Wolność chroniona odpowiednimi prawami najcenniejszym skarbem - według traktatu Andrzeja Wolana `De libertate politica sive civili libellus lectu non indignus'

Abstract

This article outlines the vision of freedom and its connection with the law found in Wolan's work `De libertate politica sive civili libellus lectu'. The introductory section presents the tradition of thinking about these two categories and their mutual connections, as well as presenting a profile of the author. The first principal part of the article then analyses the problem of freedom, emphasizing its relevance to the lives of individuals and states and indicating how freedom may come to be restricted in the light of both internal and external factors. The situation in Poland is also considered. The next section of the article then portrays legal frameworks as guardians of freedom. After elucidating this idea, it shows how Poles have sought to protect themselves from the tyranny of domination, before going on to identify particular flaws in the system of law and propose solutions for these. Finally, it shows the relation between freedom and the law, arguing that the best possibilities for realizing this interconnection lie in a form of government of the sort known as monarchia mixta. It argues that real freedom only exists alongside wise laws, and that good laws will not emerge in the absence of freedom.