The Worth of Words: The Ethical Significance of Dialogue Structured as Asking–Responding in Józef Tischner’s Philosophy

Abstract

The importance of words has been emphasized by many ethicians and philosophers. Within interpersonal relationships, a significant dimension of the analysis of the word is its value. Ethics is dependent on the value of words, since without honest words we cannot have a real dialogue or then build a trustworthy community. In this paper, the author tries to show that within such a philosophical framework, the most fundamental element is a question–answer relationship, which is a basic structure for a dialogue. Asking is given special consideration by the Polish philosopher and priest Józef Tischner, who sees a question as a kind of request in the world of poverty which demands an ethical response. In this article, the author also presents Tischner’s original philosophy of drama—especially in respect to his view on a dialogic relationship between people—and then relationships within various groups, from large societies and nations to small communities. The ethical, axiological, anthropological, and even agathological and ontological significance of dialogue as asking–responding are also presented as a basis for a deeper communication.