The paper analyzes the argumentation that the representatives of Polish neo-scholasticism, Gabryl and Wais, used to justify the existence of God and the immortal human soul. The analysis shows the high intellectual requirements observed by both thinkers. Not only have they avoided naive confessional apologetics, but they were critical when choosing arguments from different philosophical traditions as well. The scientific activity of the two scholars was a reflection of the program of the renewal of scholasticism formulated in Leuven. The features (...) of this program were both restraint in using the term “Christian philosophy” and avoiding confessional apologetics on the one hand and the preservation of its specificity on the other. This specificity was expressed in undertaking the traditional tasks of Christian philosophy: undertaking the justification of preambula fidei and the observation of the negative role of faith. (shrink)

In this article, Étienne Gilson analyzes the notions of dogmatism and tolerance in the light of the analysis of various contemporary historical facts. He defines dogmatism as the philosophical position that affirms that there are certain propositions that can be considered absolutely necessary. Similarly, he defines tolerance in direct relation to dogmatism: for Gilson, there can only be tolerated where there is dogmatism since one can only tolerate the falsity of a position as long as one is sure that another (...) true position exists. Likewise, Gilson succeeds in showing that there is no necessary link between what is called philosophical dogmatism and political tyranny, just as there is no necessary link between philosophical scepticism and political freedom. (shrink)

The text presented aims to illustrate the thesis of E. Gilson derived from his work “The Unity of Philosophical Experience” on the impersonal necessity linking philosophical ideas, as exemplified by Porphyry and his work Sententiae ad intelligibilia ducentes. E. Gilson puts forward a thesis that the philosopher is free at the moment of choosing the first principles of their philosophy, then they must accept the consequences that necessarily follow from these principles. Porphyry’s Sentences are a fairly synthetic account of Plotinus’ (...) metaphysics and allow for a quite clear grasp of both the starting point and the above-mentioned consequences. In addition, for contrast, the paper presents the position of Alexander of Aphrodisias, similar in several points to that taken by Porphyry, but ultimately completely different. (shrink)

This paper aims to present the specific functioning of the emotion of hatred from the point of view of the Aristotelian-Thomistic concept of emotions. This perspective is particularly relevant to the issue at hand because of its holistic and integral view of understanding human beings, including their emotional functions. In this paper, I consider the issue of the emotion of hatred in relation to other emotions against the backdrop of the structure of human action. When analyzing how hatred functions, I (...) consider the notion of good and evil, which are linked to emotions and acts of will that play a vital role in the sphere of emotions. By correctly channeling one’s will towards the good, one is able to notice hatred arising within, and thus reflect upon it. Understanding how the emotion of hatred functions is essential for further research into how it is expressed. (shrink)

Nicholas Cusanus is often seen as a pivotal figure in the history of Western philosophy. His writings are sometimes viewed as an attempt to reject the traditional scholarly knowledge, troubled by manifold tensions and crises, in order to prevent the collapse of Western Christianity under the weight of its complex architecture of knowledge. In this paper, I try to refute this mode of interpretation by highlighting the roots and structure of Cusanus’s theory of knowledge that serve as the basis of (...) his concept of docta ignorantia. I present the concept of docta ignorantia as being intended to serve the purpose of a unifying framework for academic discourse. (shrink)

This article considered the correlation between freedom, conscience, and self-fulfillment. The analysis began with the properties of human action and how action differs from happening. The primary theme was an exposition of freedom which lies at the root of “man-acts.” The fundamental meaning of freedom is self-dependence, but there is a deeper meaning. Freedom is independence from the objects of choice that is achieved by rising above oneself (vertical transcendence) to choose the bonum honestum, the true good that fulfills the (...) self. Freedom, therefore, ultimately depends on truth and especially on moral truth that is apprehended by conscience. Conscience transforms that normative truth into concrete duties that objectivize the bona honesta. Only when someone follows a moral duty understood and accepted as such can he reach the summit of freedom and authentic self-determination. (shrink)

The Philosophical Fragments (Lambeth Fragments) of St. Anselm of Canterbury are a kind of dictionary that explains the meaning of certain terms, such as: facere, velle, posse, necesse, debere, or agere. They include a discussion, conducted on the intersection of logic and ethics, of such deontic concepts as “obligation” and “goodness.” Through the explication of meanings, Anselm attempts to create a conceptual apparatus for rational proofs of the main tenets of the Christian doctrine and, even more broadly, for the exegesis (...) of Scripture. In addition, this new apparatus allows him to examine some purely philosophical topics, including free will, causation, and the relationship between human freedom and divine foreknowledge. Recently attempts have been made (by D. Walton at the level of syntax and by S. Uckelman at the level of neighborhood semantics) to reconstruct the logic of agency presented in the Philosophical Fragments. The article will briefly introduce the main issues discussed in the Philosophical Fragments. The paper shows that the description and analysis of the verb “facere” mainly in the Philosophical Fragments, but also in Anselm’s other treatises, can be well described within the Aristotelian logical square; however, the article shows some problems in trying to describe the concepts of causation, agency, and action in the language of logic. Thus, the article examines the thesis of the applicability of logic to the fundamental problems of metaphysics, namely causality, especially in the context of human free will and God’s action. (shrink)

This paper presents the sociological research carried out among Polish and Ukrainian students concerning the importance of family within their life. The purpose of the article is to demonstrate the differences and similarities in the perception of this fundamental group unit of society. The research was conducted at a unique time, as it was during the ongoing period where Ukraine has been a country at war, in addition to the epidemic outbreak of COVID-19. It was assumed that these special circumstances (...) as well as the cultural differences would influence the perception of marriage and family. In a threatening situation, a person can change their former value system, priorities, and the most important life goals. In addition, the observed social and cultural changes that are taking place in both countries - albeit not at the same time and to the same extent - affect the way young people see their vision of the world, and in particular in what family model they would like to spend their future, and also whether they think about starting a family at all. (shrink)

The article contains the analysis of Charles Maurras’s and Étienne Gilson’s reflections on beauty in the light of the antique reflections on this ground which are present in the philosophical thought of the French thinkers either directly or through thinkers who inspired them. The article also analyzed the question of art from the point of view of reflections on beauty that they both made. This made it possible to show both the similar points and distinctions between them in light of (...) classical tradition in its reflection on beauty, especially from the metaphysical point of view, which shows that both Gilson’s and Maurras’s reflections on beauty grew on classical grounds. It explains why the thought of Maurras and Gilson in this area is important also from the perspective of contemporary discussions. (shrink)

The paper examines Jean Baudrillard’s conception of society as the silent majority. Thus conceived society has been shaped against the background of digital media transformations. Paying attention to the relationship between citizens perceiving media messages, and the media themselves and the power creating spectacular media messages, became the basis for Jean Baudrillard’s model of the relationship between power and society. This relationship takes on the function of the silent majority. A society with these characteristics emerged as a reaction to the (...) simulative nature of power. For Baudrillard, simulation processes are the starting point of his analysis of the political sphere. Understanding society as the silent majority introduces a diagnosis of the functioning of the politician-voter relationship. (shrink)

Karol Wojtyła’s seminal essay, “Thomistic Personalism,” presents an integral theory of the human person that may serve as the foundation for an authentically personalist psychology. Relevant to the contemporary field of psychology, which appears fragmented and in search of a unifying paradigm, Wojtyła considered theory (anthropology), research (epistemology), and practice (ethics). In terms of research, he identified four complementary methods of understanding the human person: revelation (theology), reason (philosophy), observation (empiricism), and introspection (experience). In terms of theory, Wojtyła addressed the (...) rudiments of Rychlak’s four dimensions of a personality theory: structure, motivation, development, and personality. In terms of practice, he described four guiding ethical principles: freedom for morality, freedom for love, personal good and common good, and transtemporal values. Wojtyła thus offered an outline for the project of a comprehensive psychology of persons with significant implications for the theory, research, and practice of psychology. (shrink)

Contemporary Korean-German philosopher Byung-Chul Han covers a wide range of topics in his many books, ranging from time to death to beauty to power, among others. While Han couches his investigations and critiques, mainly into and of present-day society, in the language of anti-neoliberalism, anti-capitalism, and other standards of the day, I understand Han’s hidden preoccupation to be the human person. In this essay I examine some of Han’s books to draw out his personalist philosophy more clearly.

In the article, the author undertakes the problem of whether the world, which in the light of the philosophical theory of creation ex nihilo was introduced into being as indestructible in some of its elements, can be annihilated by God and turned into non-being again. The divine power, which is the principle that sustains the world in existence, is subjected to metaphysical analysis. In the first part, the considerations concern the order of potentia Dei absoluta and focus on whether the (...) annihilation of creation is within the scope of God’s power and what such an action may consist in. In the second part, the subject of consideration is the ordered power of God (potentia Dei ordinata), which is related to the search for an answer to the question of whether God, from whom the effect in the form of creation comes, not only can but actually wants to deprive the world of existence? Since the annihilation of the world is related to the issue of God’s decision to stop the creative activity that has been initiated, in addition to the principle of power, God’s will is also taken into account in the last part of the analysis. (shrink)

The sexual revolution of the 20th century was based on a redefinition of the body, which led to a new postmodern sexual ideal in which the body and sexuality were freed from the limitations of biology. This phenomenon was inserted within the logic of capitalism, which proposes itself as a “theory of everything,” that is to say, comprehensive of all human reality. Sexuality thus became an object of consumption, bowing to the logic of the capitalist system in which everything can (...) be bought and sold. This new sexual market is based on sexual freedom, giving rise to a fierce competition between users that reaffirms narcissistic, individualistic patterns. In this sense, through the theory of sexual capital, the monogamous structure that existed prior to the sexual revolution and the new polyamorous structure of postmodernity are compared, with the conclusion that the sexual revolution has generated new forms of unforeseen sexual violence. (shrink)

This work is developed within the context of the theological turn of French phenomenology (Janicaud), analyzing the notion of life that Michel Henry stages in the first of his works, The Essence of Manifestation. To this end, we intend to explain what the French author understands both by the alienated manifestation of phenomena in terms of representation or ontological monism, and by the self-manifestation of life that he privileges, which does not consist in placing the phenomena in the light of (...) a conscience, as would be characteristic of the first manifestation, but in a philosophy of Night that owes nothing in the strict sense to mundane transcendence. The latter is preceded and, in any case, made possible by the former. According to Henry, there is an absolute knowledge that is not susceptible to any progress, thus founding a pathetic philosophy by which life reveals itself (Parousia) without the need for intermediaries that would alienate its intimate immediacy. (shrink)

This article examines Karol Wojtyła’s concept of participation and alienation by starting the discussion on his personalist anthropology, leading to his structure of the human community. Wojtyła’s personalist anthropology reveals to us the nature of the human person as a unique, unrepeatable personal subjectivity. According to Wojtyła, the human act takes us to the knowledge and understanding of the person’s interiority and simultaneously allows us to have a glimpse of the human person’s specific complexity. Then, I analyze the correlation between (...) person-action in living and acting with other persons. Here, I attempt to demonstrate that if our existence has to acquire any human significance, it is that, rather than alienation, which makes such a unique experience possible. Finally, I explored the impact of the failure to grasp a genuine understanding of the human person and the capacity to participate in the humanity of other persons, setting a profound sense of alienation that dehumanizes us to our very core. This paper aims to answer the following questions: Given the actions that can be performed ‘together with others,’ how does the person’s acting with others affect the dynamic correlation of the action with the person? What is the significance of this participation for the personalistic value of the action? Why is alienation antithetical to participation? (shrink)

This paper explores a normative layer of Habermas’s public sphere in its relation to human rights. His public sphere came into being as a result of a spontaneous nonconformity manifested by the early bourgeoisie’s reaction to an absolutist regimen making inroads in the realm of basic human liberties; it managed to survive the changeable conditions of society and state thanks to its participants’ capability of cultivating collective self-determination, fed from the outset by the intellectual claims of modernity. Thereafter, the link (...) between Habermas’s public sphere and human rights bifurcates, leading concurrently to liberal individual rights (Menschenrechte) and to the republican freedom of popular sovereignty (Volkssouveränität). Further revisions and corrections transpose that simple dualism from the clear-cut bourgeois world of universal morality into the realm of legalism and the protocols de rigueur in the world of systems. Habermas integrates individual human rights and popular sovereignty in the procedures of a democratic state, overcoming this ostensibly irreconcilable duality in his genuine claim about the co-originality of civil autonomy. This thesis institutionally unifies universal pre-constitutional morality, with legalism regulating the democratic world of legal subjects (citizens) and their constitutionally guaranteed entitlement. (shrink)

The purpose of the article is to answer the question whether posthumanism is the end of the homo sapiens era. The multitude of posthumanisms can be reduced to two main views: cultural posthumanism and techno-humanism. Cultural posthumanism postulates a change in the image of man, while technological posthumanism postulates his enhancement. Posthumanist discourse cannot change human nature, but it does affect his condition. Although human nature is unchangeable, the corporeal-biological aspects of this nature are particularly susceptible to modifications. At the (...) same time, it is difficult to indicate the actual boundaries of where the introduced changes either enhance or impair man. (shrink)

The article discusses the influence of the Lublin school of Thomistic philosophy on the scientific and cultural life of Poland and the world in the 20th century. The author shows that the Lublin university, from the very beginning of its establishment, based its model of scientific life on the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. This resulted from papal teaching (Leo XIII, Pius XI). The philosophy was developed remarkably during the communist era, when the Lublin Philosophical School was formed. It produced (...) numerous publications and created an environment that had a great influence on the intellectual life of Poland. The Lublin milieu, based on Thomism, entered into an effective discourse with the ideological currents that swept the Western world. In the interwar period, this was Bolshevik Marxism and National Socialism. In modern times, this discourse is conducted with the postmodern current and the neo-Marxist philosophy of the Frankfurt School. (shrink)

The central ideas that organize the thought of Tadeusz Styczeń are the person and its dignity, as well as the experience of truth. The guiding principle of ethical personalism that he formulates, “The person of others should be affirmed as one’s own, that is, for their own sake.” does not stop at the level of individualistic ethics, but is translated into some further issues of social ethics. The author of the article attempts to present and analyze the assumptions which, according (...) to Tadeusz Styczeń, constitute the anthropological and ethical basis of the order of a democratic state. If democracy is not just a myth and an empty slogan on the lips of politicians, it must become a tool for the affirmation of a person for societies following its paths – a self-governing human subject who is open both to knowing the truth and to others. Following Styczeń’s central ideas of personalism, the author’s deliberations aim at answering the key question of democracy: What is the essence and expression of being of this self-governing human subject among other self-governing human subjects, and how does it then take the shape of democracy? (shrink)