I would like to present a partial account of an investigation into scientifically and philosophically significant changes which quantum physics has made necessary in our views of time. In some cases, these changes resulted from discoveries of new aspects of time, as illustrated by the so-called “T.C.P. Theorem” due to Schwinger, Pauli and Lüders. Their finding determines the transformation of the quantum state of any physical system resulting from a reversal of the direction of time, followed by a reorientiation of (...) the dimensions of space and the replacement of each particle in the system with its antiparticle. A relativistic interpretation of the T.C.P. Theorem in Section III will show that it amounts to the universal interrelatedness of time, space and matter. In other cases, the changes in the scientific concept of time follow from the availability of new methods provided by quantum physics rather than from discoveries of unknown aspects of time. These methods may be applied to issues which bothered philosophers and physicists obsessed with the enigma of time long before Planck’s quantum of action started our century. The quantum approach of von Neumann, Pauli, Fierz and Lüdwig to the second law of thermodynamics and the associated irreversibility or asymmetry of time illustrate the use of the new methods for the solution of old problems of time. The relevance of quantum physical methods to the problem of reality of time will be shown in the last section of this paper. (shrink)

Les changements profonds apportés aux concepts fondamentaux de la science par la logistiepie, la relativité et la théorie des quanta ont fait apparaître de nouveaux aspects du problème psychophysiologique dont plusieurs nettement défavorables au parallélisme. Ces postulats concernant l’équivalence, l’identité, et l’indépendance causale des séries psychologique et cérébrale paraissent ébranlés si l’on tient compte des notions nouvelles d’identité numérique, de simultanéité relative et d’indétermination quantique.

Emergentyzm jest teorią, która wyjaśnia mechanizm ewolucyjnych zmian zachodzących w przyrodzie. W tej teorii podkreśla się, że nowe funkcje i właściwości pojawiające się na wyższych poziomach złożonych systemów są nieredukowalne do tych na niższych poziomach, ale uwzględniają funkcje i właściwości niższych poziomów złożoności. Teoria emergencji wyjaśnia, w jaki sposób z wielu względnie prostych składników powstają złożone systemy. Idea emergentyzmu występuje w pismach filozoficznych Józefa Życińskiego w kontekście dyskusji o możliwości takiej interpretacji procesów ewolucyjnych, w której biologiczną teorię ewolucji można (...) połączyć w spójny sposób z teologiczną doktryną o Bogu, Stwórcy wszechświata. W artykule przedstawiono główne idee sformułowane przez Życińskiego na temat tej teorii. Pierwsza część zawiera charakterystykę pewnych podstawowych pojęć, takich jak emergencja, superweniencja, przyczynowość odgórna; w drugiej części omówiono implikacje koncepcji Życińskiego, ważne dla rozumienia naturalizmu metodologicznego i ontologicznego. (shrink)

One of the most important and the most valuable theme that can be found in the philosophical writings of Joseph Życiński is the idea of the field of rationality, which is a kind of a formal field constituted by a net of mathematical structures and abstract relations. This hypothesis explains the so called mathematicity and rationality of nature by assuming that formal structures are ontologically prior to the physical phenomena. In the present paper the idea of the field of rationality (...) will be discussed. The article consists of three parts. The first deals with the problem of mathematicity which is a starting point of Życiński’s analyses, the second presents the most important features of the field he talks about, the third compares his idea with some concepts of Whitehead whose philosophy was his main source of inspiration. (shrink)

One of the main problems of modern rationalistic theories of science is the non-eliminability of the subjective factor in the development of science. Temperate rationalism of Newton-Smith was an attempt to solve this problem. J. Życiński developed his own version of temperate rationalism in which the subjective factor played much more substantial role. In the article I am presenting his specific idea of the personal _commitment_ as a necessary condition for rationalism and science. In the first section I proceed to (...) reconstruct ˙ Życiński’s argument leading him to the conclusion of this epistemological necessity. Next in the section 2 I present his idea of the epistemological uncertainty principle as a consequence of the subjective _commitment_. In sections 3 and 4 I explore axiological and pragmatic aspects of the Życiński solution. Finally, in the section 5 I do compare his temperate rationalism with Newton-Smith’s proposal in the context of the Polanyi’s idea of personal knowledge showing differences in their respective approach to the role of the subjective factor in science and rationalism. (shrink)

This article is devoted to the work of Józef Czapski, a Polish painter, writer, epistolographer and diarist who died in Maisons-Laffitte in 1993. The artist was also engaged in the matters of human life and politics. The article deals solely with his paintings. After a short presentation of Czapski’s artistic biography, a more in depth analysis of his works is provided. The article uses the artist’s letters and memoirs on top of the basic literature. The analysis shows that the Czapski’s (...) artistic work constitutes a closed whole; no new work, neither drawing nor painting will be added to his legacy, but, at the same time it is open because the threads of Czapski’s art remain unclosed. Czapski’s works constitute a logical whole in the sense that one can draw a circle around which they are arranged, except that the beginning of the journey does not coincide with the end. Czapski abandoned his first, rather inept expressionist works to take up in the broad sense a challenge of Post-Impressionism. However, not satisfied with the vision of Post-Impressionism and the painting focused on pure color delectations, he returned to his initial interest in de l’horreur de la vie, absorbing the lessons and experiences that his life gave him, digesting and consequently abandoning Post-Impressionism. To him, color is understood not as Impressionism understood it, but rather, as it was treated by Expressionism, howewer, he tempered it according to the school of Post-Impressionism and the French art. Czapski’s painting completes the full circle: his journey begins with “the scary head”, experiences post-impressionism, and blossoms with paintings depicting l’horreur de la vie and anxiety hidden in the stark colors of his late landscapes. The author describes Józef Czapski’s art as the great one, what is ultimately determined by the whole output, which, like a keystone brings together all the themes: of the painter, of the writer and of the man devoted to public affairs. (shrink)