Pragmatism in Poland – First Reactions, Early Records

The purpose of the article “Pragmatism in Poland – first reactions, early records” is to show the process of familiarizing Polish readers with this new philosophical trend, and its reception in Poland at the beginning of the 20th century. Polish scholars, despite the difficulties involved, were familiar with the main assumptions of pragmatism. The sources of their knowledge in this respect were most often studies conducted at western university centres. The main exponents of pragmatic ideas were: Florian Znaniecki (1882–1958), Władysław Mieczysław Kozłowski (1858–1935) and Stanisław Brzozowski (1878–1911), whereas Władysław Biegański (1857–1917) developed his views in opposition to pragmatism. However, it is necessary to point out that the role of Polish scholars in the development of pragmatism was insignificant. Kozłowski undoubtedly popularized the main ideas – views endorsed by pragmatists through his work, while the works of Znaniecki and Brzozowski were sources of information to the reader who was interested in philosophical novelties of the new intellectual movement, interchangeably called pragmatism or humanism. The mentioned scholars drew their philosophical inspirations from pragmatism, which in a sense they eventually assimilated; in consequence, pragmatism shaped their own original views