Dlaczego potrzebujemy filozofii i dlaczego od niej odchodzimy, czyli droga do i od filozofii

Abstract

The article comprises psychological and philosophical analysis of the man’s cognitive effort aimed at crossing the boundary of natural (common) and scientific knowledge, and reaching the level of philosophical knowledge (‘the way to philosophy’) and cognitive experience, in which shortcomings and deficiencies of this philosophical knowledge, as well as dissatisfaction and disappointment with philosophy are felt, which in consequence lead to common and scientific knowledge (‘the way from philosophy’). The main thesis of the article is the statement that the turn from philosophy generally tends to be incomplete and impermanent because philosophy, by its very nature, cannot lose its inherent cognitive and practical values. For example, it never ceases to be the wisdom, which cannot be negated, or to be ‘the teacher of life’. The need for philosophy and practising it does not extinguish completely either, which frequently again leads to ‘the way to philosophy’. The thesis of the article is illustrated with examples of selected philosophers’ attitudes to philosophy (J. Piaget, G. San tayan, L. Kołakowski and the author of the present text).