Letter to Władysław Tatarkiewicz written 22.03.1969

Author Roman Ingarden

Category outgoing correspondence, Polish researchers

Archive Archive KUL

Date of creation 22.03.1969

Related places Amsterdam, Cracow, London, Vienna, Warsaw

Reference code in archive Rkp_1529

Resource type letter

Subject matter academic issues, organizational issues, personal issues

Field aesthetics, phenomenology, philosophy

Tags #academic papers, #Aler, #America, #Amsterdam, #article, #Canada, #Committee of Aesthetics, #congress of phenomenologists, #Cooperation Office, #Cracow, #Culture and Society, #England, #Entretien, #foreign travel, #foreign trips, #general assembly, #Hague, #health problems, #Heildelberg, #History of Philosophy, #Husserl and the idea of Phenomenology, #illness, #Institute of Philosophy, #Izydora Dąmbska, #Jagiellonian University, #Jerzy Kalinowski, #lectures, #lecturing, #Leszek Kołakowski, #London, #Luigi Pareyson, #Michelis, #Netherlands, #New York, #PAN, #papers, #passport, #passport affairs, #philosophical books, #Polish Academy od Sciences, #publications, #Tadeusz Kotarbiński, #Tatarkiewicz's History of Philosophy, #travel, #UJ, #United States, #USA, #Verité et Historicité, #Vienna, #visas, #Warsaw, #Waterloo, #Wesensschau

Rkp 1529
123

Roman Ingarden
Cracow 2. Biskupia 14

Cracow, 22 March 1969

Dear Władysław,

I returned from Amsterdam two days ago. While passing through Warsaw before my departure, I called you, but unfortunately the telephone at my brother-in-law’s was malfunctioning and we were unable to talk. I was in Amsterdam for 10 days; all week I was busy with lectures, discussions, and meetings, so I didn’t manage to write. Then for a few days I was waiting on tenterhooks for visas for Canada and the US, because the Co-operation Office once again failed and didn’t come up with visas for me in time. Being unable to reschedule the lectures in Amsterdam, I left without the visas with the understanding that they would send the Canadian visa to The Hague. But they didn’t send it until the 17th, so that I couldn’t manage to get an American transit visa in time. It came two hours after I’d already cancelled my ticket for the ship to New York; therefore I had to return without going to Waterloo, where a congress of phenomenologists entitled ‘Husserl and the idea of Phenomenology’ was supposed to be held. Yesterday I had two calls from Waterloo, to the effect that I should come at all costs, that they would now settle everything and would come up with a new passport on time. But unfortunately this whole trip and the irritation due to the visas triggered an episode of high blood pressure and my doctor has now forbidden me to go anywhere. It’s a long trip, and I’d have to take either a plane (which I’m not thrilled about) or a freighter (10 days), when originally I had a ticket for the splendid ship United States. Accordingly, I telegraphed for the second time that I wouldn’t be coming, even though I had the main paper on the first day, followed on the programme by four papers on the topic of my work. But too bad; once your thirties are behind you, health comes first.

As for elections, there’s no philosophy this year at the Polish Academy of Sciences; moreover, the meeting was postponed again. I received a letter from the Institute today regarding the elections, but given the conditions, it’s already too late, because a curriculum vitae and another signature (someone else’s) are necessary, and I didn’t have the time to do that. Besides, there are no such important new candidates[O1] . As for Iza, I was prepared to support her and if I’d been at the General Assembly, I’d have voted for her, but now, officially, my signature is not required. I won’t vote for Kołakowski. Kotarbiński didn’t respond at all to my letter about Iza and Jerzy Kalinowski.

The next ‘Entretien’ [French: Interview] in Heidelberg[O2] was supposed to be about phenomenology, concerning the so-called ‘Wesensschau’, but they sent me an invitation today with the theme ‘Verité et Historicité’ [French: Truth and historicity]. That[O3] , like so many others at the Institute, is bound to be another load of hogwash. I expect that the topic of time (in Vienna) is going to yield something,[O4] but physicists were the only ones talking about it, which didn’t interest me. Besides, in that Viennese maelstrom, I didn’t even have time to attend all the meetings.

What happened to the new edition of your History of Philosophy? It was announced a long time ago, but it’s still not here. Just today I obtained (purchased) the issue of Culture and Society with, inter alia, my article, but I didn’t receive any offprints either – didn’t you send them?

You’re probably going to London next week for the meeting of the Committee of Aesthetics. If you see Aler, say hello to him from me and tell him about those calls insisting that I had to go to Waterloo. Say hello to him from me while you’re at it. He was a very nice host. There were a great many people at the lectures, and many professors at the first one. Unfortunately, the weather was lousy. Say hello to Michelis and Pareyson too.

Cordial greetings and wishes for a good trip

/signature/ Roman Ingarden

[O1]Oryg: kandydatów1) Nie wiem co ma znaczyć 1).
[O2]Oryg: Heildelberg
[O3]Oryg: Co będzie, chyba To będzie
[O4]wg. oryginalnej wersji, ale może zamiast Spodziewam się powinna być Spodziewałem się. Jeśli tak, I expected that the topic of time (in Vienna) would yield something