Władysław Tatarkiewicz
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Władysław Tatarkiewicz (; 3 April 1886,
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
– 4 April 1980, Warsaw) was a Polish
philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...
, historian of
philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
, historian of
art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
,
esthetician Cosmetology (from Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''-logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, non-permanent hair removal such a ...
, and
ethicist An ethicist is one whose judgment on ethics and ethical codes has come to be trusted by a specific community, and (importantly) is expressed in some way that makes it possible for others to mimic or approximate that judgment. Following the advice of ...
.


Early life and education

Tatarkiewicz began his higher education at
Warsaw University The University of Warsaw ( pl, Uniwersytet Warszawski, la, Universitas Varsoviensis) is a public university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country offering 37 different fields of ...
. When it was closed by the
Russian Imperial The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. The ...
authorities in 1905, he was forced to continue his education abroad in
Marburg Marburg ( or ) is a university town in the German federal state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district (''Landkreis''). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has a population of approximate ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, where he studied from 1907 to 1910.


Career

As he describes in his ''Memoirs'', it was a chance encounter with a male relative, whose height made him stand out above the crowd at a
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
railroad station, upon the outbreak of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
that led Tatarkiewicz to spend the war years in
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
. There he began his career as a lecturer in philosophy, teaching at a girls' school on Mokotowska Street, across the street from where
Józef Piłsudski ), Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now Lithuania) , death_date = , death_place = Warsaw, Poland , constituency = , party = None (formerly PPS) , spouse = , children = Wan ...
was to reside during his first days after World War I. During
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, when the Polish University of Warsaw was opened under the sponsorship of the occupying Germans – who wanted to win Polish support for their war effort – Tatarkiewicz directed its philosophy department in 1915–19. In 1919–21 he was professor at
Stefan Batory University Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow and ...
in
Wilno Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
, in 1921–23 at the
University of Poznań A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
, and in 1923–61 again at the
University of Warsaw The University of Warsaw ( pl, Uniwersytet Warszawski, la, Universitas Varsoviensis) is a public university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country offering 37 different fields of ...
. In 1930 he became a member of the
Polish Academy of Sciences The Polish Academy of Sciences ( pl, Polska Akademia Nauk, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society of ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, risking his life, he conducted underground lectures in German-occupied Warsaw (one of the audience members was
Czesław Miłosz Czesław Miłosz (, also , ; 30 June 1911 – 14 August 2004) was a Polish-American poet, prose writer, translator, and diplomat. Regarded as one of the great poets of the 20th century, he won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature. In its citation ...
). After the suppression of the
Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occ ...
(August–October 1944) he again consciously risked his life when retrieving a manuscript from the gutter, where a German soldier had hurled it (this and other materials were later published as a book, in English translation titled ''Analysis of Happiness''). After World War II, he taught at the
University of Warsaw The University of Warsaw ( pl, Uniwersytet Warszawski, la, Universitas Varsoviensis) is a public university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country offering 37 different fields of ...
. In March 1950 Tatarkiewicz was demoted and banned from teaching after seven of his students (including
Henryk Holland Henryk Holland (Warsaw, 8 April 1920 – 21 December 1961, Warsaw) was a Polish sociologist, journalist, writer, captain in the Polish People's Army, and communist activist. He was the father of film directors Agnieszka Holland and Magdalena Ła ...
and
Leszek Kołakowski Leszek Kołakowski (; ; 23 October 1927 – 17 July 2009) was a Polish philosopher and historian of ideas. He is best known for his critical analyses of Marxist thought, especially his three-volume history, '' Main Currents of Marxism'' (1976). ...
), who were activists in the
Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party ( pl, Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza; ), commonly abbreviated to PZPR, was the communist party which ruled the Polish People's Republic as a one-party state from 1948 to 1989. The PZPR had led two other lega ...
, presented a "Letter of 7" which denounced him for "privileging 'objective-bourgois' science instead of Marxist engagement" and opposing "the construction of socialism in Poland". Władysław Tatarkiewicz died the day after his 94th birthday. In his ''Memoirs'', published shortly before, he recalled having been ousted from his University chair (by Henryk Holland, a politically connected former student). Characteristically, he saw even that indignity as a blessing in disguise, as it gave him freedom from academic duties, and leisure to pursue research and writing. Tatarkiewicz reflected that at all crucial junctures of his life, he had failed to foresee events, many of them tragic, but that this had probably been for the better, since he could not have altered them anyway.


View on happiness

Tatarkiewicz believed that "satisfaction with particular things... is only partial satisfaction; happiness requires total satisfaction, that is, satisfaction with life as a whole."


Major works

Tatarkiewicz belonged to the
interwar In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relativel ...
Lwów–Warsaw school of logic, created by
Kazimierz Twardowski Kazimierz Jerzy Skrzypna-Twardowski (20 October 1866 – 11 February 1938) was a Polish philosopher, psychologist, logician, and rector of the Lwów University. He was initially affiliated with Alexius Meinong's Graz School of object theory. ...
, which gave reborn Poland many scholars and scientists: philosophers, logicians,
psychologists A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
,
sociologists This is a list of sociologists. It is intended to cover those who have made substantive contributions to social theory and research, including any sociological subfield. Scientists in other fields and philosophers are not included, unless at least ...
, and organizers of
academia An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
. Tatarkiewicz educated generations of Polish philosophers, estheticians and art historians, as well as a multitude of interested laymen."Władysław Tatarkiewicz," ''Encyklopedia powszechna PWN'', vol. 4, p. 412. He posthumously continues to do so through his ''History of Philosophy'' and numerous other works. In his final years, Tatarkiewicz devoted considerable attention to securing translations of his major works. Of the below incomplete listing of his works, his 1909 German-language doctoral thesis, and his ''History of Philosophy'', ''Łazienki warszawskie'', ''Parerga'', and ''Memoirs'' have not been translated into
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
. * ''Die Disposition der aristotelischen Principien'' (
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
: ''Aristotle's System of Concepts''): Tatarkiewicz's 1909 doctoral thesis, published 1910. First
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
-language edition: ''Układ pojęć w filozofii Arystotelesa'' (''The System of Concepts in Aristotle's Philosophy''), translated from the German by Izydora Dąmbska, Warsaw,
Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN (''Polish Scientific Publishers PWN''; until 1991 ''Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe'' - ''National Scientific Publishers PWN'', PWN) is a Polish book publisher, founded in 1951, when it split from the Wydawnictwa Szkolne i P ...
, 1978, 126 pp. * ''History of Philosophy'', three volumes ( pl, Historia filozofii, vols. 1-2, 8th ed. 1978; vol. 3, 5th ed. 1978). * ''History of
Aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed thr ...
'', three volumes (vols. 1-2, 1970; vol. 3, 1974). ( pl, Historia estetyki, vols. 1-2, 1962; vol. 3, 1967.) * ''Analysis of
Happiness Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...
'', 1976, . ( pl, O Szczęściu n Happiness 1962; 7th ed., 1979, .) * ''Łazienki warszawskie'' (''Warsaw's Royal Baths Park''), with photographs by Edmund Kupiecki, Warsaw, Wydawnictwo Arkady, 1968, 299 pp. A study of the
aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed thr ...
of what Tatarkiewicz identified as the "style of oland's last king Stanisław August", as manifested in the structures and grounds of
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
's
Royal Baths Park Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a c ...
. * ''A History of Six''
esthetic Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed thr ...
''Ideas'', 1980, . ( pl, Dzieje sześciu pojęć, 2nd ed. 1976.) * ''Parerga'' (By-Works), Warsaw, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1978, 141 pp.
Polish language Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In a ...
. Chapters: ::*"Two Concepts of Beauty" ::*"Two Concepts of
Poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
" ::*"Creation and Discovery" ::*"The Concept of Value" ::*"Civilization and Culture" ::*"Art and Technology" ::*"Integration of the Arts" ::*"Photographs and Pictures" ::*"Tragedy and the Tragic" ::*"The Great and the Close" * ''On
Perfection Perfection is a state, variously, of completeness, flawlessness, or supreme excellence. The terminology, term is used to designate a range of diverse, if often kindred, concepts. These have historically been addressed in a number of discrete a ...
'' ( pl, O doskonałości, 1976). English translation by
Christopher Kasparek Christopher Kasparek (born 1945) is a Scottish-born writer of Polish descent who has translated works by numerous authors, including Ignacy Krasicki, Bolesław Prus, Florian Znaniecki, Władysław Tatarkiewicz, Marian Rejewski, and Władysław ...
was serialized in ''Dialectics and Humanism: the Polish Philosophical Quarterly'', vol. VI, no. 4 utumn 1979— vol. VIII, no. 2 pring 1981 Kasparek's translation has subsequently also appeared in the book: Władysław Tatarkiewicz, ''On perfection'', Warsaw University Press, Center of Universalism, 1992, pp. 9–51; the book is a collection of papers by and about the late Professor Tatarkiewicz. * ''Memoirs'' ( pl, Wspomnienia, 1979).


See also

*
History of philosophy in Poland The history of philosophy in Poland parallels the evolution of philosophy in Europe in general. Overview Polish philosophy drew upon the broader currents of European philosophy, and in turn contributed to their growth. Some of the most momentous ...
*
History of the concept of creativity The ways in which societies have perceived the concept of creativity have changed throughout history, as has the term itself. The ancient Greek concept of art (in Greek, "''techne''—the root of "technique" and "technology"), with the exception ...
*
List of Poles This is a partial list of notable Polish or Polish-speaking or -writing people. People of partial Polish heritage have their respective ancestries credited. Science Physics * Czesław Białobrzeski * Andrzej Buras * Georges Charpak ...
*
Perfection Perfection is a state, variously, of completeness, flawlessness, or supreme excellence. The terminology, term is used to designate a range of diverse, if often kindred, concepts. These have historically been addressed in a number of discrete a ...


Notes


References

* Teresa ''i'' .e., "and"Władysław Tatarkiewiczowie .e., "Tatarkiewicz" ''Wspomnienia'' (Memoirs), Warsaw, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1979, . * Władysław Tatarkiewicz, ''Analysis of Happiness'', Warsaw,
PWN Leet (or "1337"), also known as eleet or leetspeak, is a system of modified spellings used primarily on the Internet. It often uses character replacements in ways that play on the similarity of their glyphs via reflection or other resemblance. ...
, The Hague, Martinus Nijhoff, 1976, . * Marek Jaworski, ''Władysław Tatarkiewicz'', Warsaw, Interpress, 1975. * Władysław Tatarkiewicz, ''Zarys dziejów filozofii w Polsce'' (A Brief History of Philosophy in Poland), n the series: ''Historia nauki polskiej w monografiach'' (History of Polish Learning in Monographs), olumeXXXII, Kraków, ''Polska Akademia Umiejętności'' (
Polish Academy of Learning The Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences or Polish Academy of Learning ( pl, Polska Akademia Umiejętności), headquartered in Kraków and founded in 1872, is one of two institutions in contemporary Poland having the nature of an academy of scien ...
), 1948. This monograph draws from pertinent sections in earlier editions of the author's ''Historia filozofii'' (History of Philosophy). * "Władysław Tatarkiewicz," ''
Encyklopedia Polski This is a list of encyclopedias by language. Albanian Encyclopedias written in Albanian. * '' Albanian Encyclopedic Dictionary'' ( sq, Fjalori Enciklopedik Shqiptar): published by Academy of Sciences of Albania; ** First Edition (1985; ''FESH'') ...
'' (Encyclopedia of Poland), Kraków, Kluszczyński, 1996, , p. 686. * "Władysław Tatarkiewicz," ''Encyklopedia powszechna PWN'' (PWN Universal Encyclopedia), vol. 4, Warsaw,
Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN (''Polish Scientific Publishers PWN''; until 1991 ''Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe'' - ''National Scientific Publishers PWN'', PWN) is a Polish book publisher, founded in 1951, when it split from the Wydawnictwa Szkolne i P ...
, 1976.


External links


Polish philosophy page: Władysław Tatarkiewicz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tatarkiewicz, Wladyslaw 1886 births 1980 deaths Polish male writers People from Warsaw Governorate 20th-century Polish philosophers Polish historians of philosophy Polish ethicists Polish art historians University of Warsaw faculty Vilnius University faculty Members of the Polish Academy of Sciences