A New Organon

doi:10.1628/978-3-16-154989-2

A New Organon

Science Studies in Interwar Poland

Edited by Friedrich Cain and Bernhard Kleeberg

2024. 401 pages.

Historische Wissensforschung (HWF) 18

DOI 10.1628/978-3-16-154989-2

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Summary

The volume reconstructs the forgotten history of the Warsaw based sociology of knowledge and science, which was developed in the working group Koło Naukoznawcze during the interwar period (1918-1939). For the first time pivotal articles are made available in English translation.

When Poland became independent in 1918, knowledge about organizing the state and society gained utmost importance. Until 1939 sociologists, philosophers, pedagogues, and representatives of the natural sciences met around the journal Nauka Polska and the Science Studies Circle (Koło Naukoznawcze) to discuss the advancement of science and the academic system. They asked how scientific creativity could be generated and stabilized (Antoni B. Dobrowolski), how a socio-psychological “science of knowledge” should look like (Florian Znaniecki), or how society would benefit from a “science of science” (Maria Ossowska und Stanisław Ossowski). Unlike other contemporary reflections on science, such as those of Ludwik Fleck, most of these ideas have fallen into oblivion. This volume reconstructs the forgotten history of the Warsaw based initiative and presents key contributions in English translation, many for the first time.

Table of contents:

Friedrich Cain/Bernhard Kleeberg: Introduction – A New Organon: Science Studies in Poland between the Wars
Part I: [Historical Contexts]
Jan Surman: Internationality in Nauka Polska: Infrastructure, Translation, Language - Marta Bucholc: Strategies of Sincerity: Scientific Autobiographies in the Proceedings of Koło Naukoznawcze - Friedrich Cain: A Grammar of Actual Thinking: Antoni B. Dobrowolski within and beyond the Warsaw Science Studies Circle
Part II: [Sources]
Tul’si Bhambry: Translator’s Note. Editorial remarks. Editorial Introduction. Preface. Report on the activities of the Science Studies Circle. Second Report on the activities of the Science Studies Circle - Florian Znaniecki: The Subject Matter and Tasks of the Science of Knowledge - Maria Ossowska/Stanisław Ossowski: The Science of Science - Stefan Błachowski: The Problem of Scientific Creativity - Franciszek Bujak: The Man of Action and the Student - Paweł Rybicki: Science and the Forms of Social Life: Issues at the Intersection of Sociology and Theory of Science - Tadeusz Kotarbiński: On the Skills of a Researcher - Bogdan Suchodolski: Investigation and Teaching - Antoni B. Dobrowolski: The Urgent Need for Mental Education in Poland: The Necessity for a Fundamental Teaching Reform in Middle Schools and New Institutions for Scientific Research in Relation to this Reform - Czesław Białobrzeski as ‘C.B.’: An Autobiographical Sketch and Remarks on Scientific Creativity - Antoni B. Dobrowolski: An Archive of Materials for Research on Creativity - Antoni B. Dobrowolski as ‘A.B.D.’: My “Scientific Biography” - Émile Borel: Contribution aux Documents sur la Psychologie de l’Invention dans le Domaine de la Science - August Krogh: Visual Thinking: An Autobiographical Note. Sessions of the Science Studies Circle (1928–1938)
Part III: [Commentaries]
Jan Piskurewicz/Leszek Zasztowt: Science Studies in Poland before the Second World War: Institutional Frames - Andreas Langenohl: A look back on the Koło naukoznawcze after the Science Wars - Paweł Kawalec: The Original Conception of the Science of Science and Innovation Studies

Authors/Editors

Friedrich Cain Geboren 1985; Studium der Kulturwissenschaften und Geschichte; Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter an der Universität Konstanz und am Max-Weber-Kolleg der Universität Erfurt, seit 2021 an der Universität Wien; 2018 Promotion an der Universität Konstanz. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3078-9933

Bernhard Kleeberg Geboren 1971; Professor für Wissenschaftsgeschichte an der Universität Erfurt; forscht und lehrt insbesondere zur historischen Epistemologie und Praxeologie der Gesellschaftswissenschaften vom 18.-20. Jahrhundert.