Acta Historica Universitatis Klaipedensis

In order to find out whether there is a possibility for developing environmental protection policy in Thomas Hobbes’ political theory, the publication examines Hobbes’ approach to man, biotic and abiotic nature, and their interrelationships in natural and civil states. The author of the article argues that although Hobbes does not imagine a social contract that includes irrational plants and animals, there is a possibility in his political system to represent the interests of nature, and to create environmental policy taking into account the role of the Hobbesian sovereignty in civil society.

In the article, we analyse the natural right of parents to raise their children, the law arising from their being natural parents and bringing children into the world. We make an analysis of the problematical understanding of natural law and rights. These form not only the point of view of the right education and the educational powers of separate individuals (parents), but also of all of society and the state. We analyse the challenges to the modern Western world which questions the ability of parents to raise their children in the best and most acceptable way to them. We delve deeper into the pre-Christian understanding of natural rights and laws exposed in the reflections and conceptual understanding of the Ancient philosophers, as well as the Christian approach in understanding the natural law and rights of parents on the understanding of children’s education, analysing and understanding the guidelines presented by the Pontifical Council for the Family, and looking at the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church’s concept of education.

We will analyse the cultural phenomenon as a product created by human genius. We will ask how works the interaction of culture and human life today and how cultural transformation influences the process of modelling perceptions of man himself. We will analyse how the cultural perception of what is “normal” or what is “value” is replaced by what is pleasant and useful. How a new concept of normality and value is created. We are creating a society on the foundation of exceptions without borders or a respectful and tolerant society?

The article presents the first programme of publishing Lithuanian secular literature in Prussian Lithuania proposed and carried out by Martin Ludwig Rhesa, professor of Königsberg University. The first publication of Donelaitis’ poem The Seasons prepared by Rhesa will be discussed by assessing Rhesa’s contribution to it: the editing, translation, and provision of the scientific part (a research study-article and scientific comments). The first reviews of The Seasons which started appearing in Königsberg and Germany in the period of 1818 to 1820 will be examined.

The article deals with the political and spiritual characteristics of Kristijonas Donelaitis’ epoch that affected the formation of the pioneer of the Lithuanian secular literature and made an impact on the content of his literary works. The significance of the political and spiritual reforms for the preservation of the language and culture of Prussian Lithuanians via the church and school is highlighted; attention is drawn to the fact the the modernization of the state had a positive effect on the linguistic and educational situation of ethnic minorities due to which the intellectuals of the Enlightenment epoch paid attention to the cultural and linguistic situation of the ethnic group of Lithuanians.