Piotr Mieszkowski on the Senate of the Commonwealth. Some Remarks on the 17th Century Polish Republicanism

Piotr Mieszkowski is one of the forgotten republican writers of 17th century Poland. His reflections on the political system of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are the culmination of the debates that took place in the 16th century. In his treatise Polonus Iure Politus, Mieszkowski presents a mature perspective on the proper system of the Polish-Lithuanian state, which merges the Roman republican tradition and the achievements of Polish political philosophy of the Renaissance, its golden age. According to Mieszkowski, the Senate of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is of particular importance. The author of the article proves that Mieszkowski is one of the representatives of a group of constitutionalists of 17th century Commonwealth who considered the senate the crucial element of the political system, ensuring its durability and stability. The necessary condition for fulfilling this role, however, is the cultivation of republican virtues.