Culture, Education and the Society: József Eötvös the Altruist Centralist

Abstract

The politician ’s, the writer ’s, the lawyer 's and the educator ’s role existed in symbiosis in JózsefEötvös ’s life. Using a favoured expression ofsocial sciences Eötvös can be called a ‘homo politicus ’. This term is also appropriate as in the 1840s Eötvös, together with the socalled centralists, with whom he shared similar political view, approached the most significant social problems of their age from a liberal position but, in a sui generis manner, among oppositional members. They considered the possibilities provided by the Gutenberg galaxy as a channel of socialization and saw their role of publicist and writer as a tool of education for political culture. That is the reason why contemporary reviews considered ‘The Village Notary ’ the first great Hungarian realistic novel. Presenting the non-conformist way of life of a highwayman the writer was able to show a false mirror to the society.