The manuscript of Algernon Sidney’s Discourses Concerning Government was used in evidence against him in the 1683 treason trial which cost the republican his life. The work’s attack on absolute monarchy and its justification of rebellion against tyrannical rulers were considered so inflammatory that it could not be published with impunity in England until after the Glorious Revolution and the lapse of the Licensing Act. It was eventually prepared for the press in 1698 by the Commonwealthman John Toland in collaboration (...) with the printer and bookseller John Darby who were jointly responsible for establishing a whole canon of republican and Commonwealth works around this time. While a French edition of the Discourses was published in the Netherlands shortly afterwards, the first German edition of Sidney’s most famous work did not appear until almost a century later. Amidst the constitutional debates in the wake of the French Revolution, Sidney’s work was now employed in a new context to criticise tyrannical rule, while warning against violent excesses. (shrink)

The article deals with the perception of the Pope John Paul II and Poland in the two speeches of the Presidents of the United States of America. The George W. Bush’s speech given on the occasion of the dedication of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington DC on March 22, 2001 and the Donald Trump’s speech delivered in front of the Warsaw Uprising Monument on the Krasinski Square in Warsaw on July 8, 2017 were used as the (...) sources for the study. The former speech is a laudation in honor of the Pope from Poland, whose biography was considered by the 43rd President of the United States as one of the most interesting in human history. Among the most notable episodes of the pontificate, George W. Bush listed the 1979 pilgrimage to his homeland, the 1995 visit to Manila in Philippines, the unprecedented visits to a synagogue and a Muslim country, the forgiveness shown to Ali Ağca – the would-be assassin, and the visits to the United States during which the Pope from Poland reminded the people of human dignity and the virtues of a just society. The latter speech is a laudation on the spirit of the Polish nation. Donald Trump emphasized the steadfastness of the Poles in the struggle to preserve their cultural identity despite the loss of their homeland. He recalled the period of partition and extermination of the Polish nation by the German Nazis and the Soviet Communists during World War II. The 45th President of the United States reminded the world about famous Poles: Nicolaus Copernicus, Frederic Chopin, Casimir Pulaski, Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Saint John Paul II. He also spoke about the lasting ties between the Americans and the Poles and about the common values cherished on both sides of the Atlantic. On the example of social transformations in Poland and Europe initiated by John Paul II’s pilgrimage to Poland in 1979, Donald Trump emphasized the influence of faith in God on political and social transformations in the world. He also expressed hope for the survival of Western civilization based on faith in God and the preservation of family and freedom. (shrink)

Historically, Ehrenfest’s theorem is the first one which shows that classical physics can emerge from quantum physics as a kind of approximation. We recall the theorem in its original form, and we highlight its generalizations to the relativistic Dirac particle and to a particle with spin and izospin. We argue that apparent classicality of the macroscopic world can probably be explained within the framework of standard quantum mechanics.

Rhymed text and movable pictures present a variety of amusing situations.

We take I.Q. tests but not Compassion Aptitude tests. Yet mind and emotions need to be seen as two different parts of the same spectrum if the battered human psyche is to be mended. Skolimowski sees the opportunity for a new order to be brought about if the Western mind can return to, then reintegrate, the spiritual.

The volume collects classics of Marxist historiography of science, including a new translation of Boris Hessen's “The Social and Economic Roots of Newton's ...

The ArgumentFranz Borkenau's book,The Transition from Feudal to Modern Thought(Der Übergang vom feudalen zum bürgerlichen Weltbild[literally:The Transition from the Feudal to the Bourgeois World-Picture]), serves as background for Grossmann's study. The objective of this book was to trace the sociological origins of the mechanistic categories of modern thought as developed in the philosophy of Descartes and his successors. In the beginning of the seventeenth century, according to Borkenau, mechanistic thinking triumphed over medieval philosophy which emphasized qualitative, not quantitative considerations. This (...) transition from medieval and feudal methods of thought to modern principles is the general theme of Borkenau's book, and is traced to the social changes of this time. According to this work, the essential economic change that marked the transition from medieval to modern times was the destruction of the handicraft system and the organization of labor under one roof and under one management. The roots of the change in thought are to be sought here. With the dismemberment of the handicraft system and the division of labor into relatively unskilled, uniform, and therefore comparable activities, the conception of abstract homogeneous social labor arises. The division of the labor process into simple repeated movements permits a comparison of hours of labor. Calculation with such abstract social unities, according to Borkenau, was the source from which modern mechanistic thinking in general derived its origin.Grossmann, although he considers Borkenau's work a valuable and important contribution, does not believe that the author has achieved his purpose. First of all, he contends that the period that Borkenau describes as the period of the triumph of modern thought over medieval should not be placed at the beginning of the seventeenth century, but in the Renaissance, and that not Descartes and Hobbes but Leonardo da Vinci was the initiator of modern thought. Leonardo's theories, evolved from a study of machines, were the source of the mechanistic categories that culminated in modern thought.If Borkenau's conception as to the historical origin of these categories is incorrect in regard to time, Grossmann claims it follows that it is incorrect also in regard to the social sources to which it is ascribed. In the beginning, the factory system did not involve a division of labor into comparable homogeneous processes, but in general only united skilled handicraftsmen under one roof. The development of machinery, not the calculation with abstract hours of labor, is the immediate source of modern scientific mechanics. This goes back to the Renaissance and has relatively little to do with the original factory system that was finally superseded by the Industrial Revolution.While Borkenau, in tracing the social background of the thought of the period, relies chiefly on the conflicts and strife of political parties, Grossmann regards this as one element only in the formation of the general social situation, which in its entirety and in the interaction of its elements explains the development of modern thought. (shrink)

We give a survey of automorphisms of countable recursively saturated models of Peano Arithmetic.

This article deals with basic changes in Polish society over past 20 years. On the basis of sociological surveys, the author attempts to answer the following questions: to what extent has systemic change brought about significant changes in social stratification? In which dimensions did it take place? What are the consequences of these changes for individuals and the social system? How does Polish society differ from others? As for social stratification, the only clear and unambiguous tendencies were growing inequality and (...) more marked effects of educational credentials on incomes. Contrary to expectations, barriers to mobility have not become more rigid, nor is there any clear evidence of social origins mattering more for educational achievement. Transformations in social structure have been accompanied by rising discontent with material conditions, the government, and the system as a whole. Interestingly, this wave runs counter to positive evaluations in the private sphere, displayed in relatively high self-esteem and satisfaction with friendships and family life. These optimistic attitudes contrasted with disapproval of the political class, and with the workings of democracy. The degree of legitimization of the political system in Poland appears to be the lowest among 21 European societies. When compared with the capitalist West, this constitutes one of the obstacles to modernization along Western lines. (shrink)

Celem artykułu jest analiza mobilności Antonia Santa Crocego – tytularnego arcybiskupa Seleucji i nuncjusza apostolskiego w Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodów w latach 1627–1630. Autorzy odtworzyli podróż dyplomaty papieskiego z Rzymu do Rzeczypospolitej odbytą w 1627 r., podróż powrotną nad Tyber z 1630 r. oraz dwa wojaże po Polsce – miesięczny wyjazd do Prus z 1627 r., podjęty w związku z trwającą wojną o ujście Wisły oraz polsko-szwedzkimi rokowaniami prowadzonymi przy udziale mediatorów niderlandzkich, a także – dwumiesięczny objazd Mazowsza, będący w rzeczywistości (...) ucieczką przed zarazą, jaka w drugiej połowie 1629 r. nawiedziła ziemie Korony. Podstawą opracowania jest korespondencja Santa Crocego z Sekretariatem Stanu Stolicy Apostolskiej, nad którym pieczę sprawował kardynał nepot Francesco Barberini. Wspomniana korespondencja przechowywana jest w Archivio Apostolico Vaticano oraz w Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. Znaczna jej część została wydana w serii Acta Nuntiaturae Polonae (t. XXIII, vol. 1–2). Interesującym źródłem o charakterze uzupełniającym jest _Diario di Roma (1608–1644) _autorstwa Giacinto Gigliego, w którym pamiętnikarz uwiecznił wjazd Santa Crocego do Wiecznego Miasta latem 1630 r. Ponadto autorzy wykorzystali literaturę przedmiotu poświęconą zagadnieniu podróży przedstawicieli papieskich, m.in. prace ks. Henryka Damiana Wojtyski, Teresy Chynczewskiej-Hennel czy Tadeusza Fitycha. Autorzy dokonali analizy rękopiśmiennych materiałów źródłowych pod kątem mobilności nuncjusza Santa Crocego, dzięki czemu udało się uzupełnić jego itinerarium. W publikacji zwrócono uwagę na opisy odwiedzanych przez niego miejsc oraz personalia osób, z którymi przedstawiciel papieski spotykał się podczas swych wojaży. Zarysowano również pewne wątki, które będą kontynuowane w przyszłych badaniach, a dotyczą sfery organizacyjnej nuncjatury w czasie, gdy przedstawiciel papieski przebywał poza dworem. Artykuł może stanowić cenne uzupełnienie do badań nad podróżami w czasach nowożytnych, jak również przyczynek do zagadnienia związanego z mobilnością dyplomatów w czasie realizowania ich misji. (shrink)

Offers a radical new spiritual philosophy: the earth is a sanctuary and we must treat it as such. Uniquely inspiring and provocative.

Author: Mamzer Henryk Title: TRANSFORMATION OF PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS INTO THE CULTURAL STUDIES ONES AS THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE PROCESS OF WORLD’S HUMANIZATION (Przekształcanie się problemów filozoficznych w kulturoznawcze jako wyraz procesu humanizacji świata) Source: Filo-Sofija year: 2011, vol:.12, number: 2011/1, pages: 263-278 Keywords: NOTION OF CULTURE, CULTURAL STUDIES, PROCESS OF WORLD’S HUMANIZATION Discipline: PHILOSOPHY Language: POLISH Document type: ARTICLE Publication order reference (Primary author’s office address): E-mail: www:This text is inspired by main research problem undertaken by Jerzy Kmita in (...) his book Konieczne serio ironisty. O przekształcaniu się problemów filozoficznych w kulturoznawcze (Poznań 2007). The mentioned problem is related to this area of culture to which „The human being had invaded and thanks to this started to construct both the world and himself”. Beginning from this moment the way followed by humans equals the process of the world’s humanization. This is not a continuous process. Each epoch, each culture, has its own vision of own functioning and the way which surrounding world functions, the world in which the social actor participates and creates. The practice proves that usually ethnocentric human attitudes influence the way in which original assumptions are introduced into the life. Reaction to this fact is giving up practicing philosophical practices related with the notion of “absolute” and, as consequences, moving into the field of cultural studies. This process is the demonstration of the world’s humanization. The notion of culture is the superior one. In a way – a priori – of all types of human activities. The science and philosophy are produced by the culture as well, and they are shaped by the values and expectations present in given culture. Because of this cultural studies (knowledge on the culture) appears to be “broad meaning type of knowledge”, exceeding the borders of the philosophy. (shrink)

Henryk Elzenberg is one of the most prominent Polish philosophers of this century. His main publications are: the brilliant Foundations of Leibniz’s Metaphysics of 1917; a philosophical diary published in 1963 as Trouble with Being; and a collection of papers Man and Value. Elzenberg’s principal field of inquiry was axiology, in which he put forward a deep and original conception of his own. That, however, remains still mostly in the form of manuscripts and lecture notes, of which we publish (...) two pieces above: a critique of the utilitarian concept of value, and an analysis of Meinong’s position on the same topic. (shrink)

We give some information about new proofs of the incompleteness theorems, found in 1990s. Some of them do not require the diagonal lemma as a method of construction of an independent statement.

We give new proofs of both incompleteness theorems. We do not use the diagonalization lemma, but work with some quickly growing functions instead.

Polemizując z poglądami Kanta i Hegla, Goethe stworzył własną filozofię przyrody i filozofię człowieka. Jego zdaniem ludzie są cząstkami świata przyrody, dlatego poznają siebie w takiej mierze, w jakiej poznają przyrodę. Humanistyczny światopogląd Goethego jest trudny do pogodzenia z doktryną chrześcijańską, ponieważ sprzeciwia się dualizmowi ciała i ducha oraz zakłada istnienie pełnej wolności, będącej podstawą autonomicznego kształtowania przez człowieka własnego środowiska życiowego. Tym niemniej Goethe nie zamykał się na pewne treści religijne, które poszerzają perspektywę widzenia świata, a nawet dość chętnie (...) wypowiadał się językiem mistyki religijnej i korzystał z bogatej symboliki chrześcijańskiej. To człowiek jednak jest dla niego wyłącznym panem Ziemi i tylko od niego zależy, jak będą przebiegać na niej procesy rozwoju. Główny bohater Fausta uosabia niezbywalną życiowo potrzebę czynnego poznania i działania oraz metafizyczną potrzebę wieczności, respektującej wymogi skończoności i czasowości wszelkiego istnienia. W oczach Lowitha Goethe jest myślicielem zawsze aktualnym, bo jego poglądy są zgodne z duchem każdego czasu. Mimo, że przedstawi on najgłębsze prawdy o człowieku i świecie, to pozostał – niestety – w dużej mierze nierozpoznany i niedoceniony przez współczesnych mu intelektualistów i działaczy społeczno – politycznych. (shrink)

Schopenhauer uważa, że wzniosłe uczucie między dwojgiem osób zawsze jest wyrazem miłości płciowej, perfidnie wywołanej i atrakcyjnie ukazanej przez wolę życia. W gruncie rzeczy w miłości chodzi o to, aby właściwie dobrane jednostki łączyły się w pary i płodziły dzieci, przedłużając w ten sposób trwanie gatunku, a ostatecznie - zapewniając odpowiednią jakość i trwałość życia jako takiego. Osoby oszukane przez wolę życia zwykle nie osiągają spełnienia ani szczęścia, a ich jednostkowe egzystencje naznaczone są trudnym do zniesienia bólem i cierpieniem. Schopenhauerowska (...) metafizyka miłości płciowej ujawnia stosowane przez wolę kryteria absolutne i relatywne w doborze kochanków, rozpatruje kwestię rzadkiego fenomenu miłości metafizycznej oraz wskazuje na możliwość częściowego wyzwolenia się spod wpływu woli i zadbania o własne dobro. (shrink)