Introduction
John Gray, a prominent political philosopher, diagnoses the end of liberal illusions in his book "The New Leviathans." The author argues that the world is not moving toward universal harmony, but rather toward the return of authoritarian powers. This article analyzes why this pessimistic vision evokes such extreme emotions and why the Polish political and academic scene, instead of engaging in a substantive dialogue, is running away from the mirror that Gray holds up to us.
Anthropological pessimism and global reception
John Gray is a thinker who shatters the belief in the teleology of progress. His diagnosis of modernity is controversial because it undermines the foundations of liberalism, arguing that history does not follow a moral arc. In the academic world, Gray is viewed as a "pessimistic successor to Hobbes." While think tanks like the Carnegie Endowment adapt his theses on multipolar realism for pragmatic purposes, the guardians of liberal axiology see him as a heretic undermining the very meaning of human rights.
Contemporary "new Leviathans"—Russia, China, and the West—are, according to Gray, different models of 21st-century feudalism. In this vision, the state is not a therapist, but a guardian, which stands in contradiction to the messianic project of a state meant to "save" the nation. The juridification of ethics, or the shifting of moral conflicts into courtrooms, paralyzes debate by replacing real politics with procedures.
The feudalization of parties and Poland's fear of diagnosis
Polish political parties avoid confronting Gray because his theses expose their tribal games. The right, the left, and the center all use evasive tactics: the right seeks an alibi for authoritarianism, the left rejects him as a reactionary, and the center remains silent so as not to disrupt its European facade. This is an "escape from the mirror"—Poland is afraid to admit that its disputes are merely echoes of the global collapse of liberal narratives.
The Polish party system has undergone feudalization. Parties have become power cooperatives where loyalty to the leader is more important than the platform. The Social Dialogue Council, instead of being a forum for debate, serves as a facade that preserves a system in which citizens are merely subjects of party barons.
State engineering and sovereignty
To increase the state's resilience, reforms are necessary: open primary elections, full transparency of party finances, and limits on the accumulation of positions. Energy and technological sovereignty (system interoperability, open APIs) are crucial to ensure Poland does not become a digital colony. Schools must abandon their role as a "church" in favor of becoming a workshop, teaching causal logic and information hygiene.
Media pluralism, supported by transparent funding, is essential to protect debate from the monopoly of global platforms. Only through cold state engineering, rather than metaphysical myths, can Poland survive in the age of Leviathans.
Summary
Gray's essay leaves us with a question about the future: can we learn from history and build a state resistant to the temptations of Leviathans? Poland must stop running from uncomfortable questions. The key to survival is abandoning the illusion of salvation in favor of a pragmatic administration that protects citizens instead of serving party elites. Reflecting on Gray's thought is the first step toward regaining intellectual sobriety in politics.
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