The Scope and Meaning of the Term “Police” in the Political Literature at the Close of the Noble Republic

Abstract

The term “police” is derived from the Greek term “politei” which denotes an initial system of state. Since the 16^th century, particularly in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, it has functioned as the synonym of the term “administration”. In Poland, since the 18^th century, despite the lack of the reception of the assumptions of the West-European police studies, the term started to be used in that sense. Polish political writers, starting with Stanisław Leszczyński and ending with the authors of the reform of the state’s political system presented at the Four-Year Sejm, made an attempt at defining the term “police”. The term was understood in a variety of ways, for most writers it meant state’s internal order but it also denoted service administration such as fire, construction, medical or traffic police, that is all services whose aim was to secure social prosperity and well-being. The scope of police tasks often included the judiciary system. The police issue was in the scope of interest of the writers supporting the reforms as well as of their opponents, of those who admired the republican system as well as of the advocates of the concept of a strong state following the example of absolute monarchies. However, a vast majority of Polish authors did not understand the term “police” as a means of strengthening the power of the state but as a means of reassuring good order, that is social security, peace and quiet.