Date of Award
1-1-2010
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College/School/Department
Department of History
Content Description
1 online resource (xii, 321 pages) : illustrations (some color)
Dissertation/Thesis Chair
Nadieszda Kizenko
Committee Members
Dan S White, Richard Fogarty
Keywords
Bezpieka, Communism, ethics, morality, Poland, security service, Communist ethics, Secret service
Subject Categories
European History | Other History
Abstract
In recent years the historical literature on the communist system has grown to significant proportions, yet it has not made a comprehensive attempt to answer the empirical question of how successful communist regimes were in inculcating their moral principles into societies. But the empirical conflict between ethics and realityb is crucial to understanding why communism eventually failed. My dissertation makes the first attempt to juxtapose the communist code of ethics, the morality it preached, and the ideal it championed, with ethical dilemmas, moral transgressions, and legal violations of the "purest of the pure" - communist security functionaries.
Recommended Citation
Murat, Leszek, "Promiscuous pioneers of morality : the code of ethics of a secret service functionary in communist Poland as set by law and practice, 1944-1989" (2010). Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024). 224.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/legacy-etd/224