Publication details
Morálne pozadie spolkov miernosti na území Slovenska v 19. storočí
| Title in English | The Moral Basis of the Temperance Movement in the area of present-day Slovakia in the 1840s |
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | This lecture is about the moral basis of the temperance movement in the area of present-day Slovakia in the 1840s. The author analyses the books and texts of the leaders of the third period of the Slovak national movement – Ľ. Štúr, M.M. Hodža, and J. M. Hurban – who fought against the consumption of alcoholic beverages. He describes and compares their recommendations and rationales for abstinence from hard liquor. As emerges from the analysis, the folk character of these leaders’ thought is visible in their naturalistic and depictive physiological arguments (but their lack of expertise may be also the reason for this). In their campaign, these authors also argued on the basis of the economic benefit of abstinence to individuals, families, communities and society in general. Their moral position was based on information, statistics, and stories from the United States, Ireland, Poland, and the Czech lands. Abstaining from alcohol, they argued, will result in profit and personal growth as a reward from God. The theological arguments of M. M. Hodža were also based on the promise of God's reward and the threat of revenge in the terrifying style of the Old Testament. The approach of Hodža and Hurban is strict, unmerciful, authoritative and hierarchical. On the contrary, the attitude of Ľ. Štúr is understandingly and fatherly, but the reason for this is to be found in his different target audience (students, intellectuals, potential founders of new temperance associations). The morality of all these authors is based on the virtues, and on the sense of obligation following upon the inclination towards higher interests (the uplifting and emancipation of the Slovak nation, the G.W.F. Hegel and J.G. Herder way). They describe their followers as the heroes who will save the Slovak nation from humiliation and subjugation. This messianism and idealization in the works of the leaders of Štúr’s movement is typical, as much for the individuals as for the temperance movement itself. |