Tradycje socjologii polskiej

Abstract

The article presents over one hundred years of history of Polish sociology from the perspective of its traditions, still important for the present times. Those traditions include 1) patriotic and civic stances and intensive research activity of leading scientists; 2) outstanding works created by those scientists; 3) developing the science in connection with Itaking up problems important for the Polish nation; 4) maintaining contact with the world science. Recalling past achievements of Polish sociology, the author takes into account the conditions of cultivating sociology in Poland. In some periods they were very difficult [e.g. until 1918, when there was no Polish state, during the 2nd World War (1939-1945)], in others they changed dramatically several times (e.g. between 1951 and 1956, when all sociological institutions and university departments of sociology were dissolved), what placed sociology in an exceptional situation in comparison with other European countries. Calling to mind imperishable values brought by Polish sociologists to Polish science and culture, the author presents in short the activity of two generations of scholars. To the first generation belong those whose creative activity fell to the post-partitions period (before 1918) and who laid the foundations of Polish sociology (Józef Supiński, Ludwik Gumpiowicz, Ludwik Krzywicki, Leon Petrażycki, Florian Znaniecki and others). To the second generation the author includes those who started their research and organizational activity in Poland between the World Wars (Józef Chałasiński, Maria and Stanisław Ossowski, Stanisław Rychliński, Tadeusz Szczurkiewieiz and others). The sociologists of the second generation rebuilt and organized the scientific activity in the Polish People's Republic after the 2nd World War.