Attachment to Irena Krońska’s letter written in 21.09.1968

      c       Handover report from Head (Getting Relieved)
of the Editorial Office of the Library of the Classics of Philosophy

  c  As I am leaving the Editorial Office of the Library of the Classics of Philosophy, which I have worked at since its foundation, i.e. since May 1951 as the secretary of the Editorial Committee and as the Head of the Editorial Office, I would like to first of all state that I am not leaving of my own volition, not because of fatigue and not because I believe that the Library has already carried out the task entrusted to it, but only as a result of receiving on June 3, 1968 a letter of termination of my employment contract, signed by the Director and Editor-in-Chief of the State National Scientific Publishers PWN Jerzy Wołczyk, PhD from May 15, 1968 /I have only received the notice today, because in May I was on vacation/.

  c  Today, when handing over the Editorial Office of the Library of Classics of Philosophy – which in May, during my absence, was merged by the PWN Management Board with the Editorial Office of Philosophical Publications – to the current head of the merged Editorial Offices, Konstanty Judenko, I would like to specify in this report exactly what I am passing on, i.e. . what books are currently being prepared for publication at the Editorial Office. I shall not say anything else here about people, about the editors of the LCP, my long-time collaborators with whom I part with regret, not only because I have no influence over the further course and nature of their work, but also because what is of utmost importance in a publishing house are books, which people only perform a service function towards, in return receiving so much that the published books are also a testimony about them. I shall hence limit myself to listing the members of the LCP editorial staff as of May 15, 1968. This includes the following persons:

  c  Wiera Bieńkowska, M.A., senior editor – has been working at the LCP since 1952

  c  Stanisław Borzym, M.A., editor – has been working at the LCP since 1965

  c  Danuta Petsch, M.A., senior editor – has been working at the LCP since 1953

  c  Ed. Narcyza Szancerowa, Deputy Head of the Editorial Office for organizational matters and       senior editor, has been working at the LCP since 1955

  c  Teresa Kucharska, Editorial Office Secretary, has been working at the LCP since 1968

  c  Following this brief information on the editorial staff, I shall proceed to listing the books, which shall do by level of progress of editorial work.

        c  c  A. Titles currently in the printing house.

1/    Aristotle, Physics, translation and introduction by K. Leśniak. First proof. Edited by
 c     N. Szancerowa, the LCP Series.

2/    Burke, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and
 c     Beautiful, translation by P. Graf. The translation was preceded by an introduction
 c     from S. Morawski, which was quite extensive and was subsequently withdrawn from
 c     the publication on 4/26/1968 after a column adjustment, on instruction of the PWN
 c     Management Board. The book without introduction was approved for printing on
 c     5/9/1968. Edited by D. Petschowa. The LCP Series.

3/   Diogenes Laertios, Lives and views of famous philosophers, collective translation edited
 c     by I. Krońska and K. Leśniak, with an introduction by K. Leśniak. The first proof has
 c     been expected to arrive for a while. The book is edited by W. Bieńkowska. The LCP Series.

4/   Hegel, Logic vol. II, translation by A. Landman. Awaiting first proof. The book is edited
 c     by N. Szancerowa. The LCP Series.

5/   Hegel, Philosophy of law, translation and a brief introduction by A. Landman. Awaiting
 c     the first proof. The book is edited by D. Petschowa. The LCP series.

6/   Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling and Sickness unto Death, translation and introduction
 c     by J. Iwaszkiewicz. Awaiting the first proof. The book is edited by W. Bieńkowska.
 c     The LCP series.

7/   Dictionary of philosophers vol. II, collective work edited by I. Krońska. The item was submitted
 c     for typesetting on 3/26/1966, approved for printing on 2/20/1968, withdrawn from the
 c     printing house for additional corrections in March 1968 by decision of the PWN Management
 c     Board and on June 6, 1968, following the removal of Prof. Baczko’s and Prof. Kołakowski’s
 c     names below the entries they wrote and the resulting additional correction by the printing
 c     house, it was sent in to the Central Office of Press Control. By the COPC’s decision from
 c     May 1968, it was not approved for print. The book is edited by St. Borzym.

B. Titles currently undergoing technical edition.

8/   Avenarius, The Human Concept of the World, translation by Anna and Adam Wiegner,
 c     with an introduction by L. Kołakowski. The book was submitted for production on
 c     3/15/1968, then withdrawn due to the authorship of the introduction; after the author’s
 c     consent to sign the entry with a pseudonym, it was resubmitted for production on
 c     4/17/1968. Edited by D. Petschowa. The LCP series.

9/   Leibniz, The Philosopher’s Confession and other philosophical writings/including
 c     The Monadology/, translation and introduction by Sz. Cichowicz. The book was
 c     submitted for production on 3/15/1968, then withdrawn for additional inspection
 c     and resubmitted /without changes/ on 4/15/1968. Edited by W. Bieńkowska.
 c     The LCP series.

10/  Dictionary of philosophers vol. III, collective work, see item 7. The book was submitted
 c     for production on 2/22/1968, in March 1968 it was withdrawn due to the suspension
 c     of printing of volume II. Following the negative decision of COPC regarding volume II,
 c      it was not resubmitted for production; the typescript ready for typesetting is stored at
 c     the editorial office. Edited by St. Borzym.

C. Titles currently being prepared for typesetting the LCP editors

11 / Spinoza, Early Writings /Short Treatise, The Principles of Cartesian Philosophy,
 c     Philosophical Reflections, Treatise on the Improvement of Understanding/, translated
 c     and a short editorial introduction by L. Kołakowski. There was no contract for the
 c     introduction since this author has the habit of only signing the contract upon his delivery
 c     of the material. If any difficulties were to arise with regards to the conclusion of a contract
 c     with him, the author is willing to forego the remuneration, but insists that the introduction
 c     should be included in the book, because the history of the texts and editions of these
 c     writings by Spinoza is very complicated and requires clarification. The title is to be submitted
 c     for production on 6/15/1968. Edited by D. Petschowa. The LCP series.

12 / Petrus Hispanus, Logic, translation and introduction by T. Włodarczyk. The title is to be
 c     submitted for production in October 1968. W. Bieńkowska was to edit it. The LCP series.

13/ Anthology of philosophical thought of the German Enlightenment, edition and introduction
 c     by E. Adler, collective translation. The title is to be submitted for production in the third or
 c     fourth quarter of 1968. Edited by N. Szancerowa. The Anthology Series – supplemental
 c     readings for students.

14 / Anthology of French libertine thought, selected works, translation and introduction by
 c     R. Brandwajn. The book is to be submitted for production on 4/15/1968. Edited by
 c     W. Bieńkowska. The Anthology Series – supplemental readings for students.

15/ Philosophy in Poland, Dictionary of writers. Collective work compiled at the Department
 c     of the History of Modern Philosophy of the Institute of Philosophy of the Polish Academy
 c     of Sciences. PAS commissioned work. In April 1968, the editors were informed by the
 c     PWN Management Board that the book would not be published under the LCP or under
 c     PWN at all, and that it is to be returned to the Academy. Up until that point it was
 c     edited by N. Szancerowa.

D. Titles still in the process of compilation, prior to submission for editing by the Office.

16/ Voltaire, Philosophical writings, selection, introduction and compilation by B. Baczko,
 c     collective translation. The translations have been submitted, the item is being prepared
 c     by the editor of the book, B. Baczko, and will be submitted to the editorial office this year,
 c     according to the contract. D. Petschowa was to edit it. The LCP series.

17 / Anthology of classical German philosophy. Selection by T. Kronski, introduction and most
 c     of the notes regarding particular philosophers by B. Baczko; all these materials have already
 c     been delivered, the introduction was reviewed by prof. Suchodolski and should be accepted.
 c     A few notes /pertaining to Feuerbach and youngheglists/ by I. Krońska. All translations are
 c     edited by I. Krońska, with the exception of recently added fragments from Schelling and
 c     Schiller, which are still being translated. The item can be submitted for production before
 c     8/30/1968. Edited by N. Szancerowa. The Anthology Series – supplemental readings
 c     for students.

E. Titles which translation is still in progress, in the process of compilation, and in the contract implementation phase.

18/ Against the logicians, in translation by I. Dąmbska, deadline for completion of the task:
 c     12/31/1968. The LCP Series.

19/ Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation, in translation by J. Garewicz; the
 c     translator cannot meet the deadline stipulated in the contract and will be asking for an
 c     extension until mid-1969. The LCP Series.

20/ Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zathustra. To be resumed after verification of Berent’s translation
 c     in comparison with the original, which was to be carried out by A. Landman. The title was
 c     already included in the plan and A. Landman was about to commence the process of
 c     translation control. Currently the PWN Management Board has been raising doubts as to
 c     the need for this work’s publication. The LCP series.

21/ Burski, Dialectica Ciceronis. After unsuccessful translation attempts /no critical publication/
 c     The Editorial Committee of the LCP has decided to publish this work as a phototypical copy
 c     of its first edition with an English introduction by K. Leśniak, aimed also at foreign audiences
 c     considering great interest in Renaissance logic abroad. It would be an opportunity to give
 c     logicians and historians of philosophy from other countries access to Polish legacy in this
 c     field. In February 1968, the PWN Management Board basically agreed to the phototypical
 c     production.The item is currently being reconsidered. The LCP series.

22/ Russell, My philosophical development. The translation was started by Znamierowski, who
 c     managed to translate about 1/4, the other parts were translated by H. Krahelska – with the
 c     deadline for submission of the entire work on 12/31/1968. The author for the introduction
 c      is to be determined. The LCP series.

23/ Anthology of philosophical and religious thought of the Reformation. Selection, compilation,
 c     and introduction: L. Szczucki, collective translation of texts; the first text /Melanchton/ has
 c     been submitted. The Anthology Series – supplemental readings for students.

24/ Dictionary of philosophers vol. IV, collective work, see item 7. The first batch of materials is
 c     in the files, the subsequent batches partly in contracts. Works on this book were discontinued
 c      in May 1968 due to the withdrawal of volumes II and III. Edited by St. Borzym.

 c      c     There is the legacy of the Editorial Office of the LCP, i.e. in the publishing nomenclature, its portfolios: production, editorial and contract. I am not including the portfolio of projects, as it concerns the future, which now – due to the PWN Management Board limiting the publication plan of the LCP to two books a year – has been made to look even more bleak.

 c      c     At the end of this handover report of the former head of the Editorial Office, which is also the last report of the Secretary of the Editorial Committee of the Library of the Classics of Philosophy, I would also like to declare the following as a private individual:

 c      c     Firstly, with regard to the titles of which I am a co-translator or co-editor /this applies to items 3 and 17/, I would like to keep watching over the process until they are published, read the typescript before typesetting /item 17/ and all proofs /items 3 and 17/.

 c      c     Secondly, with regard to all the other titles that are to be published – as I was more or less personally involved in their planning and preparation – I would like for their editors to have the right to consult me if necessary. I also declare not just willingness, but even a desire to read the corrections of the typescripts, indexes, etc. primarily of the works in ancient philosophy, which call for knowledge of Greek /items 1 and 18 /, familiarity with translations from Latin, and works containing Latin texts /items 9, 11, 12, 21, 23/ as well as, possibly, Hegelian texts / items 4 and 5 /, if any difficulties the translator or editor would like to consult with me were to arise during proofreading. I do not demand any remuneration for carrying out these works, I will consider them a natural consequence of my previous work, which was paid for by the publishing house.

Thirdly and finally, I cannot help but express my concern and regret that two large team projects, the preparation of which required a lot of effort from many people and serious material resources, namely the Dictionary of Philosophers /items 7, 10 and 24/ and Philosophy in Poland /item 15/, will not be able to come out. Specialists from university centers all over the country and representatives of all generations of philosophers, from the oldest, universally known and respected scholars, to young graduates of our universities took part in the preparation activities of both these dictionary publications; that it was so is easy to see even when one simply checks at the list of authors for the entries.

 c      c     The Dictionary titled Philosophy in Poland, which the LCP Editorial Office was supposed to publish as a commission for the Polish Academy of Sciences, was developed at the Department of the History of Modern Philosophy of the Polish Academy of Sciences with the participation of all Polish philosophical centers. I have read the typescript before it was admitted by the LCP Editorial Office and based on this reading I can state that this is the first serious and successful attempt not only to catalogue all Polish philosophers, but also to create a monograph compilation – through the profiles of individual creators – on the history of philosophy in Poland. Withdrawing, or even delaying this publication seems to me a great scientific and social loss.

 c      c     The dictionary of philosophers, covering universal philosophy from antiquity to the present day, including Polish philosophy /to a lesser extent than the previously mentioned dictionary, especially dedicated to it, but against the background of universal philosophy/, already in its part developed so far /the first three volumes/ is a valuable research aid, and some articles constituting monographic source studies, more comprehensive than they could ever be in textbooks on history of philosophy, have served students in their preparations for exams. A defect of this dictionary, though not a random one, but instead one resulting from the objective difficulties referred to in the introduction to volume I, is the non-alphabetic system employed in it, but it is but a temporary defect; it can be simply eliminated by compiling and publishing all six volumes. It is sad to think that the PWN Dictionary of Philosophers is to share the fate of the first Polish philosophical dictionary, initiated in the interwar years: discontinuation after one volume.

 c     I Krońska
Irena Krońska

Warsaw, June 3, 1968

/This protocol was signed on the same date by K. Judenko, writing in this place: I have received and shall pass this document on to the PWN Management Board. Signature. Warsaw, June 3, 1968/