The sum or the difference, or, who is a Polish patriot? Divagations about contemporary cultural myths

Abstract

The first part of the question in the title refers to two slogans that are simultaneously two axiological triads; these triads (God–Honour–Home Country and Freedom–Equality–Brotherhood) were previously the subject of my investigations. It looks like they constitute the basic components of Polish contemporary imagination, containing an important symbol for Polish imagination and phenomena, symptomatic of emotions and ethics. One should note the meaning of these values’ separation. The article shows the initial contest of both slogans as well their importance and trans-formed contemporary meaning. Using as an example the selected texts of literature, both critical and journalistic, the paradox of Polish patriotism has been presented, where “everybody” identifies with and at the same time excludes “those different than me.” Attention was paid to the domination of the sacrifice model of patriotism in Polish culture, in opposition to other models: critical and “minimalistic” ones.