Republic and Monarchy as the Main Line of the Division of the Forms of Government in the Political and Legal Thought of Andrzej Maximilian Fredro

Abstract

The article presents the concept of Andrzej Maximilian Fredro’s division of political regimes which is based on the antonym of a republic and a monarchy. The first part is focused on the doctrinal sources of the concept. The influence of Aristotle and Polybius is especially stressed here. In the second part, there is the description of Fredro’s vision of the republic in the historic context of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. A special interest is given to point the main advantages which Fredro finds in this political regime. Another part presents Fredro’s vision of monarchy by pointing differences in relation to its classical concept. The attitude toward freedom is treated as the critical feature that distinguishes republic between monarchy. The next part deals with the position of the king in the mixed form of government by describing Fredro’s model of rector. The final conclusion points that Fredro’s antonym of a republic and a monarchy adjusts the classical model of the division of forms of governments to the experience of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and expresses a strong preference for freedom. Due to Fredro’s defense of republican regime is close to Montesquieu’s explanation of the division of power.