Józef Tischner’s rebellious thoughts about God, the Church, and man. In memoriam

Abstract

The phenomenon of human thought is characterized by its transient nature, with thoughts emerging, persisting for a period, and ultimately being superseded by sub­sequent thoughts that are either more accurate or better aligned with prevailing needs. The reflections of eminent intellectuals often endure longer than those of the general populace, potentially due to their ability to transcend the confines of immediate gratifi­cation. In my opinion, an example of such an intellectual was the philosopher and theo­logian Józef Tischner. Much can be said about his thinking – except that it was humble towards the authorities of the Church of which he was a member and in which he was ordained a priest. This lack of humility earned him many opponents and relatively few sympathizers within the Church.