We prove that the set of all Polish groups admitting a compatible complete left-invariant metric (called CLI) is coanalytic non-Borel as a subset of a standard Borel space of all Polish groups. As an application of this result, we show that there does not exist a weakly universal CLI group. This, in particular, answers in the negative a question of H.Becker.

We investigate ideals of the form {A⊆ω: Σn∈Axnis unconditionally convergent} where n∈ωis a sequence in a Polish group or in a Banach space. If an ideal onωcan be seen in this form for some sequence inX, then we say that it is representable inX.After numerous examples we show the following theorems: An ideal is representable in a Polish Abelian group iff it is an analytic P-ideal. An ideal is representable in a Banach space iff it is a nonpathological (...) analytic P-ideal.We focus on the family of ideals representable inc0. We characterize this property via the defining sequence of measures. We prove that the trace of the null ideal, Farah’s ideal, and Tsirelson ideals are not representable inc0, and that a tallFσP-ideal is representable inc0iff it is a summable ideal. Also, we provide an example of a peculiar ideal which is representable inℓ1but not in ℝ.Finally, we summarize some open problems of this topic. (shrink)

We extend a theorem of Barwise and Nadel describing the relationship between approximations of canonical Scott sentences and admissible sets to the case of orbit equivalence relations induced on an arbitrary Polish space by a Polish group action.

Let G be a closed subgroup of S∞ and X be a Polish G -space. To every x ∈ X we associate an admissible set Ax and show how questions about X which involve Baire category can be formalized in Ax.

Given a Polish groupG, let$E(G)$be the right coset equivalence relation$G^{\omega }/c(G)$, where$c(G)$is the group of all convergent sequences inG. The connected component of the identity of a Polish groupGis denoted by$G_0$.Let$G,H$be locally compact abelian Polish groups. If$E(G)\leq _B E(H)$, then there is a continuous homomorphism$S:G_0\rightarrow H_0$such that$\ker (S)$is non-archimedean. The converse is also true whenGis connected and compact.For$n\in {\mathbb {N}}^+$, the partially ordered set$P(\omega )/\mbox {Fin}$can be embedded into Borel equivalence relations between$E({\mathbb {R}}^n)$and$E({\mathbb {T}}^n)$.

We show that each non-compact Polish group admits a continuous action on a Polish space with non-smooth orbit equivalence relation. We actually construct a free such action. Thus for a Polish group compactness is equivalent to all continuous free actions of this group being smooth. This answers a question of Kechris. We also establish results relating local compactness of the group with its inability to induce orbit equivalence relations not reducible to countable Borel equivalence relations. Generalizing a (...) result of Hjorth, we prove that each non-locally compact, that is, infinite dimensional, separable Banach space has a continuous action on a Polish space with non-Borel orbit equivalence relation, thus showing that this property characterizes non-local compactness among Banach spaces. (shrink)

For a subset A of a Polish group G, we study the (almost) packing index pack( A) (respectively, Pack( A)) of A, equal to the supremum of cardinalities |S| of subsets $S\subset G$ such that the family of shifts $\{xA\}_{x\in S}$ is (almost) disjoint (in the sense that $|xA\cap yA|<|G|$ for any distinct points $x,y\in S$). Subsets $A\subset G$ with small (almost) packing index are large in a geometric sense. We show that $\pack}(A)\in\mathbb{N}\cup\{\aleph_0,\mathfrak{c}\}$ for any σ-compact subset A of (...) a Polish group. In each nondiscrete Polish Abelian group G we construct two closed subsets $A,B\subset G$ with $\mathrm{pack}(A)=\mathrm{pack}(B)=\mathfrak{c}$ and \mathrm{Pack}(A\cup B)=1 and then apply this result to show that G contains a nowhere dense Haar null subset $C\subset G$ with pack(C)=Pack(C)=κ for any given cardinal number $\kappa\in[4,\mathfrak{c}]$. (shrink)

Let be a separable metrizable space. We establish a criteria for the existence of a metrizable globalization for a given continuous partial action of a separable metrizable group G on. If G and are Polish spaces, we show that the globalization is also a Polish space. We also show the existence of an universal globalization for partial actions of Polish groups.

In an earlier paper, we introduced the following pre-order on the subgroups of a given Polish group: if G is a Polish group and \ are subgroups, we say H is homomorphism reducible to L iff there is a continuous group homomorphism \ such that \\). We previously showed that there is a \ subgroup L of the countable power of any locally compact Polish group G such that every \ subgroup of \ is homomorphism reducible to (...) L. In the present work, we show that this fails in the countable power of the group of increasing homeomorphisms of the unit interval. (shrink)

Given a class${\cal C}$of subgroups of a topological groupG, we say that a subgroup$H \in {\cal C}$is auniversal${\cal C}$subgroupofGif every subgroup$K \in {\cal C}$is a continuous homomorphic preimage ofH. Such subgroups may be regarded as complete members of${\cal C}$with respect to a natural preorder on the set of subgroups ofG. We show that for any locally compact Polish groupG, the countable powerGωhas a universalKσsubgroup and a universal compactly generated subgroup. We prove a weaker version of this in the nonlocally (...) compact case and provide an example showing that this result cannot readily be improved. Additionally, we show that many standard Banach spaces have universalKσand compactly generated subgroups. As an aside, we explore the relationship between the classes ofKσand compactly generated subgroups and give conditions under which the two coincide. (shrink)

We present the (Lascar) Galois group of any countable theory as a quotient of a compact Polish group by an F_σ normal subgroup: in general, as a topological group, and under NIP, also in terms of Borel cardinality. This allows us to obtain similar results for arbitrary strong types defined on a single complete type over ∅. As an easy conclusion of our main theorem, we get the main result of [K. Krupiński, A. Pillay and T. Rzepecki, Topological dynamics (...) and the complexity of strong types, Israel J. Math.228 (2018) 863–932] which says that for any strong type defined on a single complete type over ∅, smoothness is equivalent to type-definability. We also explain how similar results are obtained in the case of bounded quotients of type-definable groups. This gives us a generalization of a former result from the paper mentioned above about bounded quotients of type-definable subgroups of definable groups. (shrink)

We construct a non-discrete Polish group none of whose non-discrete subgroups admits a complete left-incariant metric.

Strengthening a theorem of Hjorth this paper gives a new characterization of which Polish groups admit compatible complete left invariant metrics. As a corollary it is proved that any Polish group without a complete left invariant metric has a continuous action on a Polish space whose associated orbit equivalence relation is not essentially countable.

In this article, we introduce a hierarchy on the class of non-archimedean Polish groups that admit a compatible complete left-invariant metric. We denote this hierarchy by $\alpha $ -CLI and L- $\alpha $ -CLI where $\alpha $ is a countable ordinal. We establish three results: (1) G is $0$ -CLI iff $G=\{1_G\}$ ; (2) G is $1$ -CLI iff G admits a compatible complete two-sided invariant metric; and (3) G is L- $\alpha $ -CLI iff G is locally (...) $\alpha $ -CLI, i.e., G contains an open subgroup that is $\alpha $ -CLI. Subsequently, we show this hierarchy is proper by constructing non-archimedean CLI Polish groups $G_\alpha $ and $H_\alpha $ for $\alpha <\omega _1$, such that: (1) $H_\alpha $ is $\alpha $ -CLI but not L- $\beta $ -CLI for $\beta <\alpha $ ; and (2) $G_\alpha $ is $(\alpha +1)$ -CLI but not L- $\alpha $ -CLI. (shrink)

We show that the enveloping space \ of a partial action of a Polish group G on a Polish space \ is a standard Borel space, that is to say, there is a topology \ on \ such that \\) is Polish and the quotient Borel structure on \ is equal to \\). To prove this result we show a generalization of a theorem of Burgess about Borel selectors for the orbit equivalence relation induced by a group (...) action and also show that some properties of the Vaught’s transform are valid for partial actions of groups. (shrink)

For a Polish group let be the minimal number of translates of a fixed closed nowhere dense subset of required to cover . For many locally compact this cardinal is known to be consistently larger than which is the smallest cardinality of a covering of the real line by meagre sets. It is shown that for several non-locally compact groups . For example the equality holds for the group of permutations of the integers, the additive group of a (...) separable Banach space with an unconditional basis and the group of homeomorphisms of various compact spaces. (shrink)

The notion of strong measure zero is studied in the context of Polish groups and general separable metric spaces. An extension of a theorem of Galvin, Mycielski and Solovay is given, whereas the theorem is shown to fail for the Baer–Specker group Zω\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${{\mathbb{Z}^{\omega}}}$$\end{document}. The uniformity number of the ideal of strong measure zero subsets of a separable metric space is examined, providing solutions to several problems of Miller and Steprāns (...) :52–59, 2006). (shrink)

§ 1. Introduction. In this communication we present some recent results on the classification of Polish metric spaces up to isometry and on the isometry groups of Polish metric spaces. A Polish metric space is a complete separable metric space.Our first goal is to determine the exact complexity of the classification problem of general Polish metric spaces up to isometry. This work was motivated by a paper of Vershik [1998], where he remarks : “The classification (...) of Polish spaces up to isometry is an enormous task. More precisely, this classification is not ‘smooth’ in the modern terminology.” Our Theorem 2.1 below quantifies precisely the enormity of this task.After doing this, we turn to special classes of Polish metric spaces and investigate the classification problems associated with them. Note that these classification problems are in principle no more complicated than the general one above. However, the determination of their exact complexity is not necessarily easier.The investigation of the classification problems naturally leads to some interesting results on the groups of isometries of Polish metric spaces. We shall also present these results below.The rest of this section is devoted to an introduction of some basic ideas of a theory of complexity for classification problems, which will help to put our results in perspective. Detailed expositions of this general theory can be found, e.g., in Hjorth [2000], Kechris [1999], [2001]. (shrink)

A Polish group G is tame if for any continuous action of G, the corresponding orbit equivalence relation is Borel. When [Formula: see text] for countable abelian [Formula: see text], Solecki [Equivalence relations induced by actions of Polish groups, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 347 (1995) 4765–4777] gave a characterization for when G is tame. In [L. Ding and S. Gao, Non-archimedean abelian Polish groups and their actions, Adv. Math. 307 (2017) 312–343], Ding and Gao showed (...) that for such G, the orbit equivalence relation must in fact be potentially [Formula: see text], while conjecturing that the optimal bound could be [Formula: see text]. We show that the optimal bound is [Formula: see text] by constructing an action of such a group G which is not potentially [Formula: see text], and show how to modify the analysis of [L. Ding and S. Gao, Non-archimedean abelian Polish groups and their actions, Adv. Math. 307 (2017) 312–343] to get this slightly better upper bound. It follows, using the results of Hjorth et al. [Borel equivalence relations induced by actions of the symmetric group, Ann. Pure Appl. Logic 92 (1998) 63–112], that this is the optimal bound for the potential complexity of actions of tame abelian product groups. Our lower-bound analysis involves forcing over models of set theory where choice fails for sequences of finite sets. (shrink)

By the Galvin–Mycielski–Solovay theorem, a subset X of the line has Borel’s strong measure zero if and only if $M+X\neq \mathbb {R}$ for each meager set M.A set $X\subseteq \mathbb {R}$ is meager-additive if $M+X$ is meager for each meager set M. Recently a theorem on meager-additive sets that perfectly parallels the Galvin–Mycielski–Solovay theorem was proven: A set $X\subseteq \mathbb {R}$ is meager-additive if and only if it has sharp measure zero, a notion akin to strong measure zero.We investigate the (...) validity of this result in Polish groups. We prove, e.g., that a set in a locally compact Polish group admitting an invariant metric is meager-additive if and only if it has sharp measure zero. We derive some consequences and calculate some cardinal invariants. (shrink)

A Polish space is not always homeomorphic to a computably presented Polish space. In this article, we examine degrees of non-computability of presenting homeomorphic copies of compact Polish spaces. We show that there exists a $\mathbf {0}'$ -computable low $_3$ compact Polish space which is not homeomorphic to a computable one, and that, for any natural number $n\geq 2$, there exists a Polish space $X_n$ such that exactly the high $_{n}$ -degrees are required to present (...) the homeomorphism type of $X_n$. Along the way we investigate the computable aspects of Čech homology groups. We also show that no compact Polish space has a least presentation with respect to Turing reducibility. (shrink)

School bullying also referred to as peer victimization is considered extremely harmful for all parties involved. It has been recognised as an important issue in Polish schools. This article presents the first stage of a project financed by the National Centre of Research and Development and includes the results of qualitative research conducted in groups of middle-school students, middle-school teachers and psychologists. The results highlight several factors leading to the exclusion from the dominant peer group. The results also (...) indicate that although students are aware of the consequences of bullying and excluding behaviours, they do not implement this knowledge when explaining their own excluding actions. All results are discussed in terms of designing and implementing a data-based programme which would effectively mitigate excluding behaviours during middle-school transition. (shrink)

We study computable Polish spaces and Polish groups up to homeomorphism. We prove a natural effective analogy of Stone duality, and we also develop an effective definability technique which works up to homeomorphism. As an application, we show that there is a $\Delta ^0_2$ Polish space not homeomorphic to a computable one. We apply our techniques to build, for any computable ordinal $\alpha $, an effectively closed set not homeomorphic to any $0^{}$-computable Polish space; this (...) answers a question of Nies. We also prove analogous results for compact Polish groups and locally path-connected spaces. (shrink)

The Polish School of Logic flourished in the period 1920-1939. Philosophically, it was influenced by Kazimierz Twardowski, professor at the University of Lwow (now Lviv in Ukraine), who established the Lwow-Warsaw School, to which the mentioned logical group belonged. Twardowski claimed that logic is very important in every kind of human activity, professional as well as private. Hence, every argument should be clearly formulated and proceed by correct inferential rules. These postulates involved semiotics, formal logic, and methodology of science (...) — that is, logica sensu largo. This position was accepted by Twardowski’s most distinguished students, such as Jan Łukasiewicz, Stanisław Leśniewski, Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz, and Tadeusz Kotarbiński, who graduated before 1914, as well as the next generation of logicians and philosophers, particularly by Alfred Tarski. Although all these people considered logic, philosophy, and science as completely neutral with respect to politics and ideology, they treated logical skills as indispensable in political activities. In philosophical specialized terminology, Polish logicians regarded logic as a weapon against irrationalism. This position was also represented by Polish logicians who did not belong to the group of Twardowski’s students. (shrink)

Strengthening a theorem of D.W. Kueker, this paper completely characterizes which countable structures do not admit uncountable L ω 1 ω -elementarily equivalent models. In particular, it is shown that if the automorphism group of a countable structure M is abelian, or even just solvable, then there is no uncountable model of the Scott sentence of M. These results arise as part of a study of Polish groups with compatible left-invariant complete metrics.

We survey various aspects of the problem of automatic continuity of homomorphisms between Polish groups.

The main aim of this paper is to present the results of a job satisfaction survey conducted on a group of Polish sworn translators. The first part of this paper discusses the state of the art of sociology of translation as well as providing a definition of job satisfaction. Then, the author of the paper moves on to the presentation of the research procedure: the methodology, the limitations of the study, the results and a discussion about the findings. This (...) study presents evidence suggesting that Polish sworn translators experience a high level of job satisfaction. Nevertheless, due to research limitations, further studies on this topic are recommended before the issue of job satisfaction among sworn translators is more clearly understood. (shrink)

The article is an attempt to analyze the current trends of the development of Polish philosophy. It does not give a detailed description or systematization of Polish philosophy. The attention is focused on some vital issues: individuals, groupings, topics that determine its character and contribute to its native character and universal dimension. Polish culture follows an alternate pattern of development. Periods of idealistic vows, heroic deeds and great literature were followed by the time of “minimalism” restricted to (...) the world of facts and practicalities. At the times of cultural maximalism, philosophy accompanied literature (art) and tended to take the form of a world outlook, while in minimalistic phase it searched for connections with science and transformed into meta-science.The author believes that the period of scientific philosophy (the Lvov—Warsaw School of Philosophy) is over so it can be presumed that the future will belong to world outlook philosophy. (shrink)

In this paper, we construct group trees of tame Polish groups of the form, where are countable abelian. Our first example where all are torsion reaches the known upper bound. Next we give examples having height for any, close to the known bound.

While all chairs of classics after the war were entrusted to already well-established pre-war professors, female scholars, junior often only by rank, took care of the mind-boggling logistics of setting up the defunct departments and preparing them for the first cohort of students. It was an unusual group composed of various ages and levels of knowledge. Older ones saw their education put on hold during the war or attended underground university classes but did not obtain their degrees. Younger ones completed (...) high school within the same clandestine system. Things began to change during the second post-war decade with women advancing in their careers, obtaining degrees and university positions. The paper discusses the careers of seven prominent classicists: Zofia Abramowiczówna (1906–1988), Leokadia Małunowicz (1910–1980), Daniela Tennerówna-Gromska (1889–1973), Izydora Dąmbska (1904–1983), Anna Maria Komornicka (1920–2018), Iza Bieżuńska-Małowist (1917–1995), and Stefania Światłowska (1914–2009). (shrink)

We investigate what it means for a (Hausdorff, second-countable) topological group to be computable. We compare several potential definitions based on classical notions in the literature. We relate these notions with the well-established definitions of effective presentability for discrete and profinite groups, and compare our results with similar results in computable topology.

Roelcke non-precompactness, simplicity, and non-amenability of the automorphism group of the Fraïssé limit of finite Heyting algebras are proved among others.

The paper examines the representations of Ukrainian refugees in Polish press at the beginning of the 2022 Russian invasion. Using corpus linguistics methods (namely, collocation analysis) it shows that the displaced Ukrainians were mostly referred to as (war) refugees and discussed with respect to their movement and reception in Poland. The study contrasts the construal of Ukrainian refugees in media outlets with different ideological and business aims. The findings are also discussed with respect to how European media tend to (...) cover immigration from other regions, notably the Middle East and North Africa, and how these two types of migration become linked in the analysed news reports. Altogether, while pointing to a potential of the media to shape positive attitudes towards refugees, as attested by their coverage of Ukrainians, the study also highlights the extent to which racism is likely to determine the construal of different groups of migrants. (shrink)

This study aimed to verify the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Grit-S questionnaire. Grit is understood here as the perseverance and passion for long-term goals, and it encompasses two dimensions: Consistency of Interest and Perseverance of Effort. The sample comprised N = 270 participants aged 18-34. We performed confirmatory factor analyses to verify the dimensional structure of grit, multi-group confirmatory factor analysis to compare the structure across gender, and correlation analysis to examine external validity. Findings showed (...) satisfactory parameters for Grit-S including: reliability, structural and external validity, and measurement invariance across gender groups. The results support the possibility of using the Grit-S questionnaire in research exploring the predictors of success. (shrink)

Relationships between physicians and pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs) often create conflicts of interest, not least because of the various benefits received by physicians. Many countries attempt to control pharmaceutical industry marketing strategies through legal regulation, and this is true in Poland where efforts are underway to eliminate any practices that might be considered corrupt in medicine. The present research considered Polish medical students’ opinions about domestic laws restricting doctors’ acceptance of expensive gifts from the industry, the idea of compulsory (...) transparency, and the possibility of introducing a Polish Sunshine Law. A qualitative, focus group-based, interview method was used. Data were gathered from nine focus groups involving 92 medical students from three universities located in major Polish cities. The article presents a classification of opposing student views with regard to the consequences of introducing different legal solutions; this should be useful for policy makers deliberating on how to optimally regulate pharmaceutical marketing. The study’s results are discussed in the context of the public bioethical debate in Poland. (shrink)

This article deals with phenomena occurring at the interface of the existential, the religious, and scientific inquiry. On the basis of in-depth interviews with Polish physicists and biologists, I examine the role that science and religion play in their narrative of the meaning of the Universe and human life. I show that the narratives about meaning have a system-related character that is associated with responses to adjacent metaphysical questions, including those based on scientific knowledge. I reconstruct the typical amalgam (...) questions of Polish scientists and come to a conclusion about the stability of religious and nonreligious amalgams in this group. Critically referring to the thesis concerning the secularizing impact of science, I conclude that science by itself does not have a destructive effect on Polish scientists’ confidence that life and the Universe are meaningful, but is rather an exacerbating factor of the existing worldview system. (shrink)

The study examines the question of how personal self-esteem, collective self-esteem and readiness for self-improvement are linked to satisfaction with life in women from countries differing with regard to level of collectivism. Our study participants were Polish and Indian female students. The obtained results indicate that personal self-esteem plays a very important role in satisfaction with life of women from the two countries. However, collective self-esteem is not directly related to satisfaction with life among women from the two cultures (...) analyzed. Structural Equation Modeling showed that: a) in the Indian group readiness for self-improvement is more important for satisfaction with life than in the Polish group and it is significantly related to satisfaction with life through collectivistic self-esteem, b) the direct influence of both personal and collective self-esteem on satisfaction with life is more significant in the Polish group than in the Indian group. (shrink)

BackgroundIn this study, we analyze the association of social isolation in the first phase of the pandemic with perceived stress among residents of Poland and Italy with a look at how these populations adjust to and comply with implemented regulations, guidelines, and restrictions.Materials and MethodsInternet survey with Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and questions regarding mobility patterns, attitude, and propensity to adjust toward the implemented measures and current health condition was made among Polish and Italian residents (Cronbach’s alpha 0.86 and (...) 0.79, respectively). The sample size was 7,108 (6,169 completed questionnaires in Poland and 939 in Italy).ResultsThe Polish group had a higher stress level than the Italian group (mean PSS-10 total score 22,14 vs 17,01, respectively;p< 0.01). There was a greater prevalence of chronic diseases among Polish respondents. Italian subjects expressed more concern about their health, as well as about their future employment. Italian subjects did not comply with suggested restrictions as much as Polish subjects and were less eager to restrain from their usual activities (social, physical, and religious), which were more often perceived as “most needed matters” in Italian than in Polish residents.ConclusionHigher activity level was found to be correlated with lower perceived stress, but the causality is unclear. Difference in adherence to restrictions between Polish and Italian residents suggests that introducing similar lockdown policies worldwide may not be as beneficial as expected. However, due to the applied method of convenience sampling and uneven study groups, one should be careful with generalizing these results. (shrink)

We prove that in the Polish group of isometries of the Baire space the collection of n-th powers is non-Borel. We also prove that in the Polish space of trees on $\mathbb{N}$ the collection of trees that have an automorphism under which every node has order exactly n is non-Borel.

In this paper the authors address the issue of investments made by family businesses. Their study attempted to verify the level of investments made by Polish family businesses in comparison with the level of investments made by Polish non-family businesses. The study focused on the analysis of investment flows of Polish listed companies included in the WIG index for the years 2006-2018. A total of 233 companies were analyzed, including 177 non-family businesses and 56 family businesses. The (...) results corroborated the argument that Polish listed non-family businesses invest much more money than family businesses. It was also observed that only a small percentage of companies in both groups invest their finances in research and development. (shrink)

Emotion understanding (EU) is the capacity to understand the nature, causes, and consequences of the emotional experience of the self and others. The cultural differences and similarities in the development of EU are still not well recognized, especially within Slavic culture and language. We tested 180 Polish children aged 5–11 years using the Test of Emotion Comprehension and compared their results with data from British and Italian children. We revealed a similar pattern of EU development between the three (...) class='Hi'>groups, showing a growing number of the core EU components with age. In all samples, the three difficulty-differentiated clusters of EU components were distinguishable. Some cultural differences were observed only in a few EU components – especially, British and Italian children recognized the cognitively-based individualistic aspect of emotions to a higher degree than Polish children. These results supplement the current knowledge about EU development in children within European cultures. (shrink)

We study the notion of weak amalgamation in the context of diagonal conjugacy classes. Generalizing results of Kechris and Rosendal, we prove that for every countable structure M, Polish group G of permutations of M, and \, G has a comeager n-diagonal conjugacy class iff the family of all n-tuples of G-extendable bijections between finitely generated substructures of M, has the joint embedding property and the weak amalgamation property. We characterize limits of weak Fraïssé classes that are not homogenizable. (...) Finally, we investigate 1- and 2-diagonal conjugacy classes in groups of ball-preserving bijections of certain ordered ultrametric spaces. (shrink)

Justifying the existence of professional ethics in medicine is usually connected with the traditions of a profession and with a humanistic dimension of these ethics, pointing at the same time to their culture-forming character. With such an attitude, professional ethics is treated as a part of all mankind’s output, and its teaching turns out to be an important element of preparation for taking part in culture. Taking into account the cultural meaning of professional ethics, one should notice that all discussions (...) about the character of relations of medicine and ethics exceed the very health care system. The dilemma outlined in the article deals with the problem whether the existence of medical ethics requires external regulations or is this also a creation of the very representatives of medicine and only they can formulate it. If the latter is to be assumed, ethics in medicine would have to be independent of other detailed ethics and it would not need to be included in any other more general theory. In the first solution, medical ethics is becoming a part of general ethics and, therefore, it would be justified to include it in a more general theory – bioethics. The authors indicate that professional ethics does not limit freedom of the staff but gives a special opportunity to use it. Records constituting its contents are mostly standardized by a professional group which sets criteria of recruitment on its own and general duties resting on their members. (shrink)

BackgroundWhile healthcare professionals’ right to invoke the conscience clause has been recognised as a fundamental human right, it continues to provoke a heated debate in Polish society. Although public discourse is filled with ethical and legal considerations on the conscience clause, much less is known about the attitudes of healthcare professionals regarding that matter. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the attitudes of Polish physicians, nurses and pharmacists towards the ethical and legal aspects of the (...) conscience clause.MethodsWe analysed a group of three hundred healthcare professionals: physicians, nurses and pharmacists in Poznan, Poland, using a standard questionnaire comprising of 29 questions about various ethical and legal aspects of the conscience clause and participants’ personal experiences with the conscience clause. The study was conducted between January and March 2020.ResultsThis research shows that although most Polish healthcare workers support the right to invoke the conscience clause they differ significantly in their opinions on to whom and to what medical procedures the conscience clause should apply to. It also demonstrated that while the conscience clause is rarely invoked in Poland, most healthcare professionals declare that the current legal regulations in that sphere are unclear and inaccurate.ConclusionsWhile there is an urgent need to raise the awareness regarding the conscience clause among medical students and healthcare professionals and educate them about such issues, it is even more important to improve the legal system in regard to the CC so that it protects both HCPs’ right to the CC and safeguards patients’ rights to medical services. (shrink)

The road into Poland was not easy for the Society of Jesus. Although there were some Polish bishops, such as Stanisław Hozjusz [Stanislaus Hosius] and the successor to his See of Varmia, Marcin Kromer [Martinus Cromerus], who took steps to induce the authorities at Rome to allow the Jesuits to come and establish themselves in Poland-Lithuania, seeing the Order as an effective auxiliary agency for the practical implementation of the reforms passed at the Council of Trent, their efforts were (...) isolated attempts which failed to find sympathy with even the rest of the bishops of Poland, not to speak of other social groups. (shrink)