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Introduction
Poland,likeothercountries,isaplacewhereindividuals,families,andlocalcom-
munitieshavetheirownsenseofmaterialwell-beingandpoverty,justiceand
exploitation,subjectivityandrestrictionsoffreechoice,developmentandstagnation,
orawayofreferringtotheworldandpeople.Moreover,thesocietyasawholehasits
ownspecificdevelopmentprocesses.Comparedtotheleadersoftheglobaleconomy,
wearerecordholders:weworkforaminimumwage,weliveinadegradednatural
environment,butatthesametimeweareleadersintermsofGDPgrowthrate,in-
novationGoutsiders”,weformanationalmonolith,scarredbyapoliticaldivisioninto
twoPolandswithhomogeneouscultureandnationalconservatism,remaininginop-
positiontothelogicofuniversalism.Wealsohavemanyothermoreorlessspecific
potentialitiesindicatedbyluminariesofvarioussciencesandintellectuals,aswellas
barriersresultingfromdisproportionate,enclave-like,diffusion-polarisationdevelop-
ment,excludingentiresocialgroupsfrommodernisationanditsbenefits,aswellas
fromwealthmultiplicationandparticipatinginit.Knowledgeofthissocial,regional
andnationalspecificity,itsconditionsandconsequencesforabetterfutureremains
extremelyimportant.
Theexistingcircumstancesareimportantdeterminantsoftherangeofpossible
choicesandofeffectivenessofactions.Amongthem,pathdependence,i.e.attach-
menttotherulesofthoughtandactioninheritedbysubsequentgenerations,isone
ofthefundamentaldeterminantsofthefuture.Therefore,theserootsoffailureand
successmustbescrutinised.Inthissense,historicalknowledgebecomesateacherof
life,providedthatinamazeoffactsandcoincidences,wecandiscovertheprinciples
ofactionofpeoplewhoperformvariousrolesinthestructureofeconomic,social
andpoliticalsystems,andtheresultingconsequencesforthecourseofrealprocesses
fromthelinksbetweenthesefactsandcoincidences.Forthispurpose,areduction-
istapproach,methodologicalindividualismandmechanisticmodelsofresearching
developmenttrendsarenotenough.Suchperceptionomitsmanyimportantfactors
determiningthequalityoflife,promotestheobjectificationofpeople,dehumanisa-
tionofbusiness,andleadstomistakingmeansforgoals.
Itisnecessarytorefertotheholisticapproachandrespectthelinkbetweeneco-
nomicsandotherareasofhumanexistenceandaction.Thisiswherehistorycan