Początki humanizmu w Polsce − problemy z cezurą
The Beginnings of Humanism in Poland − the Issue of Defining the Watershed Moment

Summary/Abstract: It is estimated that humanism first emerged in Poland in the first decades of the 15th century or at the beginning of the 16th century at the latest. The estimation depends on the definition of the phenomenon, the source material, and the methodology applied. The present article focuses on the issues that arise when attempting to define the exact moment humanism started to develop as an intellectual and cultural movement and also the issue of deciding on its early ‘markers’. What is more, it draws attention to non-literary sources that might facilitate the establishing of the watershed moment, yet at the same time pose some difficulties that might arise with their application. According to the thesis presented in the article, the first traces of humanist inclinations among Poles do not fully correspond with the emergence of humanism as a broader phenomenon. On the other hand, it is postulated that the point of inception of Polish humanism does not necessarily need to be synonymous with the movement’s dominance in all spheres of intellectual culture. It is concluded that it is difficult to establish the exact date of the emergence of humanism in Poland. The definition of such a watershed moment should rather be defined in terms of generational change and as such can be placed in a wide time bracket between the 1430s and the 1460s.

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