From its very beginnings, philosophy in our region has been closely linked to the Polish and the Lithuanian states and, especially, their confederations. This project focusses on the relationships between philosophy and politics in the variety of regions of Poland and its Eastern neighbours, including the different nation building processes. How did philosophers react to political problems, and how did they try to influence political life? To what extent did they maintain the Jagiellonian legacy in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine? Which elements of the political culture of the Jagiellonian period made their way into the the political and cultural narrations of our countries? Which philosophical arguments were used criticize the Jagiellonian heritage? Finally, we need a common understanding of the condition of philosophy, its methodical autarky and the relations between its traditional fields like ontology, epistemology, ethics and politics.

Cataloguing

The project gives access a great number of sources kept in the libraries of Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. We are continuosly extending a list of sources which are up to now less known but relevant for the history of the Jagiellonian period and its heritage.

Digitalising, translating, editing

Sources considered especially relevant are digitalised, transcribed, translated and finally edited on the internet and in three volumes of the Polonica Philosophica Orientalia series.

Comparing research perspectives

We confront and compare interpretations made by historians working in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. As a guideline we follow the rising list of Common Philosophers, i.e. thinkers, writers and scholars who were linked to the various regions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Finally, a Lexicon of Common Philosopher will gather about 100 entries concerning the most relevant figures.