“Thinking in Values” (No 2) Agathology

We have the pleasure of placing in the reader’s hands the second annual issue of Thinking in values, entitled “Agathology”. What is agathology? One might suppose – following the meaning of the Greek words agaton and logos – that agathology is an aspect of philosophy and its subject is the good, so that is simple ontology or phenomenology of the good. However, reading Tischner’s texts, and especially The Philosophy of Drama and The Controversy Over the Existence of Man, leads us toward the conclusion that agatholical thinking requires abandoning these fields of philosophy and entering an entirely new territory of thinking about man in the horizon of the good. The review of Tischner’s texts in the “Tischner on Agathology” section enables us to follow through the revolutionthat took place in his thinking, and which in short may be defined as: from thinking in values toward thinking in terms of good. The early texts from our selection com from th 70’s (The Axiological Impressions were published in 1970), the latest – an excerpt from The Controversy Over the Existence of Man – from the end of the 90’s.

In the section “On Agathology” you will find polemics against Tischner’s concept of thinking in terms of agathology. It is significant that some of them originated during discussion with Tischner, other are the fruit of heated debates during Tischner’s Days which have taken place in Kraków for 8 years, on the initiative of academic centers with which Józef Tischner was connected: the Jagiellonian University, the Tischner Institute, The Pontificial Academy of Theology, The State Theatre Academy in Kraków and Znak Publishers, with which Tischner was associated from the very beginning of his work as a writer.

This year we recommend Adam Hernas’ book “Time and Presence”. The book deals with the philosophy of man, describing the most significant od man’s experiences: such as despair, death, love, birth of child or hope. We also encourage you to read the two articles in the section “Tischner’s Focus”. This year we offer texts that will introduce you to Tischner’s philosophy.