O filozofii i filozofach. Kilka uwag Stanisława Brzozowskiego

Abstract

Stanislaw Brzozowski was bom in 1878 in the Lublin Region, Maziamia. In 1896 he enrolled the nature faculty at the University of Warsaw. After a year of studying was expelled by the tsarist authorities for participating in a patriotic student organization. Then, too, as he writes in his Letters, the adventure began with the philosophy that has become his most important area of scientific inquiry. He was self-taught, never studied philosophy, nor was a university professor. Until 1905 he lived in Poland, then for health reasons - had tuberculosis - had to leave the country. Early, Polish time of author’s works, was the period in which the writer carried out an intense activity. He published books, philosophical articles, literary criticism, theater reviews, he gave numerous readings and lectures. In 1905 he moved with his wife and little daughter to Italy, whence he never returned to his homeland. Philosophy is actually a signpost, a milestone, whoever finds it, goes the right way. The philosopher in the sense Brzozowski understood it, is almost a priest of humanity. The priest chosen by some incomprehensible power, who went to seek the truth and returns to share it. This is the mission of the philosopher - very responsible, not to return empty-handed. That truth must be put into practice, even impose it on humanity. The truth comes from opposition against reality. The world is not the way it should be, since there are social phenomena present in it, distorting his right face. Reality, in which Brzozowski lived, was just such a world - Europe from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century - full of: workers sunk in extreme poverty, peasants downtrodden by inhuman work, people socially marginalized, young people taking uneven, bloodily suppressed struggle for social justice. The experience of such a world is a source of philosophical reflection. Philosopher closes this experience in his thoughts. With that kind of baggage goes to the side, in place of retreat, in his solitude and makes reflection there. Creates the truth, that is to become a force capable of changing the world, cure for its disease. When this is accomplished he is back to reveal it, and life verifies it. Life is the ultimate test of philosophy - without it, it is dead, abstract construct of thoughts - if it survives towards life, it becomes a true philosophy. The philosopher, who announced it has fulfilled his mission, has proved that he wasn’t a false prophet. Brzozowski believed that true philosophers show up at a certain moment of human history, not by coincidence and not incidental. There is some power, right, bringing them into existence. Polish scholar deeply believed in the new, better world, to the formation of which may also contribute to the philosophy. This belief was associated with the changes taking place then in Europe. Real chance for the changes were such phenomena as: the labor movement, the struggle of the proletariat, the nascent socialism. In them he placed his profound hope. In his philosophical soul was bom in relation to these phenomena, many concerns and objections, but they gave the only possibility, at the time, of social change. Therefore, probably more ideologically than scientifically he was close to the philosophy of Marx. That’s why, he created his parallel philosophy project - the philosophy of work, action.