Anglia XVIII wieku widziana okiem Johna Adamsa
Streszczenie
The article represents a fragment of a bigger entity devoted to European affairs as
presented in J. Adams’ Journals. John Adams was one of the (leaders of the) American
revolution. In the long process ot getting to know Europe, J. Adams passed
through several stages, and the first one of them was getting acquainted with England
the country from which his ancestors came. This was done through contacts with
the European (mainly English) books easily accessible in the American market.
His deliberations on books of Hobbes, Lock, Harrington, emotions experienced
when reading Milton's and Shakespeare’s masterpieces provided a foundation on
which his vision ot Europe was built. He was indebted to the English translators
for his familiarity with Rousseau, Montesquieu, Grotius, Puffendort, and Machiavelli.
This represented an Anglo-Saxon trend in intellectual pursuits of an American
lawyer. Another channel allowing him to get „get acquainted" with Europe
was his knowledge of Greek and Latin acquired at Harvard, which would allow
(him to get an insight into treasures ot the antique literature. Nonetheless, his
interests were focussed on the English law and its political system ot which he
was a devoted adherent. While pondering over the concept of „common sense”
in the English legislation and on the unique construction of the English constitution,
John Adams reached a conclusion that it was the most stable and elastic
legal system in the world. This led to an attempt at its application for objectives
of the American revolution. J. Adams was a politician, who unlike the radicals
would try to adapt the English system of law to conditions prevailing at the time
of the revolution without, however, destroying it.