Letter to Kazimierz Twardowski written 23.07.1935

Author Roman Ingarden

Category outgoing correspondence, Polish researchers

Archive Joined Libraries WFiS UW, IFiS PAN and PTF

Date of creation 23.07.1935

Related places Lviv, Vienna

Reference code in archive PTF Rps 02.1, t. XII

Resource type letter

Subject matter organizational issues, personal issues, publication issues, Studia Philosophica

Field philosophy

Tags #Alfred Tarski, #Bronisław Ajdukiewicz, #condolence, #death, #death of Ajdukiewicz's father, #editorial office of the journal Studia Philosophica, #expressions of sympathy, #holiday, #indignation of editorial office, #Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz, #Kazimierz Twardowski, #Lviv, #Maria Kokoszyńska, #matter of Tarski, #offprints, #philosophical journal, #Philosophical Society, #Polish Philosophical Society, #print of Tarski's dissertation, #PTF, #Roman Ingarden, #Roman Kajetan Ingarden, #Studia Philosophica, #studies, #Tarski's dissertation, #Tarski's work, #Tarski’s behaviour, #Vienna

Lviv, 23/7/1935

Most Honourable Professor!

Not wishing to disturb you in these painful days following the death of prof. Ajdukiewicz [O1] ’s Father [O2] of sainted memory, I’ve decided to settle the matter you raised yesterday concerning Tarski[O3] and his paper by means of this letter. First of all, however, please graciously accept expressions of my profound sympathy for the blow to your Family. In this case, I’m personally involved, as the late Bronisław Ajdukiewicz was not only the father of my closest Colleague and Friend at present, but at the same time was the Colleague and Friend of my late Father.

As for the matter of Tarski, I’ve arrived at the following conclusions, which I submit to the editorial office of the journal Studia Philosophica for gracious consideration and potential adoption.

1. Your suggestion to postpone the publication of Tarski’s paper to Volume II of the journal seems to me impossible to implement, as it would be necessary to break up the type presently set and to reset it, whereby the Philos. Soc. would lose a significant amount of money; meanwhile, it’s absolutely in doubt as to whether Tarski will compensate this loss.

2. Given that Tarski has twice failed to reply to your query as to how many (if any) offprints he wishes to have made at his cost, I conclude that no offprints should be printed at all. This seems to me to be justified first by the fact that Studia generally does not officially offer offprints, which are done at the request and expense of the authors, and second by the fact that the Editorial Office, for its part, has done much more in this respect than was required by its obligations and by courtesy.

3. I propose sending a letter to Tarski at Kokoszyńska[O4] ’s address ‒ an official letter from the Editorial Office, signed in your stead by prof. Ajdukiewicz (for it seems to me, given Mr Tarski’s behaviour, that it wouldn’t be fitting for you to write to him personally in this matter again), which would include:

a) an expression of the Editorial Office’s surprise and indignation at the completely unprecedented behaviour of Dr Tarski;

b) notification that the printing of Mr Tarski’s dissertation must be completed by 31 August of this year, and that, if Dr Tarski does not make every effort on his part to bring this about,

c) the Editorial Office will print the remainder of Dr Tarski’s dissertation without sending him any proofs at all;

d) notification that the Editorial Office, given the lack of response on Mr Tarski’s part as to the quantity and printing of offprints, no offprints will be printed at all.

Point (c) seems to me quite feasible to implement, as you’ve clearly informed Dr Tarski that the text he sent from Vienna was final and that material changes in the text could no longer be carried out.

If you and prof. Ajdukiewicz find my conclusions unsuitable and reject them in whole or in part, I’ll consider myself outvoted.

I enclose expressions of profound esteem and wishes for a fine holiday

Roman Ingarden

[O1]Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz (1890‒1963)
[O2]Bronisław Ajdukiewicz (1853‒1935)
[O3]Alfred Tarski (1901‒83)
[O4]Maria Kokoszyńska-Lutmanowa (1905‒81)