From August 20-26th of 1999, Jagiellonian University hosted the 11th International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science. More than six hundred scholars from every continent participated in this great event. During the week five hundred participants contributed to talks and sixty guest lectures were presented. The scientific program of the Congress, which was realised in seventeen sections, was supplemented by five special symposia affiliated with the Congress and three plenary lectures. This is the first time such a great philosophical meeting has been held in Poland.

The main organiser of the Congress was the International Union of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, a branch of The International Union of History and Philosophy of Science. Such congresses have been taking place every four years since 1960 . They were started before World War II by one of the greatest logicians in history, Alfred Tarski, a professor at the University of Warsaw, and later at the University of California in Berkeley.

The Union delivered a scientific program of the Congress including a list of guest speakers. It realised the process of reviewing abstracts submitted for presentation. The Union also provided enough financial aid to cover some basic needs of the organisers.

In Cracow, the local organizing committee was led by Prof. Jan Wolenski, chair of the Epistemology Department at The Institute of Philosophy at Jagiellonian University. The committee consisted of employees and doctoral students of the Institute. Its duties included fundraising, preparing the Congress site, compiling a detailed timetable of the events, and organising the social program. Over two years of intense work, thousands of e-mails were exchanged in dealing with a number of problems. A large number of brochures, leaflets and other printed materials were sent to institutions all over the world. In January of 1999, when the deadline for submission of abstracts was approaching, the local committee was receiving 50-70 letters per day plus some faxes. All of the abstracts were sent to participants in different countries to decide which papers should be accepted for presentation. All of them were printed in a “Volume of Abstracts” which became not only a guide to the Congress but also an interesting directory of topics being dealt with in the subjects concerned. For the Congress site, historical colleges within the Old Town of Cracow were selected in order to mark the approaching jubilee of the Jagiellonian University.

The program of the Congress covered a wide range of disciplines concerning formal mathematical logic and its applications in philosophy and science. There were also sections trying to show science in broader perspective in dealing with sociological or ethical issues. One of the major sections was given to discussing the history of logic, methodology and philosophy of science.

The Congress gave the occasion to bear witness to progress and new developments. We could observe the growing interest in computer science and its influence on discussions of the capabilities of artificial intelligence and other issues of cognitive sciences. Among the most popular sections were those dedicated to "Philosophy of Physics", "General Methodology of Sciences", as well as “Logic, Language and Cognition”.

Lectures generally began at 8.45am and continued until 6pm. At times, as many as ten lectures were held simultaneously. Most popular were those given by recognised authorities in dealing with fundamental problems of modern analytical philosophy. The three plenary lectures included: The Development of Science – Order or Arbitrariness? by Andrzej K. Wróblewski, The Future of Science by Stanislaw Lem, and Concept of Information in Biology by John Maynard Smith.

It is impossible to list here all the masters of contemporary philosophy who participated in the Congress. Among those whose names may be familiar to even a non-specialist are Patricia and Paul Churchland, who are working in neuroscience and its consequences for cognitive studies; Jaakko Hintikka, doctor honoris causa of Jagiellonian University, master of formal philosophy; Ian Hacking, philosopher and historian of science, whose attitudes are close to post-modernism. The presence of Henryk Hiz who works on philosophy of language was significant for Polish participants. Professor Hiz began his philosophical studies in Warsaw before World War II when Polish analytical philosophy was flourishing. The Congress aimed to show that these great Polish traditions of logic and philosophy have survived.

Along with the extremely rich scientific program, participants were also taking part in many excursions. They attended concerts of The Music in the Old Cracow festival and enjoyed the cafes and pubs of the city. The social program of the Congress included a reception by the lord mayor of Cracow, a concert of traditional Polish music brilliantly performed by the Camerata Cracovia ensemble. The farewell banquet took place in the unique surroundings of the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Organizing the Congress in Poland was a great chance to present the condition of our philosophy. The local committee felt obliged to help overcome the financial problems of participants from Poland and Eastern Europe. With the help of State Committee for Scientific Research and the Kasa im. Józefa Mianowskiego, it was possible to waive registration fees for seventy participants and over forty guests received free accommodations for the Congress.

All main Polish philosophical centres were represented at the Congress. Faculties and students of Jagiellonian University presented over twenty talks. For most students, these were their first public presentations. It was encouraging for both the students and tutors that their talks were appreciated by more experienced philosophers.

We are happy that the Congress was great success. It proves that Poland is a good place for important, prestigious conferences in theoretical disciplines far from industrial applications.

Gabriel Kurczewski
doctoral student at Epistemology Department,
Institute of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University
Local Executive Board of LMPS’99