhelming. At the same time in the narrative of universal history one can notice the exceptional treatment of all powers, regardless of their documented guilt and cruelty. Leniency towards the ruling power is astonishing, considering the continuity of cruelty and crimes that burden the authorities from antiquity to the present day. The 20th century leaves no illusions that in the conflict between the values of humanism and its main value – human dignity the undisputed winner is “authority”.