Widzieć siebie — z czasu minionego ("Tamten" Bolesława Leśmiana i "Kilkunastoletnia" Wisławy Szymborskiej)

The article presents a juxtaposition of the following two brilliant poems "Tamten" (from the collection of poems entitled "Napój cienisty", 1936) and "Kilkunastoletnia" (from the collection of poems entitled "Tutaj", 2009) that employ the same idea of an encounter with oneself – an adolescent person (in the former poem) and a teenage girl (in the latter). The poems exceed the literary convention of just a lyrical reminiscence of the past, they rather form a particular dialogue with the narrator as he/she was years ago, or even propose a kind of a confrontation. Both poems indirectly feature reflections on the passing time and on the author's identity. The poem written by Leśmian fits perfectly into his poetical system, both in terms of the introduction of metaphysical threads and the application of the elements of a love poem and in terms of the plot outline, somewhat reminiscent of his ballads. Szymborska's poem also concurs with her own poetics mostly due to the characteristic subtle auto-irony.

Megiston agathon (Pl. Ap. 38 a) – Sedno życia i filozoficznego wyzwania Sokratesa

We suggest a certain minimal approach to the historical Socrates on the basis of Plato’s Apology. This text makes it possible to reconstruct the authentic charge and the defense line of Socrates, as well as his motivation and the quintessence of his philosophical challenge. The most important thing is what the philosopher says in the face of his death sentence: that the greatest good for a man is to live an examined life focusing on virtues and ethical values. Unfortunately, the preponderance of studies, even the most recent ones, fail to recognize the philosopher’s provocative challenge, whilst it is not only a crucial motif in the Socratic examining (ἐξετάζειν), i.e. testing the interlocutors’ knowledge by means of irony, elenchos and aporia, but also an inspiration for his direct and indirect followers in seeking virtues and the greatest good.

Językowe środki wyrażania postawy mówiącego w łotewskich debatach sejmowych

Wydział Neofilologii: Instytut Językoznawstwa

Egzystencjalna teoria umysłu. Konstrukcja narzędzia pomiarowego

Wydział Nauk Społecznych: Instytut Psychologii

Rorty's Elective Affinities. The New Pragmatism and Postmodern Thought

The present book is devoted to "European connections of Richard Rorty's neopragmatism". The theme, chosen carefully and intentionally, is supposed to show the motivation behind the writing of the present work, as well as to show its intended extent. Let us consider briefly the first three parts of the theme, to enlighten a little our intentions. "European" is perhaps the most important description for it was precisely that thread that was most important to me, being the only context seriously taken into account, as I assumed right from the start that I would not be writing about rather more widely unknown to me - and much less fascinating (even to Rorty, the hero of the story) from my own, traditional, Continental philosophical perspective - American analytic philosophy. So accordingly I have almost totally skipped "American" connections (to use the distinction I need here) of Rorty's philosophy, that is to say, firstly, a years-long work within analytic philosophy, secondly struggles with it on its own grounds, and finally attempts to use classical American, mainly Deweyan, pragmatism for his own needs and numerous polemics associated with it - the questions that are far away from my interests and that arise limited interest among reading and writing philosophical audience in Poland, and perhaps also among Continental philosophers. It did not seem possible to me to write a book on Rorty in his American connections for they are insufficiently known to me, demanding knowledge of both post-war American analytic philosophy as well as pragmatism of its father-founders. I could see, setting to work on Richard Rorty, that a book on his American connections (leaving aside the issue that it would not be a philosophical problem but rather, let us say, the one of writing a monograph) written by a Polish philosopher in Poland and then in the USA was not a stimulating intellectual challenge but rather a thankless working task. Besides, having spent much time on Rorty's philosophy, writing extensively about him and translating his works, I already knew that the "Continental" context was extremely important to his neopragmatism, and that thinking about it could be relatively prolific (as opposed to the context potentially given by American philosophy).