Public Knowledge in Cold War Poland: Scholarly Battles and the Clash of Virtues, 1945-1956

This book challenges the traditional narrative of Sovietization and proposes that it was an attempt to force scholars to adopt new academic and civic virtues. It failed in Poland, leading to a struggle against these virtues that united Marxist and non-Marxist scholars. It invites the reader to consider virtues as a framework for reflecting on scholarly practice and authoritarian regimes.

Format: Hardback
Length: 258 pages
Publication date: 22 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the profound public debates that unfolded in the early years of the Cold War in Poland. The author takes a bold stance by challenging the prevailing narrative of the 'Sovietization' of Central and Eastern European countries, suggesting that it should be viewed as an attempt to impose rapid adoption of new academic and civic virtues rather than a mere spread of Marxist ideology or a Soviet institutional model. The author argues that this project encountered significant obstacles in Poland, leading to a united front of Marxist and non-Marxist scholars who opposed these new virtues. Spanning the trajectory of Polish scholarly debates, the book invites readers to extend their exploration beyond Poland and utilize the concept of virtues as a valuable framework for examining the foundations of scholarly practice and the intricate nature of authoritarian regimes that strive to shape scholars into 'virtuous' individuals.

This captivating book delves into the profound public debates that unfolded in the early years of the Cold War in Poland. The author takes a bold stance by challenging the prevailing narrative of the 'Sovietization' of Central and Eastern European countries, suggesting that it should be viewed as an attempt to impose rapid adoption of new academic and civic virtues rather than a mere spread of Marxist ideology or a Soviet institutional model. The author argues that this project encountered significant obstacles in Poland, leading to a united front of Marxist and non-Marxist scholars who opposed these new virtues. Spanning the trajectory of Polish scholarly debates, the book invites readers to extend their exploration beyond Poland and utilize the concept of virtues as a valuable framework for examining the foundations of scholarly practice and the intricate nature of authoritarian regimes that strive to shape scholars into 'virtuous' individuals.

Weight: 670g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032549491