KASIMIERZ TWARDOWSKI’S ANALYSIS OF THINKING AND RATIONALISM

Abstract

In this article, the author considers Kazimierz Twardowski’s conception of thinking and his rationalism. The author argues that rationalism of Kazimierz Twardowski is atypical, because it is a combination of inductive and deductive methods of cognition and acquisition of knowledge. Beside this, his rationalism has constructive tendencies. Kazimierz Twardowski was an analytic philosopher, who payed big attention to the process of thinking and analyzed the forms of thinking, i.e. notions and judgments. Polish philosopher and the founder of Lviv-Warsaw School was convinced that a specialist in philosophy in order to do good philosophy must understand the specificity of thinking process, its forms and how to construct them. Therefore psychology of thinking is very important for philosopher, because it can help to understand the nature of thinking. Beside psychology of thinking, logic is also very important tool for doing philosophy. Logic is very helpful for philosopher, who takes care about the strictness and clearness of thinking, about formation of strict and clear judgments. Logical analysis of notions and judgments provides strong protection against linguistic mistakes which are connected with linguistic inaccuracy and obscurity.