Wpływ Étienne’a Gilsona na filozofię w Polsce

After the Second World War, Stefan Swieżawski gave his lectures on the history of medieval philosophy and metaphysics at the Catholic University of Lublin. The lectures were based on the approaches and methodologies of Etienne Gilson. In this way, Gilson’s thought came in Polish culture. The influence of Gilson’s thought on Polish philosophers had three tangible effects. First of all, positive knowledge about the Middle Ages as such and in particular the medieval philosophy was more able to penetrate the insightful minds. Secondly, a completely new, different from Aristotelian definition of metaphysics was adopted. The definition was developed by Gilson who based on the texts of Thomas Aquinas. Finally, thirdly, Gilson’s theory of history was creatively developed in Poland philosophy, as a study of the philosophical problems that ancients authors took and which have been elaborated in ancient texts. Pedagogical activity of Swieżawski and Mieczysław A. Krąpiec, who in the creative way took over Gilson’s thought, caused that existential Thomism has become one of the most known philosophical trends in Poland. At the end of the Stalinist night in Poland, Swieżawski manager to send to Gilson a series of philosophical works done at the Catholic University in Lublin; the texts concerned the history of medieval philosophy and metaphysics. In a response, Gilson encouraged him to step up his efforts to initiate research on the history of Polish medieval philosophy and philosophy of the fifteenth century in Europe. With time, a number of translations of Gilson’s books appeared in Poland. Until today they influence their readers. Today, in 21st century, Gilsonian works are used by the next - after the Swieżawski’s and Krąpiec’s students - Polish generation of Thomists.