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Stanisław Leśniewski: Original and Uncompromising Logical Genius

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The Lvov-Warsaw School. Past and Present

Part of the book series: Studies in Universal Logic ((SUL))

Abstract

Stanisław Leśniewski was one of the two originators and drivers of the Warsaw School of logic. This article describes his work chronologically, from his early philosophical work in Lvov to his highly original logical systems of protothetic, ontology and mereology. His struggles to overcome logical antinomies, his absolute commitment to logical clarity and precision, and his antipathy towards set theory made his nominalistic approach to logic among the most original of the twentieth century, while his early death and the loss of his papers meant his work was only gradually discovered and appreciated outside Poland.

Leśniewski was notable for the degree of prolixity which he was willing to admit in the interest of complete rigor and precision. W.V. Quine, The Journal of Symbolic Logic 5, (1940), p. 83

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Stanisław Leśniewski’s Works Mentioned in the Paper

  1. Przyczynek do analizy zdań egzystencjalnych. Przegl ąd Filozoficzny 14, 329–345 (1911) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 15–31. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: A contribution to the analysis of existential propositions. In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 1–19. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  2. Próba dowodu ontologicznej zasady sprzeczności. Przegl ąd Filozoficzny 15, 202–226 (1912) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 32–56. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: An attempt at a proof of the ontological principle of contradiction. In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 20–46. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  3. Czy prawda jest wieczna, czy też wieczna i odwieczna? Nowe Tory 18, 493–528 (1913) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 147–182. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: Is all truth only true eternally, or is it also true without a beginning? In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 86–114. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  4. Krytyka logicznej zasady wył ączonego środka. Przegl ąd Filozoficzny 16, 315–352 (1913) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 183–222. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: The critique of the logical principle of the excluded middle. In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 47–85. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  5. Czy klasa klas nie podporz ądkowanych sobie jest podporz ądkowana sobie? Przegl ąd Filozoficzny 17, 63–75 (1914) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 223–235. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: Is the classes of classes not subordinated to themselves, subordinated to itself? In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 115–128. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  6. Podstawy ogólnej teorii mnogości I. Prace Polskiego Koła Naukowego w Moskwie. Sekcya matematyczno-przyrodnicza, No.2. Popławski, Moscow (1916). No further parts appeared (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 256–294. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: Foundations of the general theory of sets. I. In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 129–173. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  7. O podstawach matematyki, I–V. Przegl ąd Filozoficzny 30, 164–206 (1927); 31, 261–291 (1928); 32, 60–101 (1929); 33, 77–105 (1930); 34, 142–170 (1931) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 295–468. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: On the foundations of mathematics. In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 174–382. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey]; French translation: [Sur les fondements de la mathématique. Hermès, Paris (1989)]

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  8. Grundzüge eines neuen System der Grundlagen der Mathematik. Fundamenta Mathematicae 14, 1–81 (1929) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 489–569. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: Fundamentals of a new system of the foundations of mathematics. In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 410–488. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  9. Über Funktionen, deren Felder Gruppen mit Rücksicht auf diese Funktionen sind. Fundamenta Mathematicae 13, 319–332 (1929) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 475–488. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: On functions whose fields, with respect to these functions are groups. In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 383–398. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  10. Über Funktionen, deren Felder Abelsche Gruppen in bezug auf diese Funktionen sind. Fundamenta Mathematicae 14, 242–251 (1929) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 714–723. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: On functions whose fields, with respect to these functions are abelian groups. In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 399–409. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  11. Über die Grundlagen der Ontologie. Sprawozdania z posiedzeń Towarzystwa Naukowego Warszawskiego, Wydział III [Comtes rendus des séances de la Société des Sciences et des Lettres de Varsovie, Classe III ] 22, 111–132 (1930) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 724–745. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: On the foundations of ontology. In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 606–628. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  12. Über Definitionen in der sogenannten Theorie der Deduktion. Sprawozdania z posiedzeń Towarzystwa Naukowego Warszawskiego 23, 289–309 (1930) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 746–766. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: On definitions in the so-called theory of deduction. In: McCall, S. (ed.) Polish Logic, 1920–1939, pp. 170–187. Clarendon, Oxford (1967). Cf. [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 629–648. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  13. Einleitende Bemerkungen zur Fortsetzung meiner Mitteilung u. d. T. ‘Grundzüge eines neuen System der Grundlagen der Mathematik’ [Introductory remarks to the continuation of my article ‘Grundzüge eines neuen Systems der Grundlagen der Mathematik’]. Collectanea Logica 1, 1–60 (1938) (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 570–629. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: Introductory remarks to the continuation of my article ‘Grundzüge eines neuen Systems der Grundlagen der Mathematik’. In: McCall, S. (ed.) Polish Logic, 1920–1939, pp. 116–169. Clarendon, Oxford (1967). Cf. [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 649–710. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  14. Grundzüge eines neuen System der Grundlagen der Mathematik (Fortsetzung). Collectanea Logica 1, 61–144 (Cf. [Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols, pp. 630–713. Semper, Warsaw (2015)]; English translation: Fundamentals of a new system of the foundations of mathematics. In: [Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols, pp. 489–605. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey])

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  15. Srzednicki, J.T.J., Stachniak, Z. (eds.): S. Lesniewski’s Lecture Notes in Logic. Kluwer, Dordrecht (1988)

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  16. Surma, S.J., Srzednicki, J.T.J., Barnett, J.D., Rickey, V.F. (eds.): Collected Works, 2 vols. Kluwer/Polish Scientific Publishers, Dordrecht/Warsaw (1992), with an annotated bibliography to 1978 by V.F. Rickey

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  17. Sur les fondements de la mathématique. Hermès, Paris (1989). Translation of [O podstawach matematyki, I–V. Przegl ąd Filozoficzny 30, 164–206 (1927); 31, 261–291 (1928); 32, 60–101 (1929); 33, 77–105 (1930); 34, 142–170 (1931)] by G. Kalinowski

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  18. Jadacki, J.J. (ed.): Pisma Zebrane. [Collected Writings], 2 vols. Semper, Warsaw (2015)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Peter Simons

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  1. Peter Simons
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Correspondence to Peter Simons .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fundamental Mathematics, UNED, Madrid, Spain

    Ángel Garrido

  2. Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

    Urszula Wybraniec-Skardowska

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Simons, P. (2018). Stanisław Leśniewski: Original and Uncompromising Logical Genius. In: Garrido, Á., Wybraniec-Skardowska, U. (eds) The Lvov-Warsaw School. Past and Present. Studies in Universal Logic. Birkhäuser, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65430-0_15

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