„Nie złodziej, lecz sprawny”. Uwagi o językowym odwróceniu wartości w satyrach Ignacego Krasickiego

The subject of criticism in Ignacy Krasicki’s satires is, apart from an array of phenomena of his contemporary society, such use of language which results in falsification of the described reality. As a result, instead of naming negative phenomena and attitudes directly, by their proper names, the language is used to justify them, e.g. through various euphemisms or positively valuating epithets (Złość ukryta i jawna), or even to invert the value of misdeeds, shown as something good (Palinodia). Krasicki often shows environments (such as a court in the satire Życie dworskie) where appearances are predominant, where “politeness” means more than truth and good. The language loses its normal communicative ability, serving hollow conversation, game or manipulation. This problem is of universal character, appears to a varied degree and in various forms almost always and everywhere, and this, to a large degree, makes Krasicki’s satires still relevant