Our objectives and principles

The Centre for Political Thought in Krakow, Poland is an independent think-tank promoting individual freedom and responsibility, the free market, liberal democracy, the rule of law, and the idea of a limited state. We believe that tradition and religion play an important role in shaping moral agents and citizens. We are convinced that people may improve morally within communities but, because of their lower instincts are not able to achieve moral perfection without assistance; therefore, these instincts should be mitigated by customary rules and if necessary by law. We believe that societies are based on complex systems of values which are basically consistent. It is our view that pluralism of values is not conducive to their objective incommensurability. We believe democracy to be based on pre-democratic values and rules which may not be democratically changed. We do not think that a contract constitutes the foundation of a society and of the relations between citizens and the state, although it plays an important role in some of these relations. We are convinced that a free market is necessary for human welfare and individual freedom and responsibility, but we do not think that all aspects of life may be based on free market rules. We believe that law is not the will of the people or of the political power because there are general norms of natural law which legal statutes must comply with.