Stefan Błachowski
Encyclopedia
Stefan Błachowski was a Polish
psychologist
and professor at Poznań University.
no. V in Lwów (Lviv) and in 1907 began studying philosophy
, psychology and philology
at Lwów University. In 1909 he transferred briefly to Vienna University, then to Göttingen University (1909–13: psychology, physics, biology). In 1913 he studied biology again at Vienna and successfully defended his doctoral thesis at Göttingen.
In 1914-1919 Błachowski worked at Lwów University, where he was an assistant lecturer (starszy asystent) and from 1917 an assistant professor (docent) of philosophy, and from 1918 librarian of the university library. He spent several years (1914–16) of his employment at Lwów University at World War I
fronts, and in 1918-19 he participated as a volunteer in the defense of Lwów.
In 1919 he transferred to Poznań University, where he was an associate professor (profesor nadzwyczajny), then a professor
(profesor zwyczajny, 1921), director of the Chair of Psychology (1919–60), dean of Humanities (1934–37), pro-rector (1938–39 and 1945–46) and rector (1946–48). In 1945-47 he was a member of the National Council (Rada Narodowa) at the Ministry of Education (Ministerstwo Oświaty). During World War II
he conducted underground teaching in Warsaw
.
He did research in psychophysiology
, the psychology of religion
, and the psychology of memory
. He was the first in Poland to conduct experimental studies of religious psychoses. He was likewise a pioneer in Polish studies of memory and mathematical abilities. He studied the role of imagination
, memory, erudition
, the subconscious
and idea
s in scientific creativity
. He initiated Polish research in sports psychology.
In the 1930s Błachowski helped establish a psychology institute at Wilno University. After World War II
, as pro-rector and rector of Poznań University, he rebuilt the university's psychology institute, library and professors' houses, which had been burned by the Germans.
Błachowski maintained contacts with many world authorities in psychology, including Jean Piaget
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
and professor at Poznań University.
Life
Błachowski was the son of a military physician, Konstanty Błachowski, and Maria Niklas. He graduated from GymnasiumGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
no. V in Lwów (Lviv) and in 1907 began studying philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, psychology and philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
at Lwów University. In 1909 he transferred briefly to Vienna University, then to Göttingen University (1909–13: psychology, physics, biology). In 1913 he studied biology again at Vienna and successfully defended his doctoral thesis at Göttingen.
In 1914-1919 Błachowski worked at Lwów University, where he was an assistant lecturer (starszy asystent) and from 1917 an assistant professor (docent) of philosophy, and from 1918 librarian of the university library. He spent several years (1914–16) of his employment at Lwów University at World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
fronts, and in 1918-19 he participated as a volunteer in the defense of Lwów.
In 1919 he transferred to Poznań University, where he was an associate professor (profesor nadzwyczajny), then a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
(profesor zwyczajny, 1921), director of the Chair of Psychology (1919–60), dean of Humanities (1934–37), pro-rector (1938–39 and 1945–46) and rector (1946–48). In 1945-47 he was a member of the National Council (Rada Narodowa) at the Ministry of Education (Ministerstwo Oświaty). During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he conducted underground teaching in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
He did research in psychophysiology
Psychophysiology
Psychophysiology is the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes. While psychophysiology was a general broad field of research in the 1960s and 1970s, it has now become quite specialized, and has branched into subspecializations...
, the psychology of religion
Psychology of religion
Psychology of religion consists of the application of psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to religious traditions, as well as to both religious and irreligious individuals. The science attempts to accurately describe the details, origins, and uses of religious beliefs and behaviours...
, and the psychology of memory
Memory
In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
. He was the first in Poland to conduct experimental studies of religious psychoses. He was likewise a pioneer in Polish studies of memory and mathematical abilities. He studied the role of imagination
Imagination
Imagination, also called the faculty of imagining, is the ability of forming mental images, sensations and concepts, in a moment when they are not perceived through sight, hearing or other senses...
, memory, erudition
Erudition
The word erudition came into Middle English from Latin. A scholar is erudite when instruction and reading followed by digestion and contemplation have effaced all rudeness , that is to say smoothed away all raw, untrained incivility...
, the subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
and idea
Idea
In the most narrow sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images...
s in scientific creativity
Creativity
Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...
. He initiated Polish research in sports psychology.
In the 1930s Błachowski helped establish a psychology institute at Wilno University. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as pro-rector and rector of Poznań University, he rebuilt the university's psychology institute, library and professors' houses, which had been burned by the Germans.
Błachowski maintained contacts with many world authorities in psychology, including Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget was a French-speaking Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. His theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called "genetic epistemology"....
.
Works
Błachowski published over a hundred scientific studies, including:- O wirtuozach liczb (1911)
- Czem jest i czem będzie psychologia (1912)
- Kilka uwag o psychologii typów matematycznych (1912)
- Pamięć a świadomość (1913)
- Zjawiska kontrastu optycznego u anormalnych trichromatów (1913)
- O pamięci, jej istocie i kształceniu (1916)
- Nastawienia i spostrzeżenia. Studium psychologiczne (1917)
- O stanie i potrzebach organizacyjnych psychologii w Polsce (1918)
- Problem myślenia bez słów (1918)
- Chronometryczne badania nad przebiegiem startu (1924)
- O szkole dla uzdolnionych (1924)
- Struktura typów wyobrażeniowych (1925)
- W sprawie analizy wybitnych zdolności rachunkowych (1925)
- Kłamstwo (1932)
- Wyniki psychologii pedagogicznej (1934)
- O sztucznych ekstazach i widzeniach (1938)
Memberships
- Correspondent (1946), member (1948), Polish Academy of LearningPolish Academy of LearningThe Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences or Polish Academy of Learning , headquartered in Kraków, is one of two institutions in contemporary Poland having the nature of an academy of sciences....
. - Poznań Society of Friends of Learning (1920).
- Co-founder, Polish Anthropological Society (1925).
- Co-founder, Poznań Psychological Society (1930).
- President, Polish Psychological Association (1948 till his death).
- Vice president, Polish Society for Psychological Hygiene (1959–61).
- Honorary member, Polish Psychiatric Association and Czech Psychotechnic Association.
- Participant, International Psychological Congresses in Berlin, Copenhagen, Moscow, Paris, Prague, Barcelona and Vienna.
- Officer's and Commander's Crosses of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
See also
- History of philosophy in Poland
- List of Poles—Social sciences
- List of Poles—Philosophy