The Thoughts of Jadwiga Zamoyska on Upbringing

Abstract

Jadwiga Zamoyska's main task was to bring up young women Poles, Christians, future wives, mothers and housewives. Her conception of upbringing has clear-cut aims, laws, it says about obstacles, methods and means. The aims determine man's attitude towards God, his neighbour and himself. Defining accurately the way to achieve perfection, Zamoyska paid particular attention to the laws which govern upbringing, principles and obstacles in the way to accomplish the goal. Discussing the natural, supernatural, state, Church laws and pinpointing the obstacles, she separated the good from the evil. Among the principles which embrace the totality of man's development she paid particular attention to the prevention of the evil by way of spreading the good and overcoming the evil, by means of the good. Moreover, she paid attention to fulfilling one's everyday duties well and making good use of one's time. The methods and means of upbringing emphasize harmony in manual, intellectual and spiritual work. Self-breeding and physical work have a special place in her conception. An analysis of the hitherto methods draws one to a conclusion, namely that Zamoyska took care about a good pattern for her pupils. She herself made efforts to be one to the utmost. The conception which she created, as it results from the present paper, is characterized by coherency and Christian openness to the truth and the good.