Political thought of the Archimandrite Jovan Rajić

Abstract

This paper aims to shed some light on so far unexplored topic: the political thought of Jovan Rajić, the first Serbian author of the book about the history of the Serbian people. This will be done by analysis of his writings, as well as his actions which, in very specific social and political circumstances in Austria during second half of 18th century, undoubtedly had a political dimension. Rajić's aspiration to write the first history of Serbs was completely in line with political ambitions of Serbian people in Austria at that time. His political thought and works can be, from theoretical point of view, can be described, in short, as nationally and politically motivated Enlightenment, which was, by modernity of its political concept, completely embedded in Central European, and by form of writing in Russian political thought of his age. Considering its goals and actions, his political thought and works were a mixture of patriotism and loyalism.

U radu se nastoji osvetliti, dosad kao poseban predmet naučnog istraživanja potpuno neobrađivana politička misao tvorca prve pisane istorije srpskog naroda Jovana Rajića, kako kroz analizu njegovih radova, tako i onih njegovih postupaka koji su u veoma specifičnim društveno-političkim i istorijskim okolnostima u Austriji tokom druge polovine 18. veka nesporno imali i određenu političku dimenziju. Njegova politička misao i delo se sa teorijske tačke gledišta u najkraćem mogu oceniti kao nacionalno-politički motivisano prosvetiteljstvo koje je po modernosti teorijskog konstrukta potpuno pripadalo centralnoevropskoj, a po formi iskaza ruskoj političkoj misli njegove epohe, dok su po svojoj ciljnoj i akcionoj usmerenosti njegova politička misao i delo predstavljali mešavinu patriotizma i lojalizma.