Series:Filozofia

Pascal’s Wager: Argumentation and Functioning

Zakład Pascala – argumentacja i działanie

Author(s): Marek Wójtowicz / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Pascal’s Wager; evidence for the existence of God; Faith in God; theory of probability; decision under uncertainty

The central topic of the following monograph is, as the title itself might indicate, Pascal’s Wager. This argument, proposed in his “Pensees” (“Thoughts”), constitutes one of the most profound ideas of the French philosopher. It is, however, heavily contested and discussed up until this day. The contemporary reflection on the Wager touches upon not only the conventional philosophical and theological dimensions, but also the rarely noticed mathematical or decision-making aspects. The monograph presents a comprehensive background for Pascal’s argument, foregrounding it in the context of Pascal’s biography as well as his anthropological and religious views. Moreover, the monograph touches upon the most significant – usually extremely critical – comments on the Wager which have been formulated over the last 350 years. Research presented in the monograph focuses upon the contents of the 451st passage of “Pensees”. In this study, the “canonical” version of the Wager – usually considered to be the most faithful to Pascal’s intent by his commentators – becomes the subject of detailed and critical analysis. The discussion concerns the particular claims comprising Pascal’s argumentation, which are of varied and diverse character. The strictly philosophical inquiries are connected with philosophy of religion (particularly with the analysis of the stance advocating the lack of possibility of solving the problem of God’s existence or nonexistence) as well as ethics (numerous objections to the Wager are ethical in nature), while the theological inquiries focus on the possible outcomes of wagering whether or not God exists as well as the issue of faith. Moreover, a considerable part of the monograph is devoted to research concerning the mathematical, probabilistic side of Pascal’s argument as well as decision-making in uncertain conditions. The characteristic feature of the interpretation of Pascal’s Wager presented in the monograph is the focus on the last, usually completely disregarded, part of the argument. It discusses actions that – according to Pascal – should be undertaken by a person convinced of the validity of the assumption that God exists. This addendum significantly affects the totality of Pascal’s concept. This new interpretation of the Wager is analysed according to the validity of reasoning as well as the philosophical consequences. The later parts of the monograph discuss the extent of impact of Pascal’s argument, both in relation to philosophy and religion and outside of that relation. That impact remains incredibly varied. There have been numerous attempts at both undermining the Wager once and for all as well as perfecting its original argument in order to successfully refute the objections raised against it both in the past and nowadays. Moreover, numerous concepts openly draw from the argument proposed in “Pensees” in order to resolve various problems concerning decision-making with regard to bioethics, ecology, medicine, and psychotherapy.

Understanding of the system in post-Kantian philosophy

Rozumienie systemu w filozofii pokantowskiej

Author(s): Andrzej J. Noras / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: neo-Kantian philosophy; closed system; open system

Understanding of the system of philosophy constitutes one of the fundamental problems of post-Kantian philosophy, which has undoubtedly been influenced by German idealism. Hegel's philospophy, which concludes this period, constitutes the peak of systemic thinking, and at the same time becomes a pretext for crtiticism of this way of thinking. This determines a peculiar position of neo-Kantian philosophy, whereby, on the one hand, it defends the thesis that scientific philosophy must take the form of the system, on the other hand — its representatives are aware of the impossibility of maintaining the Hegelian understanding of the system. The present book is an attempt at demonstrating these efforts.

Local man. Considerations situated in a place

Człowiek lokalny. Rozważania umiejscowione

Author(s): Aleksandra Kunce / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: locality; place; anthropology; oikology; house

The following considerations derive from listening intently to the connection between man and a place, which could be somewhat loftily called a good act of serfdom, service (in) to a place. Under examination here is local man, and along with him, a cultural experience which holds hidden in itself the philosophy of locality and a tale about a place. What would the idea of locality be? Can one travel without an idea of home? Does local man have the power to create the world? These and other questions accompany reflections on man situated in a place. // The sense of crisis in situating oneself in a place and not going through the idea of the process of settling in through experience directs us towards affirmation of locality and local man. The hope for recognition of the intricate connections between man and a place is also a developing hope for extracting the idea of locality from a simplified picture of what is familiar, archaic, monolithic and closed. The transformation in thinking about locality and local man is dictated by the hope to “ease up on” the aggressive contemporary elevation of the uprooting, mobility and a global route of culture. Behind affirmation, as a gesture confirming the significance of the situating of man in a place, lies the hope for overcoming the mythicized separation of nomadic man from settled man. A place, with its accumulated density of experiences, intertwines what is uprooted and outgoing with what is attached and settled. // Affirmation of locality, however, is not an apology of a harmonious arrangement of a home, aim, community, sense of familiarity and clarity of cognition. The experience of locality leads to a “profound thought”, that is a though definitely radical, in the spirit of Nietzsche. It comprises an experience of both chasms and power that makes one “shiver inside”. The philosophy of locality exposes man to a place, confronts him/her with a place and compels him/her to fill the place with meaning and commitment. Man situated in a place is man bound to take up his/her place and live in this place creatively, without any support from the inherited thoughtless repertoire of tools for adaptation. // The interpretation of local man is written in eight essays and is richly illustrated. In the first essay “W stronę afirmacji lokalności. Wprowadzenie”, the philosophy of locality is unfolding as a profound and affirmative thought, which would clarify the road of man according to the teaching of a place. The place is what we are waiting for and what finds us.// The second essay “Człowiek lokalny i moc tworzenia świata” derives from the willingness to seek creative power in what is seemingly sluggish, stagnant and separate. Local man is revealed in his/her power to create connection with the world, in a binding tale about a place. Then, the next essay “Sprawiedliwi. Punkty doświadczeń” seeks to support the developed idea of locality in snapshots of old people photographed in different squares of the world. It directs us to the connections between locality, old age and the idea of the just. “Metropolis, lokalność i brak metafizyczny” connects the thinking about the city with the thinking about metaphysical community, home and locality, which leads to the description of cultural practices in Paris and Barcelona, but also to pondering about a local metropolis. // The fifth essay „Lokalne rzeczy to światowe rzeczy. Śląskie miejsce” introduces us into the thinking about local space as world space because it is in a place that one begins to decide about oneself as an individual and as community man – local man is Jedermann. Silesian Görlitz, with an experience of wandering and stories of those who lost their homes, allows to consider locality in the proximity of home and wandering. In the essay “To, co na uboczu. Po co na Śląsku chodzi się do upadłych parków?”, the author addresses the experience of being, developed by local man, which is formulated right on the sidelines of life. The discussion focuses on a desolate landscape construction of the former Silesian park Fazaniec.

Man in the horizon of history and authenticity of Being. Studies in the Philosophy of Jan Patocka

Człowiek w horyzoncie dziejów i autentyczności bycia. Studia z filozofii Jana Patočki

Author(s): Dariusz Bęben / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Patocka; Czech philosophy; metaphysics; Philosophy of history; Caring for the soul; phenomenology

It is extremely difficult to identify the centre of Jan Patočka’s philosophy. This can be either the concept of natural world, but also subjective phenomenology or philosophy of history. I believe that the diversity of perspectives, and the motives that intermingle and cross with each other do not distort the centre of his thoughts, it is the struggle for authentic being of a human. Patočka addresses a human who fights for his soul which manifests in that he rejects the obvious, the absolute, the otherworldly, the certain.Patočka was critical about the history of classical metaphysics (from Plato to Husserl), believing that it aimed at what is certain and objective, and finally – absolute and eternal. He contrasted it with the Socratic uncertainty and problematicity. The concept of Patočka was particularly visible in the interpretation of Plato’s theory of ideas. The Czech philosopher showed a specific form of knowledge about the absolute transcendence with special relationship of human life to the entirety, including the primary reference to the non‑existence. Patočka emphasized the negativity as an inherent characteristic of human freedom. The horizon of this freedom is formed by temporality and historicity.Patočka’s approach to the philosophy of history is special. One can say that the concept of the Prague philosopher went beyond the framework of the classical understanding of the philosophy of history. Patočka did not treat it as a philosophical reflection on the history especially that he did not think of any historiographical reflections: the philosophy of history is not an interpretation of what happened. According to Patočka, the history always represents the history of man. The history is an objective power that is beyond the understandingof a man. On the other hand, people may only give the meaning to theirlives in the history.The history of Europe was another important topic of Patočka. Europe is a philosophical concept. When asked what was Europe, he replied by describing and clarifying its history and forces that governed it. In his deliberations, Patočka was focusing on its formation (by asking: how has Europe become Europe?) and on what happened later and was described by him as the post‑European era (why did Europe fall?). Also all that have spread between thebirth and the death, what was the course of spiritual fate of Europe, was of importance. According to Patočka, it was the caring for soul that had made the foundation of the European heritage.In the discussion concerning the meaning and the continuity of Czech history Patočka had to take the floor. Firstly, he referred to the history of the dispute, arguing against the opinions of Jungmann, Bolzana and, above all, of Masaryk. Secondly, in this context it is possible to take a wider look at the very concept of the Patočka’s philosophy of history, looking at it from the angle of its national application, in other words: from the side of the philosophical and political responsibility of individuals in their social and political lives.Because the philosophy of Patočka is closely associated with his life, the last part of the book includes his intellectual biography. It consists of two parts: the first one describes the meetings with philosophers who influenced the development of his views, starting from the Greek philosophy, through Husserl to the Comenius. All this variety of inspirations shows that the unity of the history of philosophy and the philosophy of history come to the fore in the philosophical achievements of Patočka. The second part addresses the philosophical(and personal) participation of Patočka in the political events that took place in Czechoslovakia. This is how the tragic synthesis of Socratic life and thinking took place.According to Patočka, a man who wants to live in truth must not let the calm harmony of everyday life dull him, he must open to what is disturbing and mysterious – to what is left aside by life – to be able to pass from the order of the day to the mystery of the night.

Philosophy of Technology in the Age of New Media

Filozofia techniki w dobie nowych mediów

Author(s): Andrzej Kiepas / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: philosophy of technology; philosophy; Media; New Media

The development and growing popularity of the new media on the one hand becomes the source of significant cultural and social change, but on the other hand, it constitutes a challenge for the humanities, including the philosophy of technology. Thus, digitalization leads to universalization, which, in turn, allows for a more varied use of new media, including the results of their popularization. The challenges posed to the philosophy of technology manifest, among other things, in the fact that while the discipline returns to the traditionally debated issues but concretizes them through the prism of the new circumstances arising from the development of new media. One of such issues is the relationship between technology and culture, which, in turn, poses fundamental for the philosophy of technology questions regarding technology and its place in the cultural and social order. In this respect, the monograph refers primarily to the stance of the modern German school of the philosophy of technology and engages in a discussion of the so-called reflective perspective on technology as well as the issues of digital ontology. Other debated issues include the question of the status of virtuality and the functioning of technology in the context of transcultural exchange. Moreover, the monograph touches upon various specific problems concerning the development of technology, including: – the processes of globalization and the idea of sustainable development, in which technology constitutes one of the crucial factors facilitating change;– the processes of the so-called reflective modernization, where technology becomes a factor in various risk situations;– the changes in the relationship between science and technology and their influence on the social sphere—the idea of technoscience as well as RRI (responsible research and innovations);– the perspective of the fourth industrial revolution, the so-called industry 4.0, as well as the questions concerning the liminal character of the development of the contemporary civilization, on the example of bioetics and ecophilosophy;– the necessary changes concerning science education, which should also engage in a discussion concerning STS (science, technology and society).What connects all of the abovementioned issues are the ethical questions with which they engage, in particular, the notion of responsibility, around which the author centers the main argument.Contemporary culture, as a culture of communication, poses an additional challenge to the individual, their subjectivity and identity, as well as their wisdom and rationality. As a result, the questions regarding the human nature become particularly topical alongside the popularization of the ideas of transand posthumanism. This, in turn, constitutes an additional angle for reflection on the nature and development of technology, as well as its ethical challenges, which ultimately focuses on the role of collective responsibility as an importantfactor in regulating the development of the modern civilization.

The problem of psychology in the post-kantian philosophy

Problem psychologii w filozofii pokantowskiej

Author(s): Andrzej J. Noras / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: psychology; philosophy; post-kantian philosophy

The subject of analyses undertaken in the book are concepts of the post-Kantian philosophers who, in their inquiries, referred to psychology, namely: Jakob Friedrich Fries, Friedrich Eduard Beneke, Johann Friedrich Herbart, Jürgen Bona Meyer, and Leonard Nelson. What is revealed in the course of the author’s investigations is the following. First of all, attempts to establish relationship between psychology and philosophy are not identicalwith the subsequent endeavours to found philosophy on a bedrock of psychology. Such an understanding of relations between the two has come to be known as psychologism, and does not refer to the concepts in question. Second of all, one cannot propose a single model of understanding the relation occurring between philosophy and psychology. As a source of the problem here one can indicate the interpretation of Kant’s thought put forward by Fries. The latter – to a lesser or greater degree – is referred to by the remaining thinkers. Thirdly, the author’s analyses demonstrate such a plethora of standpoints regarding the titular issue that the only common denominator may be broadly understood psychology.

Philosophy of the history of philosophy. Strong and weak models

Filozofia dziejów filozofii. Silne i słabe modele

Author(s): Vladimír Leško / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Philosophy of the history; Hegel; history of philosophy; Strong and weak models

This work has resulted from a long‑term thinking, about the relation betweenthe history of philosophy and its reflection in more or less systematic and asystematic forms of philosophizing within the most significant philosophical doctrines of the 19th and the 20th centuries. It should be noted that the main theoretical (and other) impulses for the examination of the problems in question primarily came from M. Sobotka’s works. His analysis of modern philosophy, the classical German philosophy, and Hegel’s historical‑philosophical concept in particular, has been the theoretical point of departure. In addition, this book presents research results achieved within the projects Philosophy of the History of Philosophy – basic models and results, VEGA, A, 1/4441/97 and Philosophy of the History of Philosophy – weak models, VEGA, A, 1/9238/02. The theoretical efforts of the research team enabled us to arrive at in‑depth and specific understanding of the individual models of the philosophical reception of the history of philosophy. By implication, I wish to appreciate the theoretical contribution of the other members of the research team, notably Ľ. Belás, S. Hubík, O. Sisáková, P. Tholt a M. Ješič. The main goal of this work is to philosophically introduce the most significant historical‑philosophical concepts of the 19th an the 20th centuries that established the necessary conditions for the strong and weak models ofphilosophy of the history of philosophy in the concepts of Hegel, Schelling, Marx, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Fink, Patočka and Gadamer. Some achievements of the philosophy of the history of philosophy are presented as metatheoretical motion within the historical‑philosophical thought, the purpose of which is both the empirical description of the historical‑philosophical process and understanding and accounting for it as an integral part of the most significant philosophical problems.I. Strong modelsThe history of philosophy has been an important philosophical issue ever since the origins of the philosophy of the history of philosophy. It was founded by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a prominent representative of German classical philosophy, in his legendary lectures on the history of philosophy. Hegel’s theoretical model of the relation between the history of philosophy and system‑centered philosophy contains certain characteristic features whichcan be used to identify various models of the philosophy of the history of philosophy. The fundamental distinctive feature for any philosophical conception of the history of philosophy is the principle of the unity of philosophy and the history of philosophy. Hegel emphasizes that the history of philosophy is an indispensable inherent component of any theoretical considerations. This idea has become an indisputable foundation accepted and developed‑critically and with various modifications though – by other great philosophers, including Schelling, Marx, Nietzsche, Husserl, and Heidegger. Hegel’s conception of the history of philosophy as the first strong model of the philosophy of the history of philosophy postulates that it itself is a philosophy; more particularly, that it forms a part of the philosophy of history, whose aim is to demonstrate that reason is also present in the history of philosophy. Therefore, if the history of philosophy is conceived of as the innermost in world history its role in current philosophical activities is crucial. Hegel’s philosophy of the history of philosophy as philosophizing about philosophy became a meta‑theoretical motion within historical‑philosophical thought whose purpose was not to describe the istorical‑philosophical process in an external‑empirical way; rather, it was aimed at comprehending and explaining this process as an integral part of the treatment of the most important philosophical problems. Hegel takes a speculative unity of the abstract and the concrete as his point of departure. Schelling concentrates on the relation between essence and existence. The young Marx focuses his historical‑philosophical effort on the conception of self‑consciousness and freedom. Nietzsche seeks true culture through a Greek cultural phenomenon (tragedy) and stresses that our spiritual traditions – Platonism, metaphysics, morality and Christianity – are the main obstacles to a true understanding of the world and man. For this reason, he prefers the Pre‑Socratic philosophy in which he finds the justification for philosophizing in general. Husserl is attracted by the transcendental impulse in the history of philosophy, and Heidegger critically discusses the Nietzschean motive of re‑consideringthe Pre‑Socratic message in order to radicalize the most complex philosophical question, i.e., what is philosophy (metaphysics)?II. Weak modelsPhilosophical research into strong models of the philosophy of the history of philosophy indicates in a compelling way that both Hegel’s and Heidegger’s models have been the dominant doctrines determining the basic method of establishing a philosophical link to the history of philosophy. In a sense, they represent extreme opposing philosophical approaches to the historical‑philosophical heritage and to the current forms of philosophizing. Hegel’sphilosophical conception of history is built on the principle of development – progress from the ancient times to the present. In general, his philosophy is conceived of as the culmination of the whole historical evolution. Heidegger takes the opposite position. Thought, itself of historical nature and determining world history, does not grow from the present. It is older than what is simply the past. It has been borne towards us in its most ancient ideas, butwe are unable to discover any trace of it because we believe reality to be what mainly pertains to us in our being. Consequently, Heidegger insists on our return to the period of the Pre‑Socratic philosophy of Parmenides and Heraclitus when asking the original philosophical question about being because it was they who preserved the harmony with logos. The subsequent development of the philosophical conception of the history of philosophy is connected with the names of the most significant followers of Husserl’s and Heidegger’s philosophies, including Eugen Fink, Jan Patočka and Hans‑Georg Gadamer. Gadamer put it clearly when he said that Fink, Patočka and he himself all tried to avoid repeating the ideas oftheir teachers. Instead they sought out ways of developing these ideas further.An important point of departure for each of these critical followers of Husserl and Heidegger became the issue of the philosophy of the history of philosophy in the form of weak models. The struggle for a new approach to philosophy was inconceivable without a new original conception of the historical‑philosophical heritage. In addition, it was time to bring to an endthe era of strong models of the philosophy of the history of philosophy, and to start developing weak models. From this point of view, the philosophical message of Fink, Patočka and Gadamer is unique historical‑philosophical material; it is the most valuable of what is offered to us by the philosophical investigation of the second half of the twentieth century.

Philosopher of Pure Cognition. Thing about Hermann Cohen

Filozof czystego poznania. Rzecz o Hermannie Cohenie

Author(s): Andrzej J. Noras / Language(s): Polish

Hermann Cohen remains one of the most important philosophers of the turn of the 19th century. He is known first and foremost as the founder of the Neo-Kantian Marburg School, which, alongside the Baden School, constituted the primary center of philosophicalthought in Germany at that time. Nonetheless, Cohen has not been widely recognized for his contributions to the study of philosophy due to the fact that, because of his Jewish heritage, he worked at the provincial University of Marburg in Hessia. The following monograph accounts for his relative lack of recognition and thus begins with an overview of Cohen’s biography. Following that introduction, the monograph has been divided into two parts.The first part concerns theoretical philosophy, which constituted the cornerstone of Cohen’s doctrine. The Marburg Neo-Kantianism is considered to be the most radical version of anti-psychologism and logicism; nonetheless, Cohen started his career as a philosopher as a disciple of Heymann (or Chajim) Steinthal, a linguist and a philosopher, as well as Moritz (or Moses) Lazarus: the publishers of the periodical Zeitschrift für Völkerpsychologie und Sprachwissenschaft. In 1871, he published the first edition of Kants Theorie des Erfahrung,which was later republished in 1885 and 1918. In this part of the monograph, the author presents the evolution of Cohen’s ideas, who gradually progressed toward radical anti-psychologism. This stance is clearly reflected in his 1902 book Logik der reinen Erkenntnis, which shows Cohen as a philosopher interested in grounding the notions of philosophy and science. Cohen, then, is seen as a thinker who searches for conditions which would guarantee the objective value of cognition. Thus, his epistemological program becomes an alternativefor the phenomenology school of thought, which came to prominence in the beginning of the 20th century. Cohen remains convinced that the objective value of cognition is irrevocably connected with a search for the source. The concept which becomes crucial for his philosophy is the notion of the source (Ursprung), which for Cohen signifies a search for the rules whichgovern cognition and which ensure its objective value. What is particularly interesting about Cohen’s theory of cognition is the fact that it constitutes an attempt at a transcendental grounding of cognition, which is sometimes referred to as “a theory of cognition withoutthe subject” or “idealism without the subject.” This phrase, coined by Manfred Brelage, has its origins in the fact that Cohen’s idealism is a transcendental idealism par excellence. For that reason, Gerhard Lehmann calls Cohen “the archpriest of science.”The second part of the monograph is devoted to practical philosophy, and ethics in particular. This ethics is connected with the ethics of socialism, developed by the protoplast of the Marburg School, even though Cohen is interested not so much in the subject of the ethics itself, but rather in the grounding of ethics in science. He is convinced that while mathematical natural history has its grounding in logic, ethics has its groundings in jurisprudence. Next, the author proceeds with an analysis of the philosophy of law, whichbecomes even more interesting given the fact that Rudolf Stammler, one of the most distinguished philosophers of the law of that period, also belonged to the Marburg School. Thus, the author discusses the conception of varying content of the law of nature. Moreover, itshould also be noted that—as Claudius Müller argues in his book—during the time of the Nazi regime, libraries in Germany discarded all books by Hermann Cohen, who was Jewish, as well as those of Karl Vorländer, who was a socialist and one of Cohen’s students. Moreover, the author focuses on the philosophy of religion—crucial due to Cohen’s Judaism—as well as aesthetics and psychology. The monograph constitutes an overview of Cohen’s views, painting the thinker as a scholar determined to discover the foundation inwhich he could ground his science. This process was so crucial for the founder of the Marburg School that his philosophy is often equated with constant critique. Martin Heidegger—involved with Marburg in 1923–1928—in his book Grundprobleme der Phänomenologie (1919/20), uses the figure of Rudolf Hermann Lotze, but doesn’t directly refer to that fact. Meanwhile, Lotze, in his critique of the common practice of grounding philosophy in the theory of cognition, writes, “[…] such tasks are forced to find solutions: the constant sharpening of knives is boring when there is nothing to be cut.” This sharpening of the knives is, indeed, what seems to lie at the core of Cohen’s philosophy. Nonetheless, what this monograph aims to emphasize is the meaningfulness of the task.

The idea of ​​freedom. Theory and practice

Idea wolności. Teoria i praktyka

Author(s): / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: freedom; political science;

Socjalizm jako rodzaj filozofii moralnej zaszczepił w ludziach świata środkowej i wschodniej kultury europejskiej ideę braterstwa ludzkiego. Kapitalizm zakłada przede wszystkim samodzielność i realizację indywidualnego interesu. Obywatele krajów postkomunistycznych z jednej strony pragną realizacji demokratycznego modelu państwa, z drugiej strony nie potrafią zrezygnować z idei braterstwa, z idei sprawiedliwości społecznej, z instytucjonalnych form socjalizmu, który w swoich zamierzeniach miał być realizacją tych idei. Kłopotem zatem staje się fundamentalna idea państwa demokratycznego – wolność. W imię „wolności” obywatele świata jałtańskiego dokonywali czynów heroicznych, aby przezwyciężyć komunizm i przynależeć do świata cywilizacji zachodniej. Świata, w którym realizuje się przede wszystkim zasada liberalizmu o posiadaniu wolności, więcej, o obowiązku gwarancji owej wolności. Ojcowie liberalizmu zakładali, że istota ludzka jest wolna na mocy natury samego człowieczeństwa, że z przyrodzenia cieszy się wolnością niezbywalną. Wolność w tym sensie jest zdolnością wyboru, który nie jest wymuszany przez jakiekolwiek siły, przez jakąkolwiek formę zewnętrzną. Nic nie dzieje się poza świadomością człowieka. Można mówić zatem o wolności w sensie wolności negatywnej. Ten rodzaj wolności stoi w opozycji do wolności pozytywnej. Jeśli chcielibyśmy przełożyć problem relacji pomiędzy wolnością negatywną a wolnością, to możemy mówić o dwóch potrzebach obywateli: ochronie przed ingerencją i przymusem zewnętrznym oraz gwarancji odpowiednich środków do samorealizacji. Pierwszy rodzaj wolności I. Berlin wiąże z ideą wolności dla samej wolności, drugi rodzaj z możliwością ograniczenia jednostki, aby zagwarantować jej realizację własnego „ja” i związanych z tym celów. Problem wolności zatem przekłada się również na potrzeby zwykłego obywatela w cywilizacji europejskiej, zarówno zachodniej, jak i wschodniej. W tej ostatniej jednak, w związku z historią można uwidocznić problem pomiędzy chęcią posiadania wolności negatywnej, a nostalgią lub bardziej próbą urzeczywistnienia również wolności pozytywnej. Niesie to za sobą wiele problemów badawczych, które można odnieść w szczególności do państw, których historia sprawiła, że możemy zastanawiać się nad relacją wolności negatywnej i pozytywnej w praktycznym, nie tylko teoretycznym, jej pojmowaniu przez obywateli. W zakresie badania nad ideą wolności stanowi to ważny problem. Monografia naukowa będzie starała się ukazać relację wolności negatywnej i pozytywnej w kontekście zmian, jakie miały miejsce w kulturze europejskiej i poza nią zarówno w kontekście teoretycznym, jak i praktycznym dawniej i dziś.

Unappreciated Thinkers — The Forgotten Histories of Philosophy

Niedocenieni myśliciele – zapomniane historie filozofii

Author(s): Andrzej J. Noras / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Karl Groos; Hans Leisegang; Willy Moog;history of philosophy;

The book constitutes a presentation of the views of thinkers who, for no readily apparent reasons, have been forgotten, sidelined in some way. This is particularly incomprehensible since each of them is an author of an extremely interesting history of philosophy which constitutes an attempt at capturing its events through the perspective of their given aspect event. Each aims at a different view of philosophy, accentuating a different facet. Each is interested in a typology of philosophy, but understands it in a different way. Karl Groos is a thinker known not only for the history of philosophy analysed in this book, but also for being interested in the theory of play, understood as “exercising out” (Einübung). Published in 1924, Groos’s history of philosophy is entitled Der Aufbau der Systeme and its main intention is to introduce order into the multiplicity of philosophical doctrines. Groos is primarily interested in the mystery of the logical architecture of systems, the formal aspect of their structure. Hans Leisegang is a thinker who deserves special attention and who twice in his life experienced the power of totalitarianism. For the first time it happens when he does not acknowledge Hitler as the Chancellor of Germany, and for the second time when he refuses to submit to the Soviet power. The first time, his insubordination is punished by prison and the loss of his professorship in Jena. The second time, he is forced to leave Jena and move to Berlin to the newly-found Freie Universität Berlin. Leisegang, differently to Groos, but similarly to Moog, writes several histories of philosophy, three of which are intended to popularize the field. It is the fourth one which sparks particular interest. The book Denkformen is published for the first time in 1928 and for the second in 1951. The work is built on an assumption that human thought employs a limited number of thought structures which recur/repeat themselves in history of philosophy and, at the same time, usurp the absolute rule — which is connected with accepting Dilthey’s stance. Leisegang reduces all kinds of thinking in the history of philosophy to four thought forms which are: (1) the form of thought-circles (Denkform des Gedankenkreises), (2) the form of circle of circles (Denkform der Kreis von Kreisen), (3) the form of conceptual pyramid (die Begriffspyramide), and (4) The Euklidean-mathematical thought-form (die euklidisch-mathematische Denkform). The last philosopher to be analysed in the book is Willy Moog, Karl Groos’s student. Out of all the thinkers discussed here, his contribution to the study of German philosophical thought is the greatest, and its material expression is embodied in three important books from the field of German philosophy. The first constitutes an in-depth study of psychologism and was compiled out of parts of the author’s habilitation thesis (Logik, Psychologie und Psychologismus. Wissenschaftssystematische Untersuchungen. Halle a. S. 1919). The second book is the history of the newest German philosophy Die deutsche Philosophie des 20. Jahrhunderts in ihren Hauptrichtungen und Grundproblemen. Stuttgart 1922), while the third one analyses philosophy of Hegel and the followers who draw upon his thought – Hegel und die Hegelsche Schule (München 1930). In 1932, Moog publishes a book which constitutes a perspective of the history of philosophy which is alternative to the ones proposed by his teacher Karl Groos and Hans Leisegang. The work is entitled Das Leben der Philosophen (Berlin 1932), and its subject are the philosophers’ lives, where the author tries to show the connection between a thinker’s biography and the views which he voiced. The work does not intent to relativise the views of a given philosopher, but it attempts to demonstrate that a philosophical system constitutes an expression of the most inner nature of its creator, and in this sense, what is individual is captured in its objective meaning and transposed onto the plane of that which is above the individual.

Józef Pieter: Humanist worldview

Józef Pieter: Światopogląd humanisty

Author(s): / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Foundation Professor Józef Pieter

Framing the Concept of the Good in Contemporary Neo-Aristotelianism: Normativity, Actions, Practices

Wokół koncepcji dobra we współczesnym neoarystotelizmie anglosaskim: normatywność, działanie, praktyki

Author(s): Piotr Machura / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Neo-Aristotelianism

The aim of the book is to frame the concept of the good as the essence of the good life. Against the “happiness industry” it is argued that it might be best grasped within the frame work of Neo-Aristoelianism in the form developed in post-analytical tradition since the 1950s. I argue that Anscombe’s intervention led not only to the development of virtue ethics, but (on the basis of the evolution of analytical tradition to its post-analytical form on the one side, and its progressing naturalisation and growing interest in philosophy of mind and cognitive science on the other) but also, and primarily, to restoration of Aristotelianism as conceptual scheme (in the sense of Davidson) which enables both fruitful analysis of the main technical problems of contemporary moral philosophy and adequate answering to the key issues of moral and social life. Starting with analysis of the very Aristotelian turn and arguing for its understanding in terms of critical theory I develop an analysis of Aristotelianism not in the sense of historical and language scholarship, but rather in search of intellectual resources. This enables to discuss key issues in normativity and highlighting the possibility of overcoming the fact/value gap. Followingly, the concept of the good life is discussed with the attention being paid to the development of the individual agency and sense of life, as well as to the forms of self-discipline needed for such a development. This development, I argue, is a development of an embedded self, which might become conscious and coherent agent thanks to phronetic ordering of the goods and activities as way of distributing its most basic resources: time and attention. This also makes the grasp of the ethical possible not as purely abstract set of rules, but as part of daily routine of an the agent. Last chapter discusses the possibility of recognition of the good of other beings as well as social standards of the good life. I outline the capability approach as intervention in the local distortions of possibilities of human development and by pinpointing its weaknesses I claim of the MacIntyrean concept of the practice being not only most adequate to frame the moral development of the agent, but also to validation of the forms of social interaction. Reading MacIntyre’s Aristotelianism through Bourdieu’s concept of habitus I argue that it is by in-depth recognition of the intentional structures of its activities that the agent may obtain self-knowledge giving them a sense of happiness.

The lookout. Some philosophical aspects of language, literature, and education

Wypatrywanie. Filozoficzne aspekty języka, literatury i edukacji

Author(s): / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Interpretation; hermeneutic circle; thinking; understanding; question;being;

Article entitled Exploring the clearances — gazing outward for oneself. The interpreter in the face of the problem of revealing the text is devoted to reflection on the art of interpretation in the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. At the same time, it becomes an interesting inspiration for Polish studies of encounters with literary texts. Following the idea of the German philosopher, the interpretation is understood here as an unusual way of looking, going towards the analysis of self and consciousness, among others acceptance, reading or competence and penetrating the meaning of the text. The interpreter, therefore, is the one who carefully observes, notices details and looks at oneself, which provides him/her with an intellectual overview in the process of interpretation. On the one hand, the philosophical aspects of Heidegger’s ideas are helpful in understanding the need to build one’s own interpretative attitude through thinking and persistence in the question. On the other hand, modern philosophy as a consequence of Heidegger’s thought becomes in this way a moment of reflection on itself, the process of interpretation and what the interpreter brings into it. They provide the basis for reflection on the construction of indivudual learning philosophy.

“We followed the same or similar lines of thought.” The subject of logical correspondence between Gottlob Frege, Giuseppe Peano, David Hilbert, and Bertrand Russell

„Podążamy tymi samymi lub podobnymi drogami myślowymi”. Tematyka korespondencji logicznej Gottloba Fregego z Giuseppem Peanem, Davidem Hilbertem i Bertrandem Russellem

Author(s): Gabriela Besler / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Gottlob Frege; Giuseppe Peano; David Hilbert;Bertrand Russell;

The book “We followed the same or similar lines of thought.” The subject of logical correspondence between Gottlob Frege, Giuseppe Peano, David Hilbert, and Bertrand Russell consists of four chapters, Preface and Conclusion, Bibliography, Appendix (all the discovered letters of Frege set in a chronological order), and subject and name indices.Chapter one, entitled “Introductory Issues,” discusses Frege’s fundamental philosophical-semantic assumptions: his logicism (inspired by Leibniz’s idea of algebra based on logic), differentiation of sense from reference [Bedeutung] of the linguistic expressions, adequate and disjunctive division of the universum into functions (whose particular type are concepts) and function’s arguments, that is, objects. Apart from that, the chapter also discusses Frege, Peano, and Russell’s foundation for logical notation.Chapters two, three, and four have been devoted to Frege’s correspondence with Peano, Hilbert, and Russell respectively. Each of those chapters has the same structure: a general introduction to a given correspondence, a presentation of the correspondents’ familiarity with each other’s texts, as well as their citings, an enumeration of the extant letters, and a catalogue of the investigated subjects. After that, themes pertinent to a particular correspondence have been discussed in further sections of those chapters. The chapters end with a calendar of Frege’s cooperation with a given correspondent.Chapter two, “Correspondence with Giuseppe Peano,” provides an analysis of the Frege and Peano’s discussion of their logical symbolisms and a number of assumed primitive (i.e., undefinable) terms (signs or symbols). Further, it contains Frege’s and Peano’s records (and understanding) of quantifiers, as well as the related difference between universal and existential sentences. Also, a comparison of records of particular logical formulas from the logic of Frege with the logical formulas of Peano have been provided in this chapter. A concluding theme is the discussion over certain definitions of mathematical operations and conditions that proper definitions should comply with.Chapter three, “Correspondence with David Hilbert,” comprises an account of an epistolary discussion of Frege with Hilbert, which concerns Hilbert’s book Grundlagen der Geometrie and symbolismin mathematics. It contains a controversy over the concept of geometry (geometry based on spatial intuition or an abstract systemwith no interpretation), the structure of its system, the understanding of an axiom and its role in the system of geometry (the axiom is always a truefundamental fact of intuition or a definition of primitive concepts), consistency and independence of axioms, different understanding of the phrase es gibt (there is) and expectations as to the logical symbolism.Chapter four, “Correspondence with Bertrand Russell,” delineates Frege’s correspondence with Russell. It ismost voluminous, most interesting, and substantially most difficult part of Frege’s collected letters. In his first letter to Frege, Russell – referring to Frege’s first book Begriffsschrift – formulated the difficulty that led to antinomy. In a reply, Frege related the difficulty to Grundgesetze der Arithmetik and discovered the possibility of constructing the antimony in his own system of logic, which was to enable to define basic terms of the arithmetic of natural numbers and thus lay grounds for arithmetic based on logic. What is more, other formulations of the antimony put forth by Russell and Frege, the controversy over understanding of the class, a search for fundamental form of a function, and a profound understanding of its domain, various forms of eliminating the antimony in Frege’s system, as well as Frege’s arguments for the necessity to apply the differentiation of sense formreference in linguistic expressions.In the Appendix, the reader will find a chronological list of all the hitherto discovered scientific letters by Frege.Primary sources contain only basic works by Frege, Peano, Hilbert, and Russell, while literature on the subject – other sources that appeared in the footnotes. From all the extensive literary output of Frege as well as a comparison with the abovementioned, I limitmyself to only those references that I consider crucial.

Désiré Mercier (1851—1926). On Kantianism and the Apology of Faith

Désiré Mercier (1851—1926). Wokół kantyzmu i apologii wiary

Author(s): Aleksander R. Bańka / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Désiré Mercier

The figure of Désiré Mercier (1851—1926) — Belgian philosopher, theologian, cardinal and later the Primate of Belgium, the founding father of the neo-scholastical Leuven School and a great restorer of Thomism — has long inscribed itself into the history of contemporary philosophy. He is remembered in particular among those representatives of classical philosophy who saw in the rebirth of scholasticism, which occurred at the turn of the 20th century, a chance to establish modern, realistically-oriented philosophy that could withstand the challenges of contemporary idealism in its varied versions — particularly those connected with broadly-understood legacy of Kant’s philosophy. What, then, are the philosophical foundations of Mercier’s polemic with Kant? What alternative does Mercier propose for the subjective, in his view, concept of synthetic a priori judgments?The present monograph constitutes an attempt at answering these questions, among others. The first chapter contains a synthetic reconstruction of the main theses of Mercier’s criteriology, while the second chapter discusses the fundamental lines of Mercier’s disagreement with Kant’s ideas. Chapter three comprises a polemic analysis of the issue of the apologetic engagement of neo-scholasticism, with particular attention being paid to the stance espoused by Mercier as well as the Polish alumni of the Higher Institute of Philosophy in Leuven. As such, the present work constitutes a complementary look at the issues discussed in Désiré Mercier’s General Theory of Certitude, published by the University of Silesia Press in 2008. The monograph is addressed to those who, on the one hand would like to familiarize themselves with a synthetic and systematized approach to Mercier’s theory of certitude as well as the main axis of his disagreement with Kantianism, and on the other hand — receive an in-depth study of the apology of faith in neo-scholasticism.

The Scientistic Worldview. Correlates and Conditions

Światopogląd scjentystyczny – korelaty i uwarunkowania

Author(s): Łukasz Jach / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Scientistic Worldview

The monograph presents the results of nineteen different studies on the psychological conditions and correlates of contemporary scientistic worldview (scientotheism). This worldview can be characterized by the tendency to justify one’s own beliefs and actions with scientific facts and living according to the theories posed by scientists, connected with the belief that the scientific language is the most perfect and valuable way of articulating the world and the phenomena that exist in it.This monograph has been divided into two parts. The first part, titled, “Connections and Predictors of the Scientific Worldview” comprises four chapters. Chapter one is devoted to the analysis of the connections between scientotheism and personality traits, as well as such aspects of the human existence as the need for cognitive closure, need for cognition, maximalist tendencies and cognitive reflexivity. Chapter two contains information relating to the relationship between the discussed worldview and the image of God, temporal orientations and the convictions regarding human traits and characteristics. Chapter three discusses the connections between the scientistic worldview and the spheres of values and life aspirations, while chapter four presents the connections between scientism and psychological mercantilism, causative and collective orientations, as well as the belief in the fact that life is, in fact, a sum zero game.The second part of the book is entitled “Consequences of the Scientistic Worldview” and consists of five chapters. Chapter five discusses the links between scientotheism and the attitudes towards health and vaccination. Chapter six presents the connections between the discussed worldview and the attitudes towards bioethical norms. Chapter seven focuses on the relationship between the scientistic worldview and aesthetic preferences, while chapter eight contains information regarding the potential role of scientotheism in the process of constructing one’s self-esteem on the basis of issues connected with science. Chapter nine presents the research findings on the connections between the scientistic worldview and the methods of evaluating information of various levels of credibility.The monograph presents a continuation of the issues touched upon by the author in his previous book, titled Science as the Object of Cult. Introduction to Scientotheism (Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, 2015). It is addresses to people interested in the meaning of science in the contemporary world, academics who study contemporary social and cultural trends, as well as people who study the relationship between science and its wider perception.

Thought and Spirit. Philosophical and Theological Contexts of Juliusz Słowacki’s Oeuvre

Myśl i Duch. Filozoficzne i teologiczne konteksty twórczości Juliusza Słowackiego

Author(s): Lucyna Nawarecka / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Juliusz Słowacki;philosophy; theology; Fryderyk Nietzsche; emanation;

In her book’s introduction, the author presents the weightiness of thought (rather than just “feeling”) in the Romantic literature, to subsequently discuss selected notions of genesian philosophy hitherto appearing in academic studies on Słowacki’s works. Chapter One touches upon the problematics of human subject present in the poet’s works, in particular the transformation thereof from lowercase “me” into “Me”. Chapter Two pertains to the genesian concept of the world’s origin that appears in the studies as the opposition between emanation and creation. In the chapter devoted to similarities existing between Ralph Waldo Emerson’s philosophy and genesian philosophy, the author attempts to estimate Słowacki’s attitude to creation of the world (whether it was more on the idealistic or realistic side). The chapter that follows is where the author makes her contribution into the discussion relating to the ideological kinship between Słowacki’s and Friedrich Nietzsche’s thoughts, a debate already ignited by the Young Poland movement. She shows that the ostensible similarities are – at the same time – in polar opposition to one another. In the chapter on the idea of the Holy Trinity, the author argues that Słowacki was in fact closer on that matter to the Eastern rather than Western Christian theology. The chapter that follows discusses, inspirational for the poet during his mystical period, the idea of beauty understood as divinisation, whereat the author refers to the concept of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite who considered Beauty to be one of God’s names. What follows from it is that a human being who underwent the divinisation partakes in God’s Beauty. In the chapter on mystical love the author attempts to show the significant role played by love in genesian philosophy. The concluding chapter contains a thesis that inter-religious relations in Słowacki’s mystical dramatic plays eventually assume a form of dialogue despite hostility or even fight between the followers of particular creeds. Summing up her treatise, the author refers to the famous thesis by Martin Heidegger, according to whom “poetry calls for thinking.”

Epistemological and ontological neo-Kantianism. Ernst Cassirer – Martin Heidegger

Neokantyzm epistemologiczny i ontologiczny. Ernst Cassirer – Martin Heidegger

Author(s): Anna Musioł / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: neo-Kantianism; Ernst Cassirer; Martin Heidegger

The monograph constitutes a comparative analysis of two different philosophical projects. These projects share a common denominator of neo-Kantianism. This philosophical movement allows to juxtapose the analyzed concepts in relation to both Immanuel Kant’s system and possible post neo-Kantianism, understood as ontological interpretations of transcendentalism. For this reason, Kant’s philosophy is discussed through the prism of Ernst Cassirer’s scheme as a critic of cognition and Martin Heidegger’s theories as a philosopher of the establishment of metaphysics. Taking into account the pre-critical and critical aspect of Kant’s thought, I try to indicate the difference in the intellectual approaches. I reveal the differences in some measure, underpinning the historical and problem analysis (systematic analysis). The monograph consists of five chapters and constitutes an extended version of my doctoral dissertation.

Gaston Bachelard. Contexts and interpretations

Gaston Bachelard. Konteksty i interpretacje

Author(s): / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Gaston Bachelard; French contemporary philosophy; psychoanalysis reception; philosophy of science; philosophy of imagination

The purpose of the book is to present a selection of studies on Bachelard’s philosophy published by researchers from various countries as part of the Bachelardian and post-Bachelardian movement, and to include articles by Polish Bachelard researchers. It cannot be said that Bachelard remains unknown in Poland, but still many important works – by Bachelard himself and other researchers commenting on his philosophy or continuing it – are known only to specialists. The book Gaston Bachelard. Contexts and Interpretations wants to fill this gap, while pointing to the presence of Polish research on Bachelardism. // The intention of this volume is to compile articles confirming the complexity of Gaston Bachelard’s philosophy and its relevance. The multitude of new readings of Bachelard’s thought, appearing in Poland and abroad, confirms that both the philosophy of science, with the concepts of new scientific mind, new rationality or epistemological obstacles introduced by Bachelard, as well as his philosophy of imagination seeking a method that adequately captures the essence of dream and image, invariably serve as an important reference point for philosophers and representatives of other scientific disciplines.

Landscapes of Context

Krajobrazy kontekstu

Author(s): Marek Pacukiewicz / Language(s): Polish

Keywords: Landscape; context; theory of culture;metaphysics;

“Landscape” and „context”, being two constitutive elements of culture, allow for its comprehension and experience. These terms evoke the possibility of redefining the scope, the function and the possible form of culture in the times when humanities undermine both “theory” and “culture”.According to the author, any prospective theory of culture needs to be preceded by denotation of both “metaphysics” and “ontology”, the terms applied interchangeably in postmodern humanities. Metaphysics in the theory of culture could be based on Aristotle’s “first philosophy” which examines “being as being”; analogically, culture as a being could be specified according to its substance (ousia).