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The Concept of ‘Work on Work’ in the Philosophy of Jan Szewczyk and Józef Tischner, and in the Writings of Pope John Paul II
Abstract
The idea of „work on work” was anticipated in Polish philosophy of action, starting in the second half of the 19th century. Traces leading in this direction can be found, among others, in the works of A. Cieszkowski, E. Dembowski, H. Kamieński, S. Brzozowski, and J. Zamojska. After World War II, it appeared in Jan Szewczyk's most important work, entitled Filozofia pracy (The Philosophy of Work). Despite its intellectual scope and thoroughness of analysis, the book did not find wider resonance in Polish, let alone international, intellectual circles. However, the idea of „work on work” proved so powerful that it found its continuation in a completely different context: in the reflections of Józef Tischner, made on the eve of great civilizational changes in Poland at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s. The significance of the ideas contained in Tischner's concept of the philosophy of work prompted Pope John Paul II to include „work on work” in his pontifical pastoral program. The fruits of this reflection include, among others, the papal homilies in Szczecin and Gdańsk during his third pilgrimage to Poland in 1987.
Tracing this short but intriguing history of the journey of the idea of „work on work”, which finds itself in different contexts and performs different functions in particular approaches to the philosophy of work, shows how some particularly powerful ideas can enrich the world of human thought by revealing ever new aspects thanks to the changing circumstances of their use.
Keywords:
Jan Szewczyk, Józef Tischner, „work on work”, John Paul IIDetails
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