Letter from Kazimierz Twardowski written 21.05.1920

Author Kazimierz Twardowski

Category incoming correspondence, Polish researchers

Archive Ingarden Family archives

Date of creation 21.05.1920

Related places Lviv, Warsaw

Reference code in archive ARI

Resource type letter

Subject matter organizational issues, personal issues, publication issues

Field philosophy

Tags #? Borowski, #Adam Stögbauer, #Attitudes and perceptions, #David Hume, #Joachim Metallmann, #Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz, #Kazimierz Twardowski, #Lviv, #Maria Twardowska, #marriage of Ajdukiewicz, #On activities and creations, #On the modalities of judgments, #Philosophical Movement, #Roman Ingarden, #Stefan Błachowski, #Twardowski's daughter, #Warsaw, #Warsaw bookstores, #Zygmunt Zawirski

In Lviv, 21 May, 1920.

Honoured Doctor!

I’m writing back simultaneously to your letter of 6 April 1920 and to your card of the 15th of this month, above all to thank you for your consent to omission of the reply (concerning obscure style) in Philosophical Movement. Your consent enabled me to effectively take the same position with regard to Dr Metallmann’s reply, sent to me two weeks after yours. As regards the material aspect of the matter, I don’t know what your statement (that I acknowledge clarity of style as an absolute trait, whereas it appears to you to be a relative feature) is based on. In this respect, I completely share your opinion. Thus, if it’s possible to read something different from my little article, I evidently expressed myself ‘unclearly’; in any case, I’d be glad if you wouldn’t mind pointing out those paragraphs of the article which have led you to this understanding of my views on the features of clarity of style. It will always be a pleasure for me to read your remarks on what I write – as I appreciate the reciprocal interaction of authors and readers just as you do – though I ask you not to be surprised if I sometimes make you wait a very long time for a response – but I really am greatly burdened with a wide variety of lessons, mostly associated with teaching.

I don’t know why, in writing about my daughter’s marriage to Ajdukiewicz, you refer to yourself as ‘something of a stranger’ to me. Speaking for myself, I share none of this feeling of ‘strangeness’, and I was heartily pleased at the lively and sincere part you’ve taken in this so joyful event in my family. I mentioned your wishes to my son-in-law, who told me that he’d also had a letter directly from you.

In the matter of the books you’d like to have, I can inform you that Hume’s Enquiry can be obtained from Dr Borowski[O1] , to whom we have sent a certain number of copies to sell. Anyway, this book, like Błachowski[O2] ’s Nastawienia i spostrzeżenia [Attitudes and perceptions], should be stocked in Warsaw bookstores. But I can have both books sent to you from here – the price of the Hume is 7 marks, of Błachowski 2.10 marks, of Stögbauer the same, 2.10 marks ‒ my O czynnościach i wytworach [On activities and creations] costs 4.20 marks, Borowski’s book 7 marks. Zawirski[O3] ’s things, ‘O modalności sądów’ [On the modalities of judgments], are no longer in stock ‒ the remaining copies are at our agent’s; maybe I can manage to pry a copy out of there. It costs 2.80 marks. Please submit the appropriate amount using the attached form, and the Traffic Administration will send you the requested books ‒ please just once again specify the particular items to be sent from here, so that the money can be properly accounted for. – In closing, I enclose cordial regards

K. Twardowski

[O1]Najprawdopodobnie Marian Borowski (1879-1938)
[O2]Stefan Błachowski (1889-1962)
[O3]Zygmunt Zawirski (1882-1948)