Against the background of the discussions taking place at present about the future shape of a transformed polish economy this paper recalls a similar discussion which greatly absorbed theorists of economics and economic policy and practicians of economic life in the early years of Polish independent statehood (1918-1928). The axis of the reflections is the problem of the role of the state in the economy both - if present-day terms were to be used - in the so called real sphere and in the regulatory sphere. The paper detachedly presents but painstakingly justifies the attitudes of both extreme liberals and staunch champions of state control while the reader is left the pleasure to draw conclusions from this historical lessonZadanie pt...