Logika w służbie polityki – Wzorzec dowodów politycznych Gottfrieda Wilhelma Leibniza i jego (nie)wpływ na elekcję roku 1669

Abstract

The purpose of this text is to conduct an interdisciplinary (with particular emphasis on philosophy, history and legal logic) analysis of the causes, course and effects of the election of the year 1669. In 1668 King John II Casimir abdicated the Polish-Lithuanian throne and left for France. As a result of his decision, the Commonwealth was once again left without a monarch, thus another election was necessary. The favourites in the race for the Polish crown – still valuable though tarnished by John II Casimir’s poor policy – were four candidates, each of whom was keenly interested in the royalty. The profile of the second candidate, Duke Philip William Wittelsbach of Neuburg who was married to one of Sigismund III Vasa’s daughter, is connected with the work of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz titled Specimen Demonstrationum Politicarum Pro Eligende Rege Polonorum (An Essay on Political Demonstrations for the Election of the King of Poland). Yet it should be remembered that apart from serving the purpose of propaganda, Leibniz’s work also included general thoughts regarding historical and political matters. The author had decided to go beyond the imposed guidelines referring to the campaign of a particular candidate and created a universal scientific work. A natural consequence of Leibniz’s theory of legal argumentation is the need to create new discourses whose intellectual roots lie within the broad spectrum of mediaeval doctrines (Ramon Llul).