Władysław Tatarkiewicz
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Władysław Tatarkiewicz (; 3 April 1886 – 4 April 1980) was a Polish
philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
, historian of
philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
, historian of
art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...
,
esthetician Cosmetology (from Ancient Greek, Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyle, hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/ ...
, and
ethicist Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied ethics ...
.


Early life and education

Tatarkiewicz began his higher education at Warsaw University. When it was closed by the Russian Imperial authorities in 1905, he was forced to continue his education abroad in
Marburg Marburg (; ) is a college town, university town in the States of Germany, German federal state () of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf Districts of Germany, district (). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, 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 , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
railroad station, upon the outbreak of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
that led Tatarkiewicz to spend the war years in
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
. 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 Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...
was to reside during his first days after World War I. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, 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 in
Wilno Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
, in 1921–23 at the University of Poznań, and in 1923–61 again at the
University of Warsaw The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public university, public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well ...
. In 1930 he became a member of the
Polish Academy of Learning The Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences or Polish Academy of Learning (, PAU), headquartered in Kraków and founded in 1872, is one of two institutions in contemporary Poland having the nature of an academy of sciences (the other being the Po ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, risking his life, he conducted underground lectures in German-occupied Warsaw (one of the audience members was
Czesław Miłosz Czesław Miłosz ( , , ; 30 June 1911 – 14 August 2004) was a Polish Americans, Polish-American poet, prose writer, translator, and diplomat. He primarily wrote his poetry in Polish language, Polish. Regarded as one of the great poets of the ...
). After the suppression of the
Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...
(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 (, ) is a public university, public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well ...
. In March 1950 Tatarkiewicz was demoted and banned from teaching after seven of his students (including Henryk Holland 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 analysis of Marxism, Marxist thought, as in his three-volume history of Marxist philosophy ''Main Current ...
), who were activists in the
Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party (, ), 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 legally permitted subordinate minor parti ...
, 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, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
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 ...
,
sociologists This list of sociologists includes people who have made notable contributions to sociological theory or to research in one or more areas of sociology. A * Peter Abell, British sociologist * Andrew Abbott, American sociologist * Margaret ...
, and organizers of
academia An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
. 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. * ''Die Disposition der aristotelischen Principien'' (
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
: ''Aristotle's System of Concepts''): Tatarkiewicz's 1909 doctoral thesis, published 1910. First Polish-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 ...
, 1978, 126 pp. * ''History of Philosophy'', three volumes (, vols. 1-2, 8th ed. 1978; vol. 3, 5th ed. 1978). * ''History of
Aesthetics Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...
'', three volumes (vols. 1-2, 1970; vol. 3, 1974). (, vols. 1-2, 1962; vol. 3, 1967.) * ''Analysis of
Happiness Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...
'', 1976, . ( 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 (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...
of what Tatarkiewicz identified as the "style of oland's last king Stanisław August", as manifested in the structures and grounds of
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
'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 or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal ...
. * ''A History of Six'' esthetic''Ideas'', 1980, . (, 2nd ed. 1976.) * ''Parerga'' (By-Works), Warsaw, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1978, 141 pp.
Polish language Polish (, , or simply , ) is a West Slavic languages, West Slavic language of the Lechitic languages, Lechitic subgroup, within the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family, and is written in the Latin script. It is primarily spo ...
. Chapters: ::*"Two Concepts of Beauty" ::*"Two Concepts of
Poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
" ("The Concept of Poetry", translated by
Christopher Kasparek Christopher Kasparek (born 1945) is a Scottish-born writer of Polish descent who has translated works by numerous Polish authors, including Ignacy Krasicki, Bolesław Prus, Florian Znaniecki, Władysław Tatarkiewicz, Marian Rejewski, and Wł ...
, ''Dialectics and Humanism: The Polish Philosophical Quarterly'', vol. II, no. 2 (spring 1975), pp. 13–24) ::*"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 discre ...
'' (, 1976). English translation by
Christopher Kasparek Christopher Kasparek (born 1945) is a Scottish-born writer of Polish descent who has translated works by numerous Polish authors, including Ignacy Krasicki, Bolesław Prus, Florian Znaniecki, Władysław Tatarkiewicz, Marian Rejewski, and Wł ...
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'' (, 1979).


See also

* History of philosophy in Poland * History of the concept of creativity *
List of Poles This is a partial list of notable Polish people, Polish or Polish language, Polish-speaking or -writing people. People of partial Polish heritage have their respective ancestries credited. Physics *Miedziak Antal * Czesław Białobrzesk ...
*
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 discre ...
* Wincenty Lutosławski


Notes


References

* Teresa ''i'' .e., "and"Władysław Tatarkiewiczowie .e., "Tatarkiewicz" ''Wspomnienia'' (Memoirs), Warsaw, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1979, . * Władysław Tatarkiewicz, ''Analysis of Happiness'', Warsaw, PWN, 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 (, PAU), headquartered in Kraków and founded in 1872, is one of two institutions in contemporary Poland having the nature of an academy of sciences (the other being the Po ...
), 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'' (): published by Academy of Sciences of Albania; ** First Edition (1985; ''FESH'') ** New Edition (2008/09; ''Botim ...
'' (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 ...
, 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 Academic staff of the University of Warsaw Academic staff of Vilnius University Members of the Polish Academy of Sciences University of Warsaw alumni Philosophers of art