How Women Contributed to the Emergence of Polish Analytic Philosophy. Outstanding Female Philosophers from the Lvov-Warsaw School

Philosophy of Science Colloquium
The Institute Vienna Circle holds a Philosophy of Science Colloquium with talks by our present fellows.

Date: 12/12/2024

Time: 16h45

Venue: New Institute Building (NIG), Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien, HS 2G

Abstract:

From today's perspective, one of the most significant 20th-century discoveries in Polish philosophy's history was the Lvov-Warsaw School's rediscovery. The turbulent history of Poland and the political events after the Second World War led this group's members, who were still living, to the conviction that science would forget them. However, thanks to the woman philosopher Izydora Dąmbska and her influence on her pupils, the memory of the Lvov-Warsaw School has survived. I would even say - that the Lvov-Warsaw School has been rediscovered. Although the Lvov-Warsaw School was founded at the end of the 19th century by Kazimierz Twardowski, to a large extent his female students have contributed to the survival of the memory of his legacy, not only in the immaterial sphere, but also in the form of artefacts, archives and documents. In addition to their merits in the struggle for the survival of memory, women at the Lvov-Warsaw School practised philosophy equally with men. At the turn of the 20th century, this was a phenomenon unprecedented in any school of philosophy.

A critical analysis of the history of philosophy is a vital phenomenon. After all, people write histories, and several different factors influence them. Thus, it is the history of Polish philosophy which I have been studying for several years. In the case of the Lvov-Warsaw School, we are dealing with a phenomenon that has yet to be sufficiently described—namely, the number of active women in this formation.

In this seminar, I am eager to present the potential impact of my research, conducted as part of my PhD at the University of Lodz in the Doctoral School of Humanities. I will also share the inspiration that led me to this topic. How has the issue of women in the Lvov-Warsaw School been addressed in the past, and what promising avenues are there for further exploration?

My research is primarily a critical analysis of the history of philosophy and a comparative analysis of the state of Polish philosophy at that time. In telling the story of women associated with the Lvov-Warsaw School, I will also present my research methodology and the unique historical and social conditions that enabled women in Poland to climb the scientific Olympus. I will emphasize the need for philosophical reflection in women's history, as it is not just a reenactment and reminder of forgotten figures and their achievements, but a crucial aspect that adds depth and significance to our understanding of the past. In the current situation, in addition to multiplying research on women's history, we should also ask ourselves - how do we do it? To what end do we conduct such research, and what does it result in?