The Role of the Market in the Bulgarian Revival

The main purpose of the paper is to outline some of the peculiar and more specific manifestations of market processes in Bulgarian society during the last few decades before the Liberation (1878). With the formation of the Bulgarian nation, the market forces format and rationalize its development. It is important to emphasize, however, that the market process is not a universal instrument for immediately achievement of social harmony and socio-political nirvana. In the first place, the creative destruction caused by the market gives rise to some discontent. The overall assessment of the role of market processes, however, is rather positive. They affect positively practically all major aspects of Bulgarian social life. Education is becoming more adequate, meaningful and humane. Market instruments allow creation of sustainable structures for the cultural improvement of Bulgarians and for solving certain social problems. These forces have a positive effect not just because they lead to material enrichment. Even when their manifestations are loaded with “negative” moral evaluations, they actually make Bulgarians more humane: they reduce violence, help find a spouse, promote cultural progress and show what should not be traded.