Polish Society of Thomas Aquinas: the annual report of activities for 2004


In the reporting period within statutory activity there were organized:


1. Volume V of the Universal Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (Lublin 2004, vol. V, Ir-Ko, pp. P 934). Publishing of The Universal Encyclopaedia of Philosophy – the first Polish philosophical encyclopaedia - constitutes the main undertaking of the Polish branch of the SITA. The work started in 1997, and successive volumes of the Encyclopaedia appear since 2000 in a yearly cycle. The Encyclopaedia presents basic philosophical problems and their rationally justified solutions (in object language), philosophical systems (in metalanguage) as well as biograms of outstanding thinkers indicating their contribution to humanistic culture. The fifth volume encompasses the letters: Ir, J, Ko. Along with entries on problems formulated in European philosophy (among them: “existence”, “essence”, “language”, “ius”), there are biograms of founders of modern philosophical schools and systems (Descartes, Kant), as well as survey entries on philosophical streams that become important in culture (such as: Cartesianism, Kantianism, Vienna Circle). It also includes information on philosophers and their views – generally unknown - from Balkan countries (Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia) as well as from Rumenia, Bulgaria, Slovenia. The Encyclopaedia appears in Lublin, in the city situated at the point of contact of two civilizations: Latin and Byzantine. This fact is taken into consideration, for The Encyclopaedia gives the picture not only of European philosophy (Polish thinkers including) but also presents substantial information on non-European philosophical thought. In the fifth volume the reader has a chance to get acquainted with conceptions of Japanese philosophy or of Islam philosophy in a survey from the middle ages till contemporary period, as well as with various issues pertaining to Hindu, Chinese, Korean, Jewish and Arabic philosophies. This broad panorama of philosophies gives The Encyclopaedia a leading position in philosophical literature. Father Prof. Mieczysław A. Krapiec is the originator of this undertaking, as well as the head of the Scientific Board of The Encyclopaedia and author of entries on realistic philosophy. Rev. Prof. Andrzej Maryniarczyk SDB is the editor-in-chief. Entries are written by specialists from most of philosophical centers in Poland as well as from many other countries (Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Great Britain, Cadana, Russia, Bielorussia, Slovenia, Estonia).


2. Invited lectures of professors from foreign scientific centers for students of the Catholic University of Lublin. Prof. Berthold Wald/Padeborn: “Thomas Aquinas and the transcendentals” (9.12.2004) and “Beyond materialism: Aristotle on body, soul, and mind” (9.12.2004).


3. Translations of next questiones of St. Thomas tractatus Quaestiones disputates de veritate. Volume III of the publication series Works of St. Thomas Aquinas (I -”On truth” and II - “On Good”) includes the Latin and Polish text of question II: De scientia Dei and III: De ideis. The volume includes also papers by: Father Mieczysław A. Krąpiec “On specificity of human cognition”, rev. Andrzej Maryniarczyk “The ultimate reason of cognition of individual beings” and “Discerning the method of cognition of individual beings”, Bartłomiej Kiereś “Object reasons of cognition of individual beings” and “Subject reasons of cognition of individual beings”, Zbigniew Pańpuch “Does human intellect cognize individual beings?”, Paweł Gondek “The problem of cognizing prime matter”, Katarzyna Stepień “Ideas vs eternal law and the order of nature”, Tomasz Pawlikowski “The Augustinian theory of ideas”. The bibliography of the issue was prepared by Bartłomiej Kiereś. The questiones on cognition, senses and conscience are in preparation.


4. VII International Metaphysical Symposium of the cycle “Tasks of contemporary metaphysics”. VII International Symposium entitled “The return of analogy to philosophy. Fundamentals of rational cognition of reality” took place in December 10, 2004 in the Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin/Poland. Philosophers disscussed the basic “spaces” in which rational cognition of reality is realized. Transcendentals, categories, causes and analogy of being were recognized as the crutial points of rational cognition of reality. These forms of rational cognition are pervated by the analogy of cognition which on the one hand protects us from reductionism in philosophical cognition and on the other – guarantees realism in cognition. The Symposium consisted of three parts. The first plenary part “On rational cognition of the world” included four lectures: “Basic 'spaces' of philosophizing” by Father Prof. Mieczysław A. Krąpiec (KUL), “Transcendentals and first principles as the fundament of rational cognition of the world” by Rev. Prof. Andrzej Maryniarczyk (KUL), “The search for the fundaments of rationality beyond categories of being, cognition and language (in connection with the so-called postmodern turn)” by prof. Henryk Kiereś (KUL) and “Analogy and participation in explaining reality” by Sister Prof. Zofia J. Zdybycka (KUL). The second part “Forms of analogical cognition of reality” was organized in four sections. Section I: Transcendentals or transcendentalism” included the following papers: “Transcendentalism and its rationalistic origins” by dr Bogusław Paź (Wrocław University), “Transcendentals and values” by prof. Piotr Jaroszyński (KUL), “Transcendentals and existentials: the record of differences” by Rev. Prof. Jan Sochoń (Card. Stefan Wyszyński University/Warsaw), “Transcendentality as the cognitive principle of processualism” by prof. Wojciech Chudy (KUL). Section II: Categories or categorialism included the following papers: “Aristotle's categories and cognition of the really existing world” by Father dr Peter Fotta (Trnavska Univerzita/Slovakia), “Kant's apriori categories and the problem of rational cognition of the world” by prof. Honorata Jakuszko (Maria Curie-Skłodowska University/Lublin), “Language categories and the problem of rational cognition of the world” by prof. Tadeusz Szubka (Szczecin University), “Some logical categories and cognition of reality” by prof. Stanisław Kiczuk (KUL). Section III: Causes or emanationism consisted of the following papers: “The problem of emanationism in Plotinus's philosophy” by Rev. Prof. Edward I. Zieliński (KUL), “The role of final cause in causal cognition of reality” by dr Paweł Gondek (KUL), “Results of the rejection of causal explanation in ethics” by Rev. Prof. Tadeusz Biesaga (Papal Theological Academy/Cracow). Section IV: Analogy or univocality included the following papers: “Analogy as the method in philosophy” by dr Gabriela Besler (Silesian University), “Analogy in determining norms of human practical action” by dr Paweł Skrzydlewski (KUL), “Univocality-equivocality or analogy in the art theory” by prof. Henryk Kiereś (KUL) and “Is there a return of analogy in contemporary philosophy?” by Agnieszka Lekka-Kowalik (KUL). The third (again plenary) part of the symposium “For the need of analogy in philosophy” consisted of the reports of section proceedings given by dr Przemysław Gut, dr Monika Walczak, Zbigniew Pańpuch MA and dr Krzysztof Wroczyński and of the lecture “Why philosophical hermeneutics is not able to replace metaphysics” given by prof. Berthold Wald of the Theology Faculty, University Padeborn/Germany.


5. Other book publications:

a) A. Maryniarczyk, K. Stepień (eds.), Metaphysics in philosophy, vol. 6 of the series “Tasks of contemporary metaphysics”, Lublin 2004, pp. 497. The book contains 21 papers (among them those by M.A. Krąpiec, H. Kiereś, V. Possenti, W. Chudy, J. Czerkawski, H. Jakuszko, E. I. Zieliński, T. Szubka, M. Wesoły) given at the VI metaphysical symposium concerning the role and tasks of realistic metaphysics and changes it underwent in history (attempts to essentialize, ontologize, anthropologize and ideologize it).

b) A. Maryniarczyk, The Journal on Metaphysics II : A pluralistic interpretation of reality [Zeszyty z metafizyki: Pluralistyczna interpretacja rzeczywistości]. The Series introduces the reader into main problems of metaphysics and methods of philosophical realistic thinking. It presents the understanding of crutial points of realistic interpretation of reality, indicating its implications for human life and culture. The Journal II is dedicated to the philosophy of Aristotle.

c) Mieczysław A. Krąpiec, Human freedom and its limits (in a series: The Library of Realistic Philosophy), Lublin 2004, pp. 278. The book discusses the meaning of human freedom and its limits as well as its fulfilment in science, ethics, politics, economy, art, technology, and religion.


6. The Library of Realistic Philosophy. Within a new series The Library of RealisticPhilosophy works of classical thinkers of contemporary realistic philosophy are published twice a year. The book by M.A. Krąpiec Human freedom and its limits opens the series. Other works include: Human being in culture, Human being and religion, Participation of being, For human politics,? Why Evil?



F. Membership issues. On the occasion of the VII Metaphysical Symposium there was organized the General Members Assembly where the report for 2003/2004 was presented. The Polish branch of Thomas Aquinas Society founded by 18 persons has now 94 ordinary members and 6 correspondent-members who in various ways contribute to activities of the Society, for example by preparing publications of the Society and especially by writing entries for The Universal Encyclopaedia of Philosophy as well as by participating in the Society's annual symposia and by promoting the Society's publications.




Prepared by Katarzyna Stępień. Secretary of the Polish Society of Thomas Aquinas.
Translated from Polish by Agnieszka Lekka-Kowalik

POLSKIE TOWARZYSTWO TOMASZA Z AKWINU
Oddział Società Internazionale Tommaso d’Aquino
Katedra Metafizyki KUL; Al. Racławickie 14
20-950 Lublin, tel./fax (081) 445 43 88
http://www.kul.lublin.pl/ptta
e-mail: tomasak@kul.lublin.pl