Property and its role as interpreted by Polish agrarianists 1933 – 1946

Abstract

The concept of ownership formulated by Polish agrarianists assumed the creation of a new socio-economic system, pluralistic with regard to the forms of ownership, based on small private ownership in agriculture, craft and retail trade as well as co-operative, self-government and state ownership in the remaining branches of the economy. Opting for maintenance and popularisation of individual ownership (agrarians did not treat it); however, as the absolute (sacred) right, but an institution subjected to social control. They did not condemn variation in financial status, though at the same time, they definitely rejected both far-fetched disproportions in ownership (characteristic of capitalism) as well as equality in the field postulated by communists. Apart from the socio-economic functions, the agrarianists assigned an important political role to ownership. In their opinion, it constituted the protection of a citisen’s property, the guarantee of their freedom and the way to a truly democratic political system. Relatedly, they put great emphasis on popularisation and protection of the individual, co-operative and self-governed ownership and referred to state ownership, characteristic of totalitarianism, with great caution.