Polska wolność odzyskana - Czytając ks. Józefa Tischnera

When we talk about the views of fr. Jozef Tischner (1935–2000) on the importance of freedom in public life, we must remember that our modern hinking about freedom is stigmatized by repulsion for different views, marked by a group ostracism, disappointments, escapes from freedom. People are disappointed and discouraged, do not engage in public affairs, do not participate in public debates and elections. Where does it come from? To a large extent from our past. Poles were involved in uprisings and burdened with the legacy of noble individualism, traditional rebellions and fighting for freedom; while others were building civil society based on the acceptance of freedom of every human being and on the respect for law, we were forced to break the imposed law and fight for freedom in order to preserve our national identity. And in this struggle for freedom we managed to maintain solidarity. It is more difficult to live out this solidarity in every-day life and to build a common home of democratic free state governed by the rule of the law. We have problems with managing areas of freedom in the public life; we do not know how to be wisely and creatively free in every-day life.