Katapulta, czyli przygody polonistyki niezdyscyplinowanej

This article is about the possibilities of transdisciplinary research and was written from the perspective of the specialist in Polish philology. The paper also refers to proposals presented at the 12th Convention of Specialists in Polish Studies [Zjazd Polonistów] (2011) and the volume Nowa humanistyka (New Humanities) (2017). These texts postulated transforming the specific “identity” of Polish philology into cultural studies or anthropology of literature and an attempt to “build bridges” with other specializations so far falling within the paradigm of interdisciplinarity. The author proposes a better way to cross the traditional divisions between the humanities and sciences and presents the term “transdisciplinarity”, which is somehow connected to the metaphor of “jumping over the wall”. Consequently, he proposes the figure of the catapult, which is used in poetics, is derived from the military machine, and is now understood as a rescue launcher. Thinking in terms of catapult assume a ferocity and the risk of entering foreign territory, the need to enter into a direct, concrete and difficult relationship with another world (of matter, laws, methods and problems).