Stefan Pawlicki o filozoficznych aspektach antropogenezy

The article analyzes very interesting but forgotten work of Stefan Pawlicki, Przemiany człowieka („Metamorphoses of Man”; 1866). First of all, it focuses on Pawlicki’s understanding of history of the human race and evolutionary process leading up to the appearance of civilization and its manifestations, e. g. education and religion. Pawlicki supported a notion of anthropogenesis i.e. description of human history through the theory of evolution and anthropology. This way of thought forced to consider a man as a being which constantly develops and improves himself, not only physically but also spiritually. According Pawlicki, human being is dominated by two elements, spiritual and physical, which form a full human existence and affect the formation of a strong civilization.