Idea of the Workshop

The Workshop refers to the tradition of the Lvov seminar of Kazimierz Twardowski, the founder of the Lvov-Warsaw School of philosophy. It is intended first of all for young philosophy learners: undergraduate and graduate students, as well as high school pupils.

Kazimierz Twardowski dedicated all his life to practicing and teaching philosophy. For his students, he provided great conditions of work: a reading-room in which everyone had its own place to study and very well-equipped library. Moreover, he supported his students by competent advice, training them in independent work and autonomous dealing with philosophical problems. The most important postulates that had to be fulfilled by works prepared under Twardowski’s supervision were the postulate of maximal clarity of language and the postulate of adequate justification of views. It is not surprising that Twardowski raised so many great philosophers, which belong to the formation called by us today: “The Lvov-Warsaw School”. Among Twardowski’s students, there are such outstanding thinkers like Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz, Stepan Baley, Leopold Blaustein, Marian Borowski, Tadeusz Czeżowski, Izydora Dąmbska, Maria Kokoszyńska, Tadeusz Kotarbiński, Stanisław Leśniewski, Jan Łukasiewicz, Helena Słoniewska and Władysław Witwicki.

The aim of the Workshop is to promote the scientific ethos of the Lvov-Warsaw School as well as to support the model of teaching philosophy based on relation mentor-student, which was characteristic for the Twardowski’s school. Twardowski and his students highly estimated philosophical discussions and substantial, constructive criticism. They considered presenting the results of their work as the best test of the scientific value as well as clarity of presentation of these results. The discussions took place within the university seminars as well as at the meetings of Philosophy Circle and Polish Philosophical Society, established by Twardowski in Lwów. Referring to these traditions, the planned workshop is intended to serve as a forum where young philosophers may present the results of their work. The discussions will be conducted in the atmosphere of substantial as well as supportive criticism.

The workshop takes place around February 11. The date is not accidentally chosen. February 11 is the anniversary of Kazimierz Twardowski’s death. In February 1939, a year after their mentor died, Twardowski’s students prepared a solemn memorial meeting. Next anniversaries were not celebrated in such a way because of the outbreak of World War II. However, also after the war, some Twardowski’s students mentioned the anniversary in postcards written to colleagues. Moreover, in Februaries 1989 to 2018, thirty editions of Philosophy Lectures took place in Lviv to honor Twardowski’s work and achievements. The Philosophy Workshop, organized by The Lvov-Warsaw School Research Center in cooperation with Kazimierz Twardowski Philosophical Society in Lviv, aims to continue both traditions. The first edition of the Workshop took place in 2021.

Program of the 1st Workshop:

https://sites.google.com/uw.edu.pl/lws-workshop/warsztaty-cbslw