Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz

From Syntactic Connexion1935^† by Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz

...     a particularly elegant and simple way of grasping the concept of syntactic connexion is offered by the theory of semantic categories developed by Professor Stanislaw Leśniewski. We shall base our work here on the relevant results of Leśniewski,¹ adding on our part a symbolism, in principle applicable to almost all languages,   (etc).

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      ¹ Stanislaw Leśniewski, Grundzüge eines neuen Systems der Grundlage der Mathematik.   (Reprinted from Fundamenta Mathematicae 14 (Warsaw, 1929), pp. 13 ff., 67 ff.)   We borrow from Leśniewski only the basic idea of semantic categories and their type. Leśniewski cannot be held responsible for the wording of the definitions and explanations we offer, nor for the details of the content we assign to this term, since his definitions are not general, but apply only to his special symbolism, in a quite distinct, highly precise, and purely structural sense.

2. Both the concept and the term 'semantic category' (Bedeutungskategorie were first introduced by Husserl. In his Logische Untersuchungen¹ Husserl mentions that single words and complex expressions of a language can be divided into classes such that two words or expressions belonging to the same class can be substituted for one another . . . (etc).   On the other hand, two words or expressions belonging to different classes do not possess this property.   (Etc.)   Husserl terms these classes of words or expressions semantic categories.*

* This is not clear to me : Husserl had used the term 'Bedeutungskategorie' as per the above -- did he use 'Semantikkategorie' ? which would the the exact equivalent of the English term ?   (WPT)

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      ¹ Edmund Husserl, Logische Untersuchungen, vol. ii, part 1 (2nd rev. ed. Halle/S., 1918) (etc).

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Among all semantic categories tow kinds can be distinguished, basic categories and functor categories. (The term 'functor' derives from Kotarbinski [?]; that of 'basic category' is my own.)   (Etc.)   A functor is the same as a 'functional sign', or an 'unsaturated symbol' with 'brackets following it'. Functor categories are the semantic categories to which functors belong. I shall call a semantic category a basic category when it is not a functor category.

From the above definitions of a semantic category it follows at once that any two sentences belong to the same semantic category. [?] Sentences are, of course, not functors, consequently the semantic category of sentences is among the basic categories. Besides the sentence category there can also be other basic categories. Leśniewski has only one basic category besides the sentence category : the name category, to which belong singular as well as general names. If one compared the simp[lified theory of types with the theory of semantic categories, the sentence type and the proper-name type wold have to be counted among the basic categories. All other types wold belong to the functor categories. It seems that not all names form a single semantic category in ordinary language.   (Etc.)

^† This paper originally appeared under the title 'Die syntaktische Konnexität' in Studia Philosophica 1 (1936), pp. 1-27. Translated by H. Weber.

POLISH LOGIC 1920-1939,
Editor Storrs McCall, Oxford 1967, p. 207-209.

From Translators' Preface 1973 by Henryk Skolimowski and Anthony Quinton

Ajdukiewicz was singled out for specially intense polemical treatment at the hands of Adam Schaff, the member of the central committee of the ruling party with particular responsibility for ensuring the dominance of the orthodox faith in the intellectual and cultural field. In 1952 Schaff published a long essay in which Ajdukiewicz's philosophy was indicted for 'idealism' in virtue of its alleged ascription of an autonomous, and therefore spiritual, existence to language in its picking out of language as the primary object of philosophical investigation. Ajdukiewicz was allowed to publish a reply of comparable length the following year, that of Stalin's death. From 1955 onwards he was able to resume the publication of his philosophical opinions in a non-defensive way.

PROBLEMS AND THEORIES OF PHILOSOPHY by Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz 1948.
London   New York : Cambridge University Press 1973, p. xiii

Bibliographic ( Source http://melvyl.cdlib.org )

Ajdukiewicz, Kazimierz. Propedeutyka filozofii; dla lice�w og�lnokszta�c�cych. 1938

Ajdukiewicz, Kazimierz. Propedeutyka filozofii / 1950

Ajdukiewicz, Kazimierz. Zarys logiki; ksi��ka pomocnicza dla nauczyciela. 1953

Author Ajdukiewicz, Kazimierz. Title Abriss der Logik. [Aus dem polnischen �bers. von Marian Dobrosielski] Publisher Berlin, Aufbau-Verlag, 1958. Description 204 p. illus.

Ajdukiewicz, Kazimierz J�zyk i poznanie 1960

Conference International Colloquium on Methodology of Sciences (1961 : Warsaw, Poland) Title The foundation of statements and decisions; proceedings. Editor: Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz. Publisher Warszawa, PWN-Scientific Publishers [c1965] Description xi, 408 p. 24 cm. Note Contributions in English, French, German or Russian.

Ajdukiewicz, Kazimierz. Logika pragmatyczna. 1965

Author McCall, Storrs. Title Polish logic, 1920-1939 papers by Ajdukiewicz [and others]; Publisher Oxford, Clarendon P., 1967. Description [2] viii, 406 p. 23 cm. Language English

Author Bonomi, Andrea, 1940- Title La struttura logica del linguaggio / K. Ajdukiewicz ... [et al.]. A cura di Andrea Bonomi Publisher Milano : V. Bompiani, 1973 Description 537 p. ; 22 cm Series Idee nuove ; v. 57 Note Bibliography: p. [531]-537 Language Italian

Author Ajdukiewicz, Kazimierz Uniform Title [ Zagadnienia i kierunki filozofii. English] Title Problems and theories of philosophy. Translated by Henryk Skolimowski and Anthony Quinton Publisher [London, New York] Cambridge University Press [1973] Description xxiii, 170 p. 21 cm Note Translation of Zagadnienia i kierunki filozofii Note Bibliography: p. xix ISBN 0521202191 Language English

Author Ajdukiewicz, Kazimierz. Title Pragmatic logic / Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz ; translated from the Polish by Olgierd Wojtasiewicz. Publisher Dordrecht ; Boston : D. Reidel Pub. Co., c1974. Description xv, 460 p. ; 23 cm. Series Synthese library ;v. 62 Note Includes index. Translation of Logika pragmatyczna. ISBN 9027703264 Language English

Author Ajdukiewicz, Kazimierz. Title The Scientific world-perspective and other essays, 1931-1963 / Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz ; edited and with an introd. by Jerzy Giedymin. Publisher Dordrecht ; Boston : D. Reidel Pub. Co., c1978. Description liii, 378 p. ; 23 cm. Series Synthese library ; v. 108 Note Translation of essays selected from the author's J�zyk i poznanie, with two articles added. Includes indexes. Note "Bibliography of Ajdukiewicz's works": p. [363]-369. ISBN 9027705275 Language English

Title La Struttura logica del linguaggio / testi di K. Ajdukiewicz ... [et al.] ; a cura di Andrea Bonomi Publisher Milano : Bompiani, [1985], c1973 Description 537 p. ; 22 cm Series Studi Bompiani. Il campo semiotico Series Studi Bompiani.Campo semiotico Note Articles previously published in various languages "Traduzioni di: Andrea Bonomi ... [et al.]"--T.p. verso Originally published: 1973 (Idee nuove ; v. 57) "439182"--P. [4] of cover Note Includes bibliographical references (p. [531]-537) Language Italian