Letter from Stanisław Wędkiewicz written 03.04.1950

Author Stanisław Wędkiewicz

Category incoming correspondence

Archive Archive of Science PAN in Cracow

Date of creation 3.04.1950

Related places Paris

Reference code in archive K_III-26_D_30

Resource type letter

Subject matter academic issues, organizational issues, publication issues, translations

Field philosophy

Tags #bibliography, #correction of dissertation, #Descartes’s experiences in Poland, #Fr. Konstanty Michalski, #Jan Konstanty Dąbrowski, #Paris, #PAU, #Philosophical Review, #Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, #Polish works on Descartes, #René Descartes, #Roman Ingarden, #Scientific Station, #Stanisław Wędkiewicz, #Station Bulletin, #Stefan Harassek, #translation, #Université de Poitiers

ACADEMIE POLONAISE DES SCIENCES ET DES LETTRES

CENTRE POLONAIS DE RECHERCHES SCIENTIFIQUES A PARIS

74. RUE LAURISTON, PARIS-XVI – TELEPHONE: COP. 51-91

333/50 v v v v 4/3/1950

Honorable Colleague,

    v     I have just received your letter from 3/28 and I am replying right away.
    v     Indeed, there is a lot of trouble with the corrections of the late Fr. Michalski’s dissertation. There are some completely incomprehensible sentences, the typescript that was just sent to me contains many omissions of not just individual terms, but even entire sets of words. Fortunately, since one copy of the Polish text has been preserved in Paris, the text can be reconstructed. Doctor Kucharski has taken on the responsibility to review the corrections, which I am very grateful to him for, because on the eve of his doctorate ès lettres, and having undergone a serious indisposition, he must refrain from cooperating with the PAAS Scientific Station for a while. During the holidays, after completing my urgent obligations, I shall start thoroughly checking the corrections and expect to successfully complete this arduous task.
    v     I am very grateful to Honorable Colleague for your willingness to take on the task of organizing the bibliography of Polish translations of Descartes and Polish works on Descartes. It would not be just a dry list of bibliographical items, but rather a reasoned bibliography. I may be wrong and I cannot remember much of the bibliography of works on Descartes published in Philosophical Review in 1937, but I have the impression that Polish literature on Descartes is not excessively abundant. I realize that the task is not easy, but I have the assurance from prof. Dąbrowski, that he will set the remuneration accordingly for the employee or employees you indicate.
    v     It would be highly desirable for us to obtain a concise article (e.g. covering half an author’s sheet in the Station Bulletin format) showing the foreign audiences Descartes’s experiences in Poland. Would Prof. Harassek be interested in writing one?
    v     I would like to announce the Bulletin dedicated to Descartes before the summer holidays. The material, however, would have to be submitted to me no later than in the middle of May.
    v     I would like to stay in touch with Honorable Colleague regarding the matters that seem important to me.
    v     Since the University of Poitiers is gathering a special collection of Descartes’ translations into foreign languages and foreign works on Descartes, I have asked the PAAS to collect Polish publications and send them to the Station, which would then deliver the collection to the rector of the University of Poitiers using the appropriate channels. Obviously we can hardly even dream of collecting everything, but even a modest set would make a favorable impression here.

v I will order the books you need in the upcoming days.
v Please accept my deepest respect and best regards.

Prof. St. Wędkiewicz