Is Stanisław Leszczyński’s Conversation between a European and an Islander from the Kingdom of Dumocala a social utopia?

Abstract

The writing output of the Polish King Stanisław Leszczyński (1677–1766) includes a work in the genre of social utopia, namely the Conversation of a European with an Islander from the Kingdom of Dumocala. This work is certainly less well known than Leszczyński’s most famous treatise A Free Voice insuring Freedom. Although considered not very original by the standards of the classical utopias of the Enlightenment era, it is an interesting subject for deeper analysis and scientific research. It can even be said that the text in question is one of Leszczyński’s least known works and has not, as yet, been the subject of detailed studies. Therefore, the main purpose of this article is to try to clear any doubts about whether Leszczyński’s text constitutes a utopia sui generis. This was pointed out primarily by Aleksander Świętochowski, in whose opinion the Conversation between a Europeans... does not meet the criteria required of social utopias. The research hypotheses posed in this article concern the issue of lawmaking in utopias and why this topic is usually overlooked by utopists, including Stanisław Leszczyński. The author of this article also refers to other texts by Stanisław Leszczyński that deal with issues related to law, especially the ways in which it is made and applied. In this way, the author attempts to conduct a more general analysis on the law in Stanisław Leszczyński’s views and to present his reform projects related to the proper functioning of the state.