The article focuses on an analysis of Hart Crane’s essay “Note on the Paintings of David Siqueiros.” One of Crane’s few art-historical texts, the critical piece in question is first of all a tribute to the American poet’s friend, the Mexican painter David Siqueiros. The author of a portrait of Crane, Siqueiros is a major artist, one of the leading figures that marked the history of Mexican painting in the first half of the twentieth century. While it is interesting to (...) delve into the way Crane approaches painting in general and Siqueiros’ œuvre in particular, an analysis of the essay with which the present article is concerned is also worthwhile for another reason. Like many examples of art criticism—and literary criticism, for that matter—”Note on the Paintings of David Siqueiros” reveals a lot not only about the artist it revolves around, but also about its author, an artist in his own right. In a text written in the last year of his life, Hart Crane therefore voices concerns which have preoccupied him as a poet and which, more importantly, are central to modernist art and literature. (shrink)

Hans Wagner (1917–2000), using the achievements of German transcendental philosophy, gives a transcendental argument for the idea of human dignity. He claims that to ground the validity of human thinking and all its products (e.g. culture), we must accept the validity of the idea of human dignity. The structure of my paper is as follows: First, I consider what it means to give a transcendental justification of something. I reconstruct the neo-Kantian’s understanding of transcendental method. Then I argue that Wagner’s (...) idea of human dignity as a foundation of every ethics and law is nothing other than a fruitful interpretation and continuation, perhaps only making explicit Kant’s main ethical ideas. To make this more clear I present the relation between Kant’s ethics and the material ethics of values and, following Wagner, I argue that grounding ethics on the idea of self-determination of human will does not necessarily lead to formalism in the form in which it was criticised by the representatives of the material ethics of values. Finally, I reconstruct Wagner’s argument for the claim that the idea of human dignity is a transcendental condition for the possibility of ethics and law in general. (shrink)

This work is comprised of personal essays by some of the most noted Holocaust educators working in or with Holocaust museums, resource centers, or educational organizations across the globe.

Klanken uit mijn kindertijd -- Het goede van het schone -- Empathie -- De eenden van Stravinsky -- De grond onder onze voeten -- Slotakkoord.

Książka Piotra Skrzypczaka jest bez wątpienia najpoważniejszą pracą poświęconą aktorstwu filmowemu, jaka do tej pory powstała w Polsce, i jak na taką skalę książką jedyną. Cóż bowiem opisywać: aktora, artystę, gwiazdę, człowieka uwikłanego w przemysł kinematograficzny, role itd.? Potencjalna wielość wyborów stanowi w gruncie rzeczy kłopot metodologiczny. Przyjęcie przez autora konstruktu teoretycznego, jakim jest fundamentalna dla książki kategoria „postaci ekranowej", i konsekwentne stosowanie go we wszystkich rozdziałach pozwala zachować dyscyplinę dyskursu. Piotr Zmerzchowski Autor pedantycznie i cierpliwie rozświetla i rozsupłuje sekrety (...) i paradoksy alchemicznej transformacji aktora w bohatera filmowego. Za pomocą instrumentarium antropologii, semiotyki i kognitywizmu metodycznie opisuje procesy aktorskiej kreacji, skrupulatnie precyzując pojęciowe statusy kondycji aktora, roli i postaci ekranowej. Tadeusz Szczepański. (shrink)

El objetivo de este artículo es examinar el papel de la imagen y de la imaginación desde la perspectiva del proceso ternario místico basado en la tradición del Pseudo Dionisio Areopagita. Destaco en este proceso la etapa primera relacionada con la teología simbólica y la experiencia exterior y sensorial; la etapa intermedia relacionada con el conocimiento racional y con la experiencia interior; la etapa tercera relacionada con la teología mística, esto es con la experiencia sobrenatural. Llego a la conclusión de (...) que en la primera etapa la imaginación sobrepasa lo exterior y lo superficial que se le atribuía tradicionalmente, porque varios autores metafísicos y místicos introducen en su contexto un momento de la comprensión intuitiva. En la segunda etapa la imaginación no sólo es un fundamento del pensamiento discursivo, sino que también constituye un ejercicio espiritual que ha de intensificar el proceso pensativo. En la tercera etapa la imagen y la imaginación son un medio que ayuda a vencer la inefabilidad de la experiencia mística. The objective of the article is to examine the role of the image and imagination from the perspective of the tripartite mystical process based on the tradition of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. I distinguish in the first stage of this process the symbolical theology related to the external and sensuous experience; in the second stage the rational cognition and internal experience; in the last stage the mystical theology related to the supranatural experience. I arrive at a conclusion that in the first stage the imagination exceed the exterior and superficial character which was attributed traditionally to it, because various metaphysical and mystical authors introduce in the context of it a moment of a intuitive comprehension. In the second stage it is not only a basis of discursive thinking but it constitutes spiritual exercise which should intensify the process of thinking. In the third stage the image and imagination are a medium which help to overcome the ineffability of the mystical experience. (shrink)

Subjective determiners of treating the final secondary school examination as a threat The article discusses the findings of the research carried out basing on the investigation procedure originating from the function-action approach to psychological defense developed by A. Senejko, where every reaction to threat can be considered as a defensive reaction. A nation-wide final secondary school examination was employed as the threat in the study and the reactions to such a threat were diagnosed twice: in January 2005 and two weeks (...) before the exam in April 2005.The participants were 177 students of secondary schools of the Lower Silesian and Upper Silesian regions of Poland.In the she study two questionnaires were employed. Part one of The Psycho-Social and Psychic Defenses Questionnaire and the Questionnaire of Personal Judgements developed by Kinga Lachowicz-Tabaczek and Alicja Senejko for identifying the following psychological dispositions: self-esteem, social anxiety, depressiveness, obligation will, emotional reactivity, sensitivity, activity and endurance.The basic research questions concerned the effect which the diagnosed factors had on the two dimensions of the subjects' attitude to their final exam as a threat as well as how they influenced their reactions to it, that is their psychological defenses. The multiple regression analyzes showed that the two dimensions of the participants' approach to their exam as a threat were the most substantially influenced by endurance, self-esteem, gender and reactivity. However, the way the examinees reacted their exam was the most substantially influenced by their obligation will, depressiveness and endurance. (shrink)

Some theories of rational belief assume that beliefs should be closed under conjunction. I motivate the rejection of the conjunction closure, and point out that the consequences of this rejection are not as severe as it is usually thought. An often raised objection is that without the conjunction closure people are unable to reason. I outline an approach in which we can – in usual cases – reason using conjunctions without accepting the closure in its whole generality. This solution is (...) based on the notion of confidence levels, which can be defined using probabilities. Moreover, on this approach, reasoning has a scalable computational complexity adaptable to cognitive abilities of both rationally bounded and perfectly rational agents. I perform a simulation to assess its error rate, and compare it to reasoning with conjunction closure. (shrink)

The relation between bioethics and ethical methodology is the subject of this article. The author is of the opinion that bioethical considerations demand both medical and biological knowledge as well as some general ethical theory. As we know there is not one ethical theory. but many. The author asks whether we have any moral rational foundations for choosing one of the competing ethical systems, and, if this is not possible, whether normative ethics is at all necessary for the solution of (...) practical conflicts. In other words, the author poses the question whether the cultivation of normative ethics. while one is aware of the pluralism of values and variety of ethical theories, has any scientific and practical sense. Still, according to the author methodological relativism need not necessarily imply the acceptance of an axiologically relativistic stand and need not necessarily lead to moral indifference. Beauchamp and Childress work shows a fine approach to bioethical problems. (shrink)

This essay attempts to elaborate a first thorough comparative analysis of August Cieszkowski and Nikolaj Berdjaev. Although the latter is well known as one of the most important Russian philosophers, the former is hardly known beyond the Polish borders. This general lack of recognition contrasts with the fact that Cieszkowski played a significant role in nineteenth century philosophy in Germany, France, Poland and Russia. A comparative analysis of Cieszkowski and Berdjaev will undergird the idea that Cieszkowski was not merely a (...) ‘marginal’ figure in the history of philosophy. This essay has sought the reasons why Berdjaev considered himself to a large extent as a disciple of Cieszkowski. The stress is put on the central aspects of both philosophers’ thinking: freedom, praxis and the way they relate to morality in general. (shrink)

Apart from being a prolific philosopher, Roger Scruton is also an accomplished writer of novels, poems, short stories, libretti and literary memoirs. In this article I will explore how Scruton's literary writings relate to his philosophy. I shall argue that one concept, pivotal to Scruton's philosophy, is also a main Leitmotiv of his literary work: home. The longing to be at home in the world is integral to our human nature. Several phenomena, as Scruton shows in his philosophy and literary (...) works, are indispensable in order for us to be able to fulfil the desire to belong: beauty, oikophilia, and the ability to engage with each other as persons. (shrink)

The article presents an analysis of the position taken by Lenin with respect to revolutionary violence applied by the Russian proletariat in their struggle for obtaining and keeping political power. The analysis is introduced by reflections concerning the ethical content of Lenin’s works, a general localization of the problem of violence against the background of various types of relationships between morals and politics and by presentation of Lenin’s classification and moral evaluation of wars, since socialist revolution is a particular kind (...) of war. (shrink)

Increasing activity in the field of lifelong learning is an important educational goal of the European Union. The rapidly changing environment creating new demands makes it necessary to take action in the field of continuous education. Labour market requirements in the process of evolving towards a knowledge-based society are changing, which is particularly important in the era of population ageing and raising the retirement age. All forms of education: formal, non-formal and informal should gain importance in response to the growing (...) requirements. The situation in Poland is vary unfavourable when comparing the participation in activities related to lifelong learning with other European Union countries. Research indicates various demographic, social and economic determinants of adult engagement in lifelong learning. This study attempts to assess the relationships between the level of competences in various areas and the educational behaviours of adult Poles. The analyses are based on individual data from a national survey on human capital. The crucial purpose, which is to identify interdependences among the considered factors, attitudes and behaviours, is accomplished by selected statistical and econometric methods supported by suitable data visualization techniques. (shrink)

Thee paper presents Marcilio Ficino’s aesthetics which is of a specific kind and differs from what we usually understand under the term. It expresses more than only thoughts on beauty and art, speaks about more than only the varieties of beauty, and deals with more than just the work of art—the object of art—and its relation to beauty. Traditional concepts played an important part in Ficino’s aesthetics, but alongside narrowly understood “proper” aesthetics, he offered another, very broad view of the (...) entire aesthetic sphere, which allows his entire philosophy to be viewed as aesthetically rooted: love and beauty, which are among the driving ideas of his philosophy, are also aesthetic concepts. There are two other important elements in Ficino’s philosophy, God and the world, bound by a special relation based on his concept of the circuitus spiritualis. A cardinal theme in his philosophy, the circuitus spiritualis combines God with the world and is at once beauty, love and the highest degree of happiness. (shrink)

The paper investigates changes in today aesthetics. It is demonstrated that the ongoing transformation of traditional aesthetics into aisthesis with its broader scope of influence calls for a review of to-date methodology in aesthetical research. Historical doxography, mere accounts of the past—even relating the most coherent and complete developments and events—hardly harmonise with the new approach to aesthetics, and could well distort and weaken it. The enlargement of the subject-matter of aesthetics and the clash between aesthetics and the aporias of (...) the modern approach to history allow both fields to experience modernity to a rather broad degree; both refer to aesthetics. (shrink)

The article deals with the concept of femme fatale as presented in Gladys Huntington’s 1956 novel Madame Solario. The eponymous protagonist, Natalia Solario, displays several characteristics of this female archetype, omnipresent in literature, culture and visual iconography. As a femme fatale, Natalia is beauty, danger and mystery incarnate. The cause of tragedies, but also a tragic figure herself, Madame Solario is both victim and victimizer. The article explores the interplay between innocence and experience, life and death, the erotic and the (...) thanatic, as well as the motifs of transgression, ambiguity, love, passion, desire, perversion, dominance and control crucial to Huntington’s novel. Madame Solario reminds us that, paradoxically, the femme fatale usurps certain stereotypically masculine traits. This, in turn, brings us to the novel’s feminist dimension: the femme fatale is victimized by men, but she is also the agent of female revenge and, ultimately, liberation, symbolically marking the transition from patriarchy to women’s emancipation. (shrink)

Badania nad twórczością Brunona Schulza, ze względu na brak ciągłości w zapiskach autobiograficznych, zaginioną korespondencję czy wreszcie nawet zaginione dzieła, nie od dziś przysparzają problemów badacz(k)om. Kompletne archiwum Schulza nie istnieje. Twórca, którego historia nie dysponuje kopią zapasową w postaci multimedialnych archiwów, zmienia się zatem w medialny byt, którego los jest nierozerwalnie związany z gestem tworzenia narracji. W ciągu ostatnich lat szczególnie dominującą narracją stała się ta wiążąca twórczość i całe życie Schulza z dyskursami kultury pamięci poświęconej Zagładzie. Poszukując znaczenia (...) archiwum w kontekście interpretacji dzieł pisarza i dyskursów biograficznych, autorka artykułu szuka odpowiedzi na pytanie dotyczące znaczenia luk w biografii Schulza i ich udziału w tworzeniu mitu pisarza poprzez referencje do teorii mediów i archiwistyki. Porównując biograficzne trendy z tymi dominującymi polską kulturę pamięci, tekst oferuje uaktualnione spojrzenie na twórczość Schulza oraz na sposoby pisania o pisarzach dwudziestolecia międzywojennego. Wykorzystując warsztat metodologiczny charakterystyczny dla badań medioznawczych, tekst udowadnia zasadność pozycjonowania prozy Schulza na szerszym socjopolitycznym i kulturowym tle Galicji początku XX wieku. Poprzez ponowną analizę takich tekstów, jak Wiosna czy Druga jesień, artykuł ukazuje twórczość pisarza jako multimedialne i komunikacyjne archiwum, którego jedną z płaszczyzn (istotnych dla prawidłowej interpretacji) jest ewokowanie kontekstów kulturowych związanych z dokładnie określonym czasem i przestrzenią. (shrink)

Alicja Gescinska verraste met haar kandidatuur op de Europese lijst van de Vlaamse liberalen. Op internet volgde een stortvloed aan reacties: lovende en lasterlijke. Niet enkel de keuze van de partij en het Europese project werden druk besproken, vooral ook wie aan politiek behoort te doen? en wie dus aan de zijlijn moet blijven? bleek stof voor discussie. Wat is de plaats van een filosoof in de samenleving? Zijn politiek en filosofie onverenigbare disciplines? En wat doe je wanneer uit (...) het hart van de Europese politiek het verzoek komt om uit je pen te kruipen? Politiek is meer dan dat wat politici doen. Politiek is alles en iedereen. In het gebrek van de wereld weerklinkt volgens Gescinska een moreel appel dat op ons allen wordt gedaan. 0'Intussen komen mensen om' is een essay over de persoonlijke worsteling met politieke betrokkenheid en intellectuele verantwoordelijkheid. (shrink)

Author: Kuczyńska Alicja Title: WŁADYSŁAW TATARKIEWICZ’S VISION OF THE OTHER (Władysława Tatarkiewicza wizja Innego) Source: Filo-Sofija year: 2011, vol:.13/14, number: 2011/2-3, pages: 451-458 Keywords: WŁADYSŁAW TATARKIEWICZ, MASTER, PUPIL Discipline: PHILOSOPHY Language: POLISH Document type: ARTICLE Publication order reference (Primary author’s office address): E-mail: www:The author locates her memoirs about Tatarkiewicz in the context of dialogical philosophy of Levinas and the Georg Steiner’s category: master – pupil.

In the Renaissance there was a kind of linguistic-pictorial osmosis, in which mythological configurations derived from antique literature, the poetic metaphoric of Neoplatonism, semi-fantastic and semi-realistic visions and a visible penchant for decorative rhetoric intertwined with elements of rational thought, the cult of nature, traditional reference to higher authority and practical as well as theoretical acceptance of pictorial symbolic. This language was employed to explore philosophical, ethical, and even natural categories related to issues like the beginnings of the world and (...) nature, death, transience, vanity, temperance, virtue, harmony, vita activa and contemplativa—categories in which the people of the era strove to describe youth, maturity, old age and death. In this specific language writing about a truth, idea or moral principle primarily involved presenting it as a picture, a concrete, sensually embraceable form, thing or person. Thus, if it was necessary, logos followed imago, which was genetically precedent and most important in the cognitive sense. (shrink)

The paper examines the Renaissance philosophy of love, grasped as a “metaphysics of love.” Alongside its metaphysical interpretation, the phenomenon of Renaissance philosophy of love was subject to two other kinds of analysis: it was viewed either through the prism of its spiritual form, or as a fashionable social game which demanded that “every courtier recognise knowledge about how many and what varieties of love there are as necessary for his trade.” The author of the Renaissance theory of love was (...) the philosopher Marsilio Ficino, an “alter Plato;” so it is his views on love which are examined in this paper. (shrink)