FRANCISZKA SAWICKIEGO KRYTYKA IDEOLOGII RASISTOWSKIEJ

JAROSŁAW BABIŃSKI

doi:10.21697/stv.2015.53.2.08

Published: 2016-09-20

Vol. 53 No. 2 (2015)

Francis Sawicki’s Criticism of Racist Ideology

JAROSŁAW BABIŃSKI

Studia Theologica Varsaviensia

Section: Varia

https://doi.org/10.21697/stv.2015.53.2.08

Abstract

Racism, especially in Nazi ideology, it is currently the issue that is still painful and causing emotions. That was also in the interwar period, when the world watched in disbelief the actions of totalitarian-racist system in Germany. Many intellectuals strongly opposed to this ideology. Pelplin thinker, Fr. Francis Sawicki, was one of them. Criticism of racism was one of the key themes of his publications in the interwar period.Father Francis Sawicki as a Pomeranian of origin was a citizen of two cultures: German and Polish. He enjoyed a great scientific authority in both areas of language in which he worked. Therefore his attitude to racism was very important. His intran- sigent attitude towards racist ideology has caused numerous harassments against his person, especially the most spectacular example when the Nazis prevented his appointment as bishop of Gdansk.Criticizing Nazi ideology of race Sawicki indicated primarily its contradiction between Christianity, proclaiming the inalienable rights and dignity of every human person. Thus, he pointed to the Nazi hostility toward Christianity. Nazi ideologues sought to create a new, Germanic religion, based on Old Germanic myths, whose “final product” had to be clean racially new German man – Übermensch.He clearly exposes the weakness of the philosophical basis of the Nazism ideo- logy, paying also attention to the fallacy of assumptions. It shows that from the point of view of science does not exist Aryan race, but only the Aryan peoples, who by no means constitute a single race. Therefore, it is not allowed to restrict the way of explaining a man by the culture created by him with the concept of race. Modern science is unable to demonstrate a clear relationship of the manifestation of certain psychological traits with the membership of a particular race.The very notion is unclear and accepted criteria do not allow you to clearly draw the line between certain human types characterized by racial theories. Therefore, race cannot be a factor underpinning any segregation of people. Such ideas are opposed to the Christian doctrine of equivalent and equal rights for all people.Sawicki shows the incompatibility of racism, especially referring to the po- litical ideology of National Socialism and Christianity. The doctrines are both diametrically different at the same ideological bases. Christianity recognizes man universalistically, in the perspective of eschatological fulfillment of its history and the ultimate achievement of life goals in the perspective of eternity. Nazism is a typical messianic ideology, promising the ability to achieve complete happiness by man already here on the earth, which is reserved for the exclusive group of supermen through the extermination of less valuable people because of their race.

FatherFrancisSawickiasaPomeranianoforiginwasacitizenoftwocultures:GermanandPolish.Heenjoyedagreatscientificauthorityinbothareasoflanguageinwhichheworked.Thereforehisattitudetoracismwasveryimportant.Hisintran-sigentattitudetowardsracistideologyhascausednumerousharassmentsagainsthisperson,especiallythemostspectacularexamplewhentheNazispreventedhisappointment as bishop of Gdansk.

CriticizingNaziideologyofraceSawickiindicatedprimarilyitscontradictionbetweenChristianity,proclaimingtheinalienablerightsanddignityofeveryhumanperson.Thus,hepointedtotheNazihostilitytowardChristianity.Naziideologuessought to create anew,Germanicreligion, based onOldGermanicmyths,whose“finalproduct”hadtobecleanraciallynewGermanman–Übermensch.

HeclearlyexposestheweaknessofthephilosophicalbasisoftheNazismideo-logy,payingalsoattentiontothefallacyofassumptions.Itshowsthatfromthepointofviewofscience does not exist Aryan race, butonly the Aryanpeoples,whobynomeansconstituteasinglerace.Therefore,itisnotallowedtorestrictthewayofexplaining amanby the culture created byhim with the conceptof race. Modernscienceisunabletodemonstrateaclearrelationshipofthemanifestationofcertainpsychological traits with the membership of a particular race.

Theverynotionisunclearandacceptedcriteriadonotallowyoutoclearlydrawthelinebetweencertainhumantypescharacterized by racialtheories.Therefore,racecannotbeafactorunderpinninganysegregationofpeople.Suchideasareopposed to the Christian doctrine of equivalent and equal rights for all people.

Sawickishowstheincompatibilityofracism,especiallyreferringtothepo-liticalideologyofNationalSocialismandChristianity.Thedoctrinesarebothdiametricallydifferentatthesameideologicalbases.Christianityrecognizesmanuniversalistically,intheperspectiveofeschatologicalfulfillmentofitshistoryandtheultimateachievementoflifegoalsintheperspectiveofeternity.Nazismisatypicalmessianic ideology, promisingtheabilitytoachievecompletehappiness

bymanalreadyhereontheearth,whichisreservedfortheexclusivegroupofsupermenthroughtheexterminationoflessvaluablepeoplebecauseoftheirrace.

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BABIŃSKI, J. (2016). Francis Sawicki’s Criticism of Racist Ideology. Studia Theologica Varsaviensia, 53(2), 137–160. https://doi.org/10.21697/stv.2015.53.2.08

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