Notwithstanding the opportunities it provides, the implementation of some measures of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (EU CAP), including agri-environment-climate measures (AECMs), also generates threats. The study identifies an extremely disturbing process that can be referred to as “internal neo-colonialism”, which has been driven by the technocratic agrarian policy of the EU and transformations in Poland at the turn of the twenty-first century. The associated disadvantageous practices mainly affect areas under threat of marginalisation and peripheralisation, including Poland with its post-Socialist (...) heritage, which has shaped the attitudes and behaviour of society and has consolidated linkages between politics and business. In order to retrace such activities, the study analyses EU funds granted in support of farmers implementing AECMs, with a focus on analysing the place of residence of the “farmer” and the location of the farm. As the research shows, the attractiveness of CAP support causes Polish agriculture and Poland’s countryside, including its natural and financial resources, to be drained by so-called “suitcase farmers”, i.e. people/entities not tied to the place where the agricultural activity is pursued, many of whom live in cities. One common practice is to take over land located in legally protected areas noted for their high quality of natural environment. Not only does the practice of land grabbing strengthen the social exclusion of rural communities and the peripheralisation and pauperisation of these areas, but it also hinders discussion about environmental justice and the ecological integrity of rural areas. (shrink)

Pacyfizm, na swój sposób dzisiaj zapomniany, to głębokie pytanie o człowieka, to próba uświadomienia, że być może człowiek nie powinien się nigdy na tym właśnie świecie pojawić, chyba że tylko po to, by o miłości marzyć, w nadziei, że wydarzy się ona gdzieś indziej. Jeżeli jednak żyjąc w „dowodliwym” świecie, obserwując fakty, wiemy z niewzruszoną pewnością, że tak nie jest, że krystaliczna miłość jest tylko fantazmatem, po czasie zmienia się bowiem nieustannie w układ przyzwyczajeń, a pokój to tylko niespełniona nadzieja (...) (czego nie trzeba udowadniać), to skąd myśl, że wydarzy się on kiedykolwiek? I tutaj właśnie napotykamy na bodaj najgłębszy problem antropologiczny, twierdzę, że niemożliwy do rozstrzygnięcia, co pokazuje nam filozofia. Niniejsza kwestia będzie analizowana w przedstawionym artykule. (shrink)

Zapoczątkowany w XX w. spór o człowieka wyraża się pytaniem o to, czy ma on własna rzeczywistość, czy raczej jest wytworem sił historycznych. W ostatnich dziesięcioleciach zdecydowana przewagę zdobyła ta druga opcja, wspierana zwłaszcza argumentami kulturowych i społecznych konstruktywistów. Niektórzy filozofowie XX stulecia, określając te sytuacje ubóstwieniem historii, wykazywali, iż nie cała rzeczywistość jest kulturowo konstruowanym, historycznie zmiennym sensem, i ze do tej nie podlegającej historycznej konstrukcji sfery należy także rzeczywistość ludzkiego bytu. Do tej grupy dołączył ostatnio m.in. J. Habermas, (...) jeden z wcześniejszych radykalnych zwolenników opcji konstruktywistyczno-historycystycznej, wykazując potrzebę odwołania się w dyskursie o człowieku do jeżyka metafizyczno-religijnego, wyrażając tym samym potrzebę odwołania się do czegoś, co w świecie i w człowieku nie-historyczne i co warunkuje ludzkie istnienie w świecie historycznym. Autor niniejszego artykułu proponuje zwrócenie się do wielkiej tradycji mistycznej, z której, w jego mniemaniu, płynie nauka o potrzebie szacunku dla rzeczywistości, w tym także dla rzeczywistości ludzkiej, której uznanie jest, według niego, podstawowym warunkiem ludzkiej autonomii i trwania w dziejach oraz panowania nad nimi. (shrink)

The immediate inspiration for this text is Tomasz Polak's book "System kościelny czyli przewagi pana K" (The Church System or the Advantages of Mr. K). The author analyses in detail how the "system" works, claiming that it has taken over the church from the very beginning of its existence, absorbing the original vitality of the community. The conclusion he reaches is that the "system" is unreformable. In this article I compare T. Polak's basic thought with what Tomasz Węcławski wrote years (...) ago about the church. I emphasize that this is the same person who changed his name due to life circumstances. I try to analyze how far the thinking, the way of argumentation, and finally the formulated conclusions have changed. The key word for these considerations is "phantasm." In this light, the question of God "with me, in me, and over me" dies in the face of the workings of the "church system." The phantasm prevails over man and his living relationship to God. "The Church System or the Advantages of Mr. K", is a very sad story about an individual, even though told in an expert and difficult language. Religion, faith, which someone makes the determinant and meaning of life, is something that from the beginning is doomed to drift towards an unshakeable phantasm, something that, in fact, will never come true, except in the most intimate and private dimension. (shrink)

In the original version of the publication, Figs. 2, 3 and 4 have been included incorrectly and these have been removed with this Correction and the corresponding text have been updated as mentioned below.

Recenzja książki: The Philosophy of Biology. A Companion for Educators, Kostas Kampourakis, Springer, Dordrecht 2013, ss. 762.

The book presents a collection of articles authored by several members of the Warsaw School of Political Theory, affiliated with the University of Warsaw. The team of scholars, first founded in the 1970s by professor Artur Bodnar, has been conducting research under the leadership of professor Miroslaw Karwat.

Anderson-like ontological proofs, studied in this paper, employ contingent identity, free principles of quantification of the 1st order variables and classical principles of quantification of the 2nd order variables. All these theories are strongly complete wrt. classes of modal structures containing families of world-varying objectual domains of the 1st order and constant conceptual domains of the 2nd order. In such structures, terms of the 1st order receive only rigid extensions, which are elements of the union of all 1st order domains. (...) Terms of the 2nd order receive extensions and intensions. Given a family of preselected world-varying objectual domains of the 2nd order, non-rigid extensions of the 2nd order terms belong always to a preselected domain connected with a given world. Rigid intensions of the 2nd order terms are chosen from among members of a conceptual domain of the 2nd order, which is the set of all functions from the set of worlds to the union of all 2nd order preselected domains such that values of these functions at a given world belong to a preselected domain connected with this world. (shrink)

This article regards the field of neuroscience and indicates on the proper or erroneous functioning of the human brain. Intellectual virtues, especially practical wisdom play a significant role in capturing the truth and implementing it in life. The agile formation of the cognitive function of man encompasses both his reason as well as the sensual judgment of utility with all the bodily backup. The brain possesses great plasticity in the production of neuronal connections. Habit as a permanent wont utilizes the (...) reactions being developed to the construction of often inappropriate mechanisms, that in turn are not easy or completely impossible to eliminate. When practical reason is introduced into a false ethos, the brain responds by forming “ruts” of neuronal connections which seem difficult to consider as something appropriate. The reparation of the existing situation and the removal of the wrong habit require relevant virtues so as to unblock the psychological resistance that is deeply rooted within the physiological neuronal substrate. The learning about the virtues of St. Thomas Aquinas is the best warranty not only for theoretical explanations, but also for the practical application of virtues in dealing with the arised situation. Only well-formed virtues give the opportunity to correct the false instinctive cognition and liberate from erroneous actions. (shrink)

The human world is in a state in statu nascendi. Man is emocionaly suspended between history, past, memory and the future. His activity is always the result of the four pillars supporting his existence. He draws his energy from the social imaginarium of which he is a part. The foundations dynamic social space are religion and politics as well as the past and memory.

Understanding the interactive art experience requires investigation of relations among multiple (v)users – participants who are both viewers and users in interaction with the artwork and among themselves.

Is there a major international crime that the general public has never heard of or even thought about? The answer to this question might be surprising—it is the illicit art trade. The purpose of this article is to analyse the criminal aspect of the global art trade with a special focus on the region of South East Asia. In the first part of the paper, which acts as a backdrop for the rest of the article, the author explains the history (...) and general issues regarding the trade of cultural artefacts, briefly explaining the stages in the illicit antiquities trade, with a special focus on the question of international law regulations, of which he provides a critical overview. The second and third parts of the paper are devoted to a more profound analysis of the antiquities journey from illicit to licit. In the second part of the paper the author provides a case study of the first part of the voyage of Cambodian, Vietnamese and Indian antiquities, i.e. from the source country to the port of first shipment, examining the places and the middlemen they pass on their way. The third part of the paper is devoted to the analysis of legal provisions regulating the art trade in Hong Kong—a global art hub—notably the ‘market overt exception’, which allows buyers in good faith to keep the illicitly obtained cultural objects in spite of any claims made by the previous owners. In the fourth part of the paper the author shows why restitution of looted antiquities is so difficult, analysing a number of successful and unsuccessful attempts. The concluding part of the paper is devoted to the author’s critical overview of the various attempts and suggestions on the curtailing of the illicit international art trade. In the coda the author provides a case study of the journey undertaken by Cambodian antiquities. (shrink)

In the course of his lectures given in Como in 1927 Niels Bohr introduces a very important concept of complementarity. Two years later he publishes his first view of biological questions, which he includes in one series of lectures devoted to quantum mechanics and complementarity. In one of his later articles in the same series, explaining why he started publishing his opinions on biology, he states that this may help understand his interpretation of physics, and especially the category of complementarity. (...) He can see a possibility of using the category of complementarity also outside physics. He hopes that epistemological implications of his category of complementarity can broaden the spectrum of recipients when they will refer to well-known problems, especially in the sphere of biology. Bohr directs his attention to biology hoping to shed new light on the old problem concerning the understanding of the concept of life. He has no doubts that the \'epistemological lesson\' of quantum mechanics, by drawing attention to the observation conditions in biology, may be helpful in overcoming the controversy between \"vitalism\" and \"mechanicism\". He rejects the vitalistic doctrine with its \"vital force\" or \"entelechy\", as devoid of scientific valor. He also formulates arguments against \"mechanicism\". Bohr developed his biological interests directed to philosophy to the end of his life. His last work was devoted to exactly biological questions. Unfortunately, sudden death stopped him from completing it. Because of the fact that in some places Bohr presented his views on biology in an obscure way, some biologists included him in the circle of supporters of vitalism. A more profound analysis of his views proves that this opinion is groundless. (shrink)

The purpose of this paper is to analyse a particularly influential case of memory continuity in Portugal, that of _Padrão dos Descobrimentos_. Spaces of collective memory (such as public monuments) raise questions about what we celebrate, remember or rescue from oblivion, providing an opportunity to rethink the trauma. As such, care for public spaces is associated with ethical and cultural values. One of the difficulties with certain monuments has to do with the fact that they recall actions that today we (...) see as traumatic acts. Thus, it is important to reflect on a critical use of memory. On August 8, 2021, _Padrão dos Descobrimentos_ was the subject of a graffiti. One of the sides of the monument could read: “Blindly sailing for money, humanity is drowning in a scarlet sea”. A great controversy immediately arose around the meaning of this gesture, as well as the role played by a monument that, after being temporarily built in 1940 for the Portuguese World Exhibition, was, in its current version, inaugurated in 1960, on the occasion of the fifth centenary of the death of Infante D. Henrique. This episode reignited a deeper cleavage around the uses of history and memory, the Portuguese colonial past, and the role of the _Padrão dos Descobrimentos_ as an instrument for the reproduction of nationalism. In this sense, and with the authors proposing a new theoretical frame of reference based on the thought of Arendt and Ricoeur, its critical reading becomes relevant. (shrink)

Starting with the words that finish, or interrupt Master Wincenty’s Polish Chronicle, I interpret its historiographic content as characteristic of 12th century humanism, expression of love, of wisdom. The infallible condition of ethicalarete may be found to be formulated in the last words of the Chronicle concerning humanity which consists in tolerant indulgence of others’ vices and modesty about one’s virtues.