Visuomenės ir valstybės valdymo modelio paieškos XX a. pradžios lietuvių katalikų intelektualų darbuose
Searching for a model of community and state governance in works of Lithuanian Catholic intellectuals (at the beginning of 20th century)

Summary/Abstract: The article considers the question of self-government as an effective form of political democracy in the works of Lithuanian Catholic intellectuals at the beginning of the 20th century (A. Kaupas, S. Šultė, A. Civinskas, K. Šaulys, J. Staugaitis and others). These intellectuals linked the realization of political democracy with such an arrangement of state and public life which could guarantee for every citizen a possibility of using the voting right, freedom of speech and press. The arrangement and type of rule, constitutional monarchy or republic, is of secondary importance. The main criterion of its acceptability is how it helps to achieve welfare of the people following the ideas of Christianity and not violating the natural human rights. That depends on the wisdom of leaders as well as on the civic maturity of the governed people. The latter may be developed by self-government. In the opinion of Catholic sociologists (especially J. Staugaitis, S. Šultė, A. Kaupas) it is the most effective form of social governing. Catholics disclosed advantages of democratic self-governing as well as its requirements to individuals and deprecated “the only correct” form of social self-governing propagated by the Bolsheviks – dictatorship of proletariat, more exactly, of the party. Emphasizing the priority of natural human rights (among them the right to elect and to be elected and after being elected to report regularly to the electorate) and the necessity for the state to respect them, the Catholics defended individuals both from autocratic and totalitarian (dictatorship of proletariat) omnipotence. In this manner they cherished the need for democracy and a corresponding arrangement of public and state life. In their turn these outlooks urged Catholic sociologists to take a more active social position, and oriented them towards their practical implementation. Supporting the cooperation movement, creating economical, educational, and charitable societies, urging their co-nationals to take part in election of self-government and themselves taking part in them, they were shaping the national consciousness for the future political and social economic reforms.

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