Karol Wojtyla Research Articles

Karol Wojtyla's Personalist Anthropology: The Relational Human Person

In this paper, I explore the philosophical ideas of Karol Wojtyla, focusing on his anthropology rooted in personalism. Wojtyla emphasized the interconnectedness of individuals, drawing attention to themes like participation, solidarity, and self-giving. His philosophy underscores the complexity of the human person and their inherent relational nature. I analyze his thoughts on the experience of actions and events, the relationship between person and action, and the person's transcendence through truth and self-gift. This study highlights the inherent dignity of each individual and argues that Wojtyla’s philosophy offers a coherent personalist perspective that merits further exploration.

An Introduction to Acting “Together with Others” and Participation as the Basis for Community in the Thought of Karol Wojtyla

Karol Wojtyła’s conception of community is an often overlooked part of his vast body of writing. While much energy is dedicated to his ethics and theology, little attention is given to how he defined the way in which human persons interact with one another and build the communities and societies wherein they find themselves. Central to this definition of community are the concepts of “acting ‘together with others’” and “participation.” For Wojtyła, these two intimately personal and subjective aspects of the human person serve as both the basis and mode from which authentic human communities emerge. This work presents an introduction to Wojtyła’s basis for community through analyzing “acting ‘together with others’” and “participation,” thus placing the primary impetus for inter-personal action strictly within the tradition of metaphysical anthropology and personalism which Wojtyła himself embraced. In doing so, an overview of Wojtyła’s thought is presented that is based on his most influential philosophical works concerning community, particularly Person and Act and The Person: Subject and Community, with this serving as a realistic philosophical background for subsequent analysis of both the human person and communities generally.

El personalismo ontológico moderno I. Arquitectónica

This text presents the fundamental theoretical features of a new current of personalism called modern ontological personalism. The main authors of this current are Karol Wojtyla, with regard to anthropology, and Juan Manuel Burgos, with regard to the theory of personalism. The article initially distinguishes this current from other personalist currents such as communitarian, dialogical, phenomenological, Anglo-American and classical ontological, the closest in some aspects. Finally, its main features are set out in some detail through these parameters: specific school of philosophy, centrality of the person, modern concept of person, personalist categories, methodology, relationship with modern thought and with metaphysics and personalism as praxis.

Self-fulfillment and Work in the Light of "The Acting Person" of Karol Wojtyla

This study focused on the philosophy of Karol Wojtyla in his book entitled “The Acting Person” about one of the activities of a human person, i.e. work itself. Although he did not dedicate any topic to human work, his very explanation of the action of the person as both subjective and personal is what human work is. Work, as lived experience, is one of the many actions a human person is capable of doing. On one side, despite the toilsome or burdensome character of human work, there exists a uniqueness in the person apart from beings. On the other, despite the uniqueness and value of work, there still exists a dehumanization from work, that of being replaced by faster and seemingly more reliable machinery or technology. However, work, as one of the many voluntary human actions, actually reveals the person and goes beyond his cosmological situatedness as simply a man. It is in the transcendence in action that changes these negative connotations of work putting the person as the subject and never the object of work. Work is a true manifestation of, first and foremost, our consciousness. The human person is not only conscious of his actions but even conscious of his conscious acting. Since the person is conscious of what he is doing, he is the efficient cause, that is, the active agent that brings about a series of effects. This conscious and efficacious acting brings about what Wojtyla would call self-determination, self-possession and self-governance. Lastly, work as one of the conscious and efficacious actions of a human person brings about self-fulfilment or in other words “felicity,” knowing that it is the same person who creates and contributes, in and through his work how and what it is to be human.

The social philosophy of Karol Wojtyla II. We. Community, society and communio personarum. The common Good

The social philosophy of Karol Wojtyla II. We. Community, society and communio personarum. The common Good

Troska kardynała Karola Wojtyły o godne uczczenie jubileuszu św. Stanisława (1972-1979)

“Polish Christian tradition linked two bishops and martyrs - witnesses, so to speak, of our Christening and Confirmation. From the point of view of the history of redemption - a spiritual process progressing through the history of a nation - it is still verytelling. And it does not cease to be telling, just like in the life of each of us the dates of Christening and Confirmation do not cease to be telling, though we drift further and further apart from them with the passing away of the days of our life. We constantly realise that the dates of Christening and Confirmation were decisive for the coming of Christ into our life. That is why we come back to them. This is the reason why we will soon have to come back to the date 1079, remembering not only the day of the martyr’s death, but the whole seven years of the pastoral work of bishop Stanislaus (1072-1079) in Cracow. (...) If the meaning of St. Stanislaus in the history of redemption on our soil may be understood by analogy with developing of faith which takes place in man as well as in a given community or society, then the most adequate way of referring to the great personage after nine centuries would be working on such enrichment and deepening of faith as is required by our times.” In this way in 1970 Cracow Metropolitan, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, justified the necessity of solemn celebrations in honour of St. Stanislaus and showed their ecclesiastical and pastoral character. In the history of the Cracow diocese there has never been a celebration more carefully prepared than the one in worship of St. Stanislaus. No other celebration has been so deeply set in the theological, historical and pastoral context. It is not easy to find other events whose general outline would be so meticulously thought over. Preparations started two years prior to the main ceremonies, thus allowing many initiatives which enabled not only experiencing the jubilee year in a proper way, but most of all, a spiritual revitalisation of the faithful. Reading the addresses and sermons of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła we come across many trains of thoughts of St. Stanislaus. The patron saint was always present in the addresses of the Metropolitan. For the future generations it is important that owing to the initiatives of the Cardinal the cult of St. Stanislaus was revitalised.

Membangun Budaya Dialog, Menjadi Semakin Manusiawi Belajar dari Perspektif Personalisme Karol Wojtyla

Diversity is convinced as one of the essential elements of the community, especially in Indonesia. The Indonesian had chosen Bhinneka Tunggal Ika as a slogan to build their unity for realizing their common good. Nevertheless, it is not easy to make a harmony in a multidiversity of Indonesia. The threat of segregation is increasingly strengthening along with the advances of information and communication technology which have a strong influence of capitalistic culture which tends to be pragmatic and individualistic. The rise in political contestation ahead of PEMILU 2024 also shows the strengthening of differentiation and separation of political identities and choices in Indonesian society from the grassroots to the government elites. Politics as a means for human beings to achieve a bonum commune which covers all aspects of human life in living together, is increasingly interpreted narrowly as a mere technique for seizing power. Living together, in society, as a nation and as a state is very likely to be further away from the ideals of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, gotong royong, tepa selira, and other noble values that characterize our Indonesianness. Starting from this major threat Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, various efforts must be optimized to build new cultures of living together. It is very possible that these new cultures are a confirmation or strengthening of the Indonesian noble values which are believed to be deeply rooted in our national identity. One of the cultures that needs to be built is dialogue. In this paper, dialogue is generally understood as the interpersonal en-counters from different backgrounds who together want to be involved in some concrete efforts to achieve the common good. Karol Wojtyla's personalist perspective is used to un-derstand dialogue from its personalistic roots and how can probably be actualized to build a culture of dialogue in the context of Indonesia's diversity. In particular, it is a proof that Wojtyla's thoughts on dialogue were concretely real-ized throughout his pontificate as Pope John Paul II.

Karol Wojtyla’s Efforts and Contemporary Attitudes towards Parenthood. Success or Failure

Not only during the period of his Pontificate, but also during previous years, the activity of Karol Wojtyła is worth recalling, appreciating and internalizing, and his preached and written teaching on responsible parenthood should be put into practice. The teaching about man, love, marriage, and parenthood is still relevant today. However, there are both those who support them as well as those who oppose them, particularly, opponents who avoid moral principles, especially in the field of the transmission of life. Therefore, a question arises about the effects of Cardinal Wojtyła’s efforts to protect the dignity of a child and a woman – mother, as well as morality in the area of procreation. The victory of the truth, visible in the encyclical Humanae vitae promulgated by Paul VI, is a success, while the spread of demoralization experienced to this day by groups promoting abortion and contraception and especially the poor moral condition of future spouses and parents, creates new challenges.

I through thou, and we through I: Dietrich von Hildebrand and Karol Wojtyla on the personal foundation of community

AbstractThis article is an attempt to scrutinize the phenomenological social ontology of Dietrich von Hildebrand and Karol Wojtyla by drawing on the particular role and nature of interpersonal relatedness and second‐person engagement in the constitution of first‐person‐plural perspective. Both Hildebrand and Wojtyla endorse the unique value of the person and personality as the foundational principle for different dimensions of community, including the face‐to‐face “I‐thou” way of being together and more complex, even anonymous, we communities. Both philosophers deny the constitutive primacy of first‐person plural over first‐person singular, the only exception being the mystical body of Christ when “I” is conditioned and formed by “we.” Moreover, what they have in common is the critical reappraisal of one stream in the phenomenological movement, first and foremost associated with Max Scheler's conception of the possibility of a “collective person.” Drawing on Hildebrand's and Wojtyla's accounts, the article endorses the view regarding the relational character of “I,” “thou,” and “we,” claiming that “we” hinges on an experiential dimension of “I.”

Oswajanie mierci w wybranych wierszach wspczesnych poetw

The author attempts to answer the question whether it is possible to think about death without fear. On the basis of poems by Wisawa Szymborska, Elbieta Skorupska-Raczyska and Karol Wojtyla, she concludes that the death of the closest people is accompanied by grief and longing and it can be consoled by faith in God. In overcoming the fear of ones own death a few things can be helpful, namely thinking about the inevitability of death, believing in life after death and leading a good life. Yet, mass death and the death of children cannot be tamed.

Почитта на папа Йоан Павел II към делото на Светите братя Кирил и Методий. Каузите, защитавани от Светия отец през понтификата му

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to reveal the respect that Pope John Paul II repeatedly paid to the work of the Holy Brothers Equal to the Apostles – Cyril and Methodius, during his long pontificate. It presents the most important information about the life of Karol Wojtyla before his election as pope in 1978 – birth, childhood, education and his life path as a Catholic priest. The most important issues touched upon in the article are the proclamation of the Thessalonica Brothers as patrons of Europe in 1980, the encyclical dedicated to them issued five years later, the annual meetings of the Pope John Paul II with the Bulgarian delegations on the occasion of 24th May – the day of the sainted brothers Cyril and Methodius and the day of the Bulgarian alphabet, enlightenment and education, and Slavic writing. An important point representing the attitude of the Holy Father towards Bulgaria is the visit to our country organized between May 23rd and 26th, 2002. Thus, the Pope showed his respect for the work of Cyril and Methodius precisely on the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. It marks the dialogue that John Paul led and the Eastern Orthodox Church during his 27-year pontificate.

Maryja w życiu Kościoła w przepowiadaniu biskupa Karola Wojtyły w 1963 roku

The article “Mary in the life of the Church in bishop Karol Wojtyła’s discourses said in 1963” concerns a special time when the Polish catholic Church was preparing to celebrate the Millennium of Christianity in 1966 and the Second Vatican Council had been held in Rome from 1962 to 1965. Bishop Wojtyla organized the Marian Days in the Archdiocese of Cracow in 1963. It was an opportunity to make deeper and deeper the role of devotion to the Mother of Christ in the spiritual lives of people and in the Church. The originality of the article consists in analyzing pastoral writings, some of which have never been published.Bishop K. Wojtyla’s understanding of the title of Mary as Mother of the Church is rooted in the theology of Redemption and in the theology of divine grace. He underlined that Mary had cooperated closely with his Son in redeeming people, and she has continued to help as Mother of Divine Grace. Bishop Wojtyla was convinced that Mary was the Mother of the Church not only because of being an important role model for people but also because of conserving her specific role in the Redemption. Her role regarding the Church consists in procuring the fruits of Redemption of her Son for all humanity. This is the rison why bishop Wojtyla, during the second session of the Vatican Council, proposed the Marian chapter as the second one of the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church Lumen Gentium. The article is a new contribution to the Mariology of Karol Wojtyla – John Paul II.The traditional devotion to Mary was an important source for the bishop of Cracow. The article shows the pastoral care of bishop Wojtyla in his desire to make the traditional devotion theologically profound. Important to him as well were the anthropological and social aspects of Marian devotion.

What Constitutes the Happiness of the Human Person: Karol Wojtyla's Reinterpretation of the Aristotelian-Thomistic View

What Constitutes the Happiness of the Human Person: Karol Wojtyla's Reinterpretation of the Aristotelian-Thomistic View

How Can Martial Artists Draw Upon Pope John Paul II’s Lectures on Theology of the Body to Inform Their Practice?

Martial arts are usually relegated to the sphere of sport and often lost within the trappings of combat. In recent times, scholars have taken an interest in martial arts studies and explored how the psychosomatics of embodied practice reveals knowledge about culture and social phenomena. Commentators from within psychology, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy have spoken broadly about human connection through martial arts. However, little has been researched in theology that links spiritual teaching to the lived experience of martial arts practice. This article aims to illumine a theology that may inform the practice of martial arts. To that, I turn to Karol Wojtyla and his seminal work on Theology of the Body. I will present two key aspects; 1) that the Christian ethic may inspire fresh insights into an alternate practice of martial arts. 2) in the light of a body theology, martial arts may be viewed as a practice that supports human flourishing.

Personalist Resonances in Robert Grosseteste's Christology

AbstractRobert Grosseteste articulated an unusual view of Christ's death that resonates with Karol Wojtyla's personalist conception of love as self-gift. Grosseteste argued that the cause of Christ's death was not crucifixion but the active breathing forth of his spirit as he hung on the cross. Grosseteste said that in this act Christ took all the faithful into an Aristotelian friendship in which Christ is the “other self” of each one of the redeemed. As a result, the redeemed form a single mystical person with Christ. Grosseteste's account of Christ's death seems consonant with Wojtyla's personalism in three ways. First, it makes the moment of Christ's death into an active gift of self. Second, parallel to the way an ordinary self-donation depends on self-possession and results in self-discovery, Christ's self-donation depends on his power to lay down his life and results in the realization of the mystical personhood of Christ in the Church. Third, Grosseteste treats the love between the persons of the Trinity as involving the self-donation of the Son to the Father. This article contains three sections. The first two treat Grosseteste and his resonance with Wojtyla. The third draws conclusions for contemporary Christology and anthropology.

Putting participation into praxis: the struggle with Karol Wojtyla's Laborem Exercens

PurposeThis paper scrutinizes the relevance of Karol Wojtyla's Laborem Exercens.Design/methodology/approachIn doing so, the endeavor employs participatory method for workers to do the following: identify problems experienced or observed in unionism, determine what/who causes hindrance in achieving the union's aim, describe the future of unionism if the problems are not addressed and draw possible solutions.FindingsEven though the Catholic Church had issued encyclicals that deal with workers' rights and had maintained in its social teachings affirmative arguments for workers, these must be seen yet in the Philippines where unionists are vilified and red-tagged, needing the prophetic role of Church leaders affirming workers' rights. Human work is not only personal but also social, political and economic; it is a collective act.Originality/valueThough Wojtyla affirmed workers' rights, the workers can hardly feel the presence of the Church. AMA Sugbo – KMU (Alyansa sa mga Mamumuo sa Sugbo – Kilusang Mayo Uno/Workers' Alliance in Cebu – May 1 Movement), a Cebu-based labor group, needs the role of the Church in asserting rights to unionize and launch strikes, but, as Marx maintained, relies on the workers' dedication to arouse, organize and mobilize because many of the workers, as Althusser argued, view social institutions as state apparatuses; hence, there's a need to review the participation of the Church with Wojtyla's Laborem vis-à-vis neoliberal mode of production.

For the benefit of man – personalistic aspects of John Paul II’s thought

The Encyclical Redemptor hominis, which was the programme of John Paul II's pontificate, included in its guiding principle not only the conviction that man's destiny is bound to Christ, but also a reflection on the individual and social nature of the human person. In the Pope's teaching, knowledge about oneself and one's reality appears as a commitment to action, to taking responsibility in the spirit of the personalistic norm formulated by him, that is, the conviction that every human being is entitled to love because he is a person. This one simple sentence can be called the axis of Karol Wojtyla's action and conduct, which is realized through a triad of mutually derived attitudes. They are the principle of participation, dialogue and leadership. This article is devoted to the discussion of this triad and the order of dependencies between them.

Z aktora kapłan. Od „Króla-Ducha” do „słowiańskiego papieża”

This article is concerned with the fragmentary nature of Juliusz Słowacki’s poem “Król‑Duch”, its mystical‑Christian dimension and the impact it had on Karol Wojtyła. Openness to infinity and perpetuality of literature is made clear by referring to Friedrich Schlegel and his idea on the endlessness of romantic poetry, as well as to Roland Barthes, who draws attention to the text as a fabric creating a “wonderful image”. “Król‑Duch”, being a work that requires a patient and soulful reader, ready to travel through the labyrinth, is noticed by Karol Wojtyla, who recognizes the poem as a perfect Christian epic. Participation in the Rhapsodic Theater and the change that occurred in the thought of the later pope indicate a deep understanding of the truths hidden in the work. It also proves that a new way of reading – a long conversation with the text, can lead to repentance. The article attempts to prove that literary mysticism, the experience of the relationship of the “I” with God, as well as spiritual activity bring the work of the romantic poet closer to the poetry of Karol Wojtyła, while making John Paul II the next “King‑Spirit”, the Spirit that orients the nation towards the highest levels of Divine Love.

Free to Seek and to Love the Creator: Fundamental Principle of Christian Education

The education of the person supposes the formation of his freedom. Maritain says that ‘man is born free but is called to conquer his freedom’. To educate is to help the person to be more perfectly free. However, in our times, freedom is often misunderstood and is reduced to simple choice. For this reason, in this article we will reflect, following the teachings of Karol Wojtyla, John Paul II and the Gaudium et Spes Constitution, on the most profound sense of freedom that should guide true educational action.

Karol Wojtyla’s Conception of Personhood from the Perspective of Cognitive Sciences

We use the term “person” when we want to point out that human existence is unrepeatable and unique. The assumption that man is a person constitutes a basis for the belief in the dignity, efficacy, and responsibility of the human individual. Karol Wojtyla built his conception of the person in the context of theological and philosophical discussions. Even though Wojtyła’s conception has been given a great deal of scholarly attention, it is worthwhile to juxtapose it with contemporary anthropological theories that derive from cognitive sciences. Cognitivists usually base their theories on biological and sociological premises. Some conclusions arrived at in the area of the cognitive sciences lead to mind-brain reductionism, a theory in which the human being is regarded as a body endowed with the function of the brain and as an entity whose individual traits are shaped by its social and cultural environment. This position undermines the ideas of free will and the substantial singularity of the human person. However, debates with this position have worked out a non-reductionist alternative, a theory known as emergentism. This theory treats the human mind as a distinct faculty, one which emerges as a phase in the brain’s development. Emergentists base their reasoning on the assumptions that the body is a unity and that the mind is not identical with it. It is my belief that emergentism can be fruitfully applied to the dynamic understanding of the person put forward by Wojtyła in the middle of the 20th century.