Leszek Kolakowski in Memoriam

This volume is devoted to the person and work of Leszek Koakowski, who died in July 2009. At the turn of the 1940s and 1950s, Leszek Koakowski belonged to a group of young intellectuals actively supporting on the «ideological front» and in the University of Warsaw the new political agendas of Marxist provenance introduced in Poland. But already in 1955-56, he came to the fore of a movement of philosophical revisionists radically questioning the validity of these Marxist prescriptions. This resulted in his expulsion from the Communist Party in the early 1960s, then from the University and finally from Poland after the «March events» in 1968. Presented in this volume are, on the one hand, texts drawing up a historical balance sheet of theoretical achievements of Leszek Koakowski (articles by Andrzej Walicki and Andrew Targowski), and, on the other, essays devoted to certain aspects of his philosophical position (articles by Marcin Król, Zofia Rosiska, Janusz Dobieszewski, Witold Mackiewicz and Janusz Kuczyski). Also presented in this volume are some occasional essays sketching a portrait of Leszek Koakowski (by Marek J. Siemek, Karol Toeplitz and Jerzy Szacki). The book is closed with an extensive bibliography.

Autorentext
Jacek Migasinski, professor of the University of Warsaw, is an expert in the history of modern and contemporary philosophy, especially French phenomenology. He is the author of several books and has edited a few volumes of conference proceedings, published numerous articles and translations of French philosophy.

Klappentext

This volume is devoted to the person and work of Leszek Kolakowski, who died in July 2009. At the turn of the 1940s and 1950s, Leszek Kolakowski belonged to a group of young intellectuals actively supporting on the «ideological front» and in the University of Warsaw the new political agendas of Marxist provenance introduced in Poland. But already in 1955-56, he came to the fore of a movement of philosophical revisionists radically questioning the validity of these Marxist prescriptions. This resulted in his expulsion from the Communist Party in the early 1960s, then from the University and finally from Poland after the «March events» in 1968. Presented in this volume are, on the one hand, texts drawing up a historical balance sheet of theoretical achievements of Leszek Kolakowski (articles by Andrzej Walicki and Andrew Targowski), and, on the other, essays devoted to certain aspects of his philosophical position (articles by Marcin Król, Zofia Rosinska, Janusz Dobieszewski, Witold Mackiewicz and Janusz Kuczynski). Also presented in this volume are some occasional essays sketching a portrait of Leszek Kolakowski (by Marek J. Siemek, Karol Toeplitz and Jerzy Szacki). The book is closed with an extensive bibliography.

Inhalt
Contents: Andrzej Walicki: On writing intellectual history: Leszek Koakowski and the Warsaw school of history of ideas Andrew Targowski: Leszek Koakowski in the West and in Poland Marcin Król: Intro to What Does Leszek Koakowski teach us Zofia Rosiska: Illuminating Life. Leszek Koakowskis philosophy of Culture Janusz Dobieszewski: On the Consolation Offered by Leszek Koakowskis Metaphysical Horror Witold Mackiewicz: Nietzschean Traits in the Works of Leszek Koakowski Janusz Kuczyski: The Universalism of John Paul II. The universalism of Leszek Koakowski. Afterword Marek J. Siemek: Laudatio on the Renewal of Leszek Koakowskis Ph.D. at the Warsaw University Karol Toeplitz: A Farewell to Professor Leszek Koakowski Jerzy Szacki: L.K.: Remembrances Leszek Koakowski. Remebrances and some Comments Bibliography of Leszek Koakowski's writings, edited by Stanislaw Gromadzki.