Letter to Władysław Tatarkiewicz written 21.04.1961
Rkp 1529
80
Cracow, 21/4/1961
Dear Władysław,
Thank you very much for your last letter, and I’m sorry that I’m responding only today; I have so much work, though, that after receiving the letter I forgot about it; but now I’ve remembered it and am writing back right away.
I was very concerned about your having trouble with your leg again. I’d heard about it from Iza, but I had the impression that it was a less serious matter than the one you once had; meanwhile, according to your letter, this looks more dangerous somehow. I hope that this time everything will conclude happily, and probably sooner, than it did the first time. I wish you the speediest full recovery.
As for the meeting of the Aesthetic Section in Warsaw, I don’t think it’s urgent, and thus I’d prefer that you open this section yourself. I don’t really believe that my candidacy will be accepted there, and I don’t know whether that’s intentional. Everything is always concentrated in Warsaw, and maybe that’s more convenient in certain matters.
With us in the Cracow Branch of the Polish Philosophical Society, 18 people have applied from among Society members, but there are also a number of people who want to take part and have applied for membership in the Society, which I haven’t formally arranged yet. I’ve arrived at the conviction that here we have no reason to wait until this matter is generally settled in Warsaw, and on 15 April we had an organisational meeting. We decided to hold continuous discussions on selected topics, and, in addition, occasional lectures. We’ve already chosen the first general theme and launched the discussion. We’re supposed to convene once every two weeks. We chose a secretariat to deal with recording the discussion on a tape recorder (my tape recorder, very good), enabling us to retain the complete deliberations on a given subject. I’m curious as to how this will unfold here. Some years ago, in Lviv and here, I conducted such discussions, and have the relevant protocols; unfortunately we didn’t have a tape recorder at the time; now it’s simpler. We’re supposed to have the next meeting on 28 April.
On Monday I’ll be in Warsaw, en route to Jabłonna for a logic session at which I’m supposed to have a lecture on the subject of ‘justification’ of the courts. In the afternoon I’ll leave for Jabłonna; in the morning I’ll have a lot of classes, but maybe I’ll call you somehow. I’m returning to Cracow next Friday, because I have to be here for the Faculty Council, at which there’ll be a series of applications.
Nota bene: Gołaszewska finished her paper on the subject ‘The philosophical basis of literary criticism’, which is to be her habilitation paper. Is it possible to ask you to serve as a reviewer? (Nota bene, I’ll be trying to place this with Polish Scientific Publishers; they’ll also want a reviewer. Is it possible to suggest you?)
It was decided to conduct Gałecki’s habilitation in Wrocław. His paper, which I’ve read ‒ a continuation of his article in Aesthetics ‒ is interesting and constitutes independent reflection on certain matters. His style of writing, however, is still clerical. He’s still supposed to correct this, but for the time being, it’ll undergo the habilitation review as it is. I’d be terribly obliged to you if you’d be so good as to serve as a reviewer in this matter. I think that Gałecki should be habilitated, in spite of the various idiosyncrasies which characterise him. He has considerable knowledge in the field of aesthetics as well as his own ideas in this field. Besides, his living situation is difficult (or rather would be if he hadn’t become a docent).
I don’t know whether you know that a new magazine has appeared in the field of aesthetics: The British Journal of Aesthetics. I think you’ve received their communiqué. It isn’t clear who’ll really edit it, because H. Osborne is named as Hon. Editor. I’m afraid that it’ll be Hodin.
Cordial greetings and possibly ‘until we meet again’
/signature/ Your Roman