Stanisław Krajewski, born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1950, obtained PhD in mathematics in the Institute of Mathematics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, later Habilitation degree in philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology of the University of Warsaw, and then the state-conferred title of professor of humanities. He has become ordinary professor at the University of Warsaw. He was chairing the Academic Council of the Institute of Philosophy of the University of Warsaw in 2012-2020.
Krajewski has been working in several disciplines: mathematical logic, the foundations of mathematics, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of dialogue, philosophy of religion, Jewish experiences, interfaith dialogue, history of logic, history of Polish Jews. He has published papers and books also on the borderline of philosophy and other domains. He also co-authored the post-World War II section of the core exhibition in POLIN, the Museum of the History of Jews in Poland, opened in 2014.
Over 30 years ago he co-founded the Polish Council of Christians and Jews, and has been its co-chairman since then. He was also a member of the International Council of the Museum of Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau. For several years he served on the board of the Union of Jewish Communities in Poland.
Krajewski organized international conferences in which top experts participated, for example, “Abraham Joshua Heschel. Philosophy and Inter-religious Dialogue: Between Poland and America” (Warsaw, 2007), “Theology in Mathematics?” (Cracow, 2014), and he chaired the academic committee of the congress “Logic and Religion” (University of Warsaw, 2017). He participated in philosophical-theological projects like “Contemporary Jewish Theology of World Religions” (led by Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein from Jerusalem) and “Learned Ignorance Trialogue” (led by Father James L. Heft from California).
Indication of main scientific achievements
In 1970s, Stanislaw Krajewski introduced “satisfaction classes” (coding truth in non-standard models of first order number theories) as an object of study in its own right. (Before that they had been occasionally used only as an instrument in proofs.) Several of his studies are devoted to philosophical consequences of Gödel’s theorems. In particular, he analyzed the anti-mechanist arguments of Lucas and Penrose, arguing – as do other logicians – that neither Gödel’s theorem alone nor other similar results are sufficient for the proof that human mathematical power is greater than that of any machine or program. He also indicated Gödel’s work as a source of the phenomenon of “emergence” in mathematics.
He introduced a new term, „suprasubjective existence,” in relation to mathematical concepts. It is more than intersubjective existence but less than objective existence, since no assumption is made of any presence of objects independent of the subject.
He studied relatedness logic, introduced by R.L. Epstein. He has also dealt with the history of logic on Poland, being the biographer of two logicians who were his teachers, the mathematician Andrzej Mostowski and the philosopher Andrzej Grzegorczyk.
Krajewski has explored the relationships of mathematics and theology. He introduced as a research topic the presence of theological motives in mathematics. While using mathematical models in theology is risky they can serve as illustrations; he proposed a novel model based on projective geometry.
Krajewski has also studied interfaith dialogue as a religious phenomenon. He has proposed the concept of “deep dialogue” as dialogue without any expectations with regard to the religiosity of the dialogue partner; in other words, it is an intentionally intentionless relation. He also analyzed the relationship of interreligious dialogue with the thought of philosophers of dialogue – Martin Buber, Franz Rosenzweig, Emmanuel Levinas, and also Abraham Joshua Heschel. He also showed that Heschel is the precursor of the Jewish pro-Christian declaration “Dabru emet” of 2000 (which Krajewski signed and popularized in Poland). Two volumes honoring him, with papers in English, have appeared: the issue of Edukacja Filozoficzna 68/2019 (http://www.edukacja-filozoficzna.uw.edu.pl/en/nr-682019/) and Philosophical Approaches to the Foundations of Logic and Mathematics. In Honor of Stanisław Krajewski, ed. by Marcin Trepczyński, Brill, Rodopi, Leiden, Boston 2021.
Publications
A. logic and philosophy of mathematics,
B. philosophy of dialogue, religion, Jewish experiences
(NB. Some papers are available at https://uw.academia.edu/StanislawKrajewski/Papers)
A. Books
1. Twierdzenie Gödla i jego interpretacje filozoficzne – od mechanicyzmu do postmodernizmu, IFiS PAN, Warszawa 2003.
2. Czy matematyka jest nauką humanistyczną? Copernicus Center Press, Kraków 2011.
3. (with Michał Heller) Czy matematyka i fizyka to nauki humanistyczne?, Copernicus Center Press, Kraków 2014.
A. (Co-)edited books
4. Topics in Logic, Philosophy and Foundations of Mathematics and Computer Science. In Recognition of Professor Andrzej Grzegorczyk, ed. by S. Krajewski, W. Marek, G. Mirkowska, A. Salwicki, J. Woleński, IOS Press, Amsterdam; ten tom pokrywa się z Fundamenta Informaticae vol. 81, 1-3 (2007).
5. Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric 27 (40), 2012, Papers on Logic and Rationality: Festschrift in Honour of Andrzej Grzegorczyk (ed. by K. Trzęsicki, S. Krajewski, J. Woleński).
6. (with K. Trzęsicki) Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric 44 (57), 2016, “Theology in Mathematics?” http://logika.uwb.edu.pl/studies/index.php?page=search&vol=57
7. (with R. Silvestre) Logic and the Concept of God, Journal of Applied Logics — IfCoLog Journal of Logics and their Applications, Special Issue “Concept of God”, Guest Editors: Stanisław Krajewski and Ricardo Silvestre, vol 6 (6)/2019, 999-1005.
8. (with M. Trepczyński) Theological Discourse and Logic, Logica Universalis, vol. 13 (4)/2019.
A. Selection of papers (in English)
9. Non-standard satisfaction classes, Set Theory and Hierarchy Theory II, a Memorial Tribute to Andrzej Mostowski, Springer Lecture Notes in Mathematics 537 (1976), 121-144.
10. (with H. Kotlarski, A.H. Lachlan) Construction of satisfaction classes over nonstandard models of arithmetic, Canadian Mathematical Bulletin 24 (1981), 283-293.
11. Gödel on Tarski, Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 127 (2004), 303-323.
12. (with R. L. Epstein) Relatedness Predicate Logic, Bulletin of Advanced Reasoning and Knowledge vol.2 (2004), 19-38.
13. Remarks on Church’s Thesis and Gödel’s Theorem, Church’s Thesis After 70 Years, Adam Olszewski, Jan Woleński, Robert Janusz (Eds.), Ontos Verlag, Frankfurt 2006, 269-280.
14. (with J. Woleński) Andrzej Grzegorczyk: Logic and Philosophy, Fundamenta Informaticae 81, 1-3 (2007), 1-10.
15. On Gödel’s Theorem and Mechanism: Inconsistency or Unsoundness is Unavoidable in Any Attempt to ‘Out-Gödel’ the Mechanist, Fundamenta Informaticae 81, 1-3 (2007), 173-181.
16. (with M. Srebrny) On the life and Work of Andrzej Mostowski (1913-1975), Andrzej Mostowski and Foundational Studies, A. Ehrenfeucht, V.W. Marek, M. Srebrny (Eds.), IOS Press, Amsterdam 2008, 3-14.
17. Emergence in Mathematics?, Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric 27 (40), 2012, 95-105. http://pbc.biaman.pl/Content/30169/Studies40-srodek.pdf#page=95
18. Is Church’s Thesis Unique?, Church’s Thesis. Logic, Mind and Nature (ed. by A. Olszewski, B. Brożek, P. Urbańczyk), Copernicus Center Press, Kraków 2014, 113-135.
19. Penrose’s metalogical argument is unsound, Road to Reality with Roger Penrose, ed. by J. Ladyman, S. Presnell, G. Mccabe, M. Eckstein, A.J. Szybka, Copernicus Center Press, Kraków 2015, 87-104.
20. Theological Metaphors in Mathematics, Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric 44 (57), 2016, “Theology in Mathematics?” (ed. by S. Krajewski and K. Trzęsicki), 13-30.
21. All Quantifiers Versus the Quantifier All, w: Ángel Garrido, Urszula Wybraniec-Skardowska (eds), The Lvov-Warsaw School. Past and Present, Studies in Universal Logic. Birkhäuser, Cham, 2018, 693-702.
22. Andrzej Grzegorczyk, a logician par excellence, w: Ángel Garrido, Urszula Wybraniec-Skardowska (eds), The Lvov-Warsaw School. Past and Present, Studies in Universal Logic. Birkhäuser, Cham, 2018, 723-730.
23. On Suprasubjective Existence in Mathematics, Studia Semiotyczne XXXII, nr 2 (2018), 75–86. DOI: 10.26333/sts.xxxii2.05
24. Mathematical Models in Theology. A Buber-inspired Model of God and its Application to "Shema Israel", Journal of Applied Logics — IfCoLog Journal of Logics and their Applications, Special Issue “Concept of God”, Guest Editors: Stanisław Krajewski and Ricardo Silvestre, vol 6 (6)/2019, 1007-1020.
25. On the Anti-Mechanist Arguments Based on Gödel’s Theorem, Studia semiotyczne XXXIV, nr 1(2020), 9–56; DOI: 10.26333/sts.xxxiv1.02.
26. Anti-foundationalist Philosophy of Mathematics and Mathematical Proofs, Studia Humana 9:3/4 (2020), 154—164; DOI: 10.2478/sh-2020-0034 http://studiahumana.com/pliki/wydania/10443-Voulme9_Issue3-4-11_paper.pdf
B. Books
1. Żydzi, judaizm, Polska, Oficyna Wydawnicza Vocatio, Warszawa 1997.
2. 54 komentarze do Tory – dla nawet najmniej religijnych spośród nas, Austeria, Kraków 2004.
3. Poland and the Jews: Reflections of a Polish Polish Jew, Austeria, Kraków 2005.
4. Tajemnica Izraela a tajemnica Kościoła, Biblioteka Więzi, Warszawa 2007.
5. Nasza żydowskość, Austeria, Kraków 2010.
6. Żydzi i ..., Austeria, Kraków 2014.
7. Co zawdzięczam dialogowi międzyreligijnemu i chrześcijaństwu, 1-67, What I Owe to Interreligious Dialogue and Christianity, 71-127. Fundacja Judaica, Kraków 2017;
8. Was ich dem interreligiösen Dialog und dem Christentum verdanke, The Judaica Foundation, Kraków 2018, 5-77.
9. Żydzi w Polsce – i w Tatrach też, Austeria, Kraków 2019.
B. Co-edited books
10. (with A. Lipszyc) Abraham Joshua Heschel: Philosophy, Theology and Interreligious Dialogue, ed. by Stanisław Krajewski and Adam Lipszyc, Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2009; “Introduction”, pp. 1-5.
11. (with J. Dobieszewski, J. Mach) Epistemologia Doświadczenia Religijnego w XX- wiecznej filozofii rosyjskiej i żydowskiej, Universitas, Kraków 2018.
12. (with J. Dobieszewski, J. Mach) Poznanie i religia: epistemołogia religioznowo opyta w ruskoj i jewrejskoj fiłosofskoj mysli XX wieka (po ros.), UW WFiS, Warszawa 2018.
B. Selected papers (in English)
13. Auschwitz as a Challenge, The best of Midrash 1997, AJC 1998, 27-34, also in Dialogue and Universalism VIII, No 5-6/1998, 103-122; also: Auschwitz als Herausforderung, Transodra, Deutsch-Polnisches Informationsbulletin, 18, Oktober 1998, 60-77.
14. Jews, Communists, and the Jewish Communists, Jewish Studies at the Central European University, ed. by Andras Kovacs, co-editor Eszter Andor, CEU 2000, 119-133.
15. Towards the philosophy of inter-religious dialogue, The Religious Roots of Contemporary European Identity, ed. by Lucia Faltin and Melanie J. Wright, Continuum, London and New York, 2007, 179-191.
16. Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Declaration Dabru Emet, Shofar, An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies, 26, No. 1, 2007, 154-168.
17. Heschel and the challenge of inter-religious dialogue, Abraham Joshua Heschel: Philosophy, Theology and Interreligious Dialogue, ed. by Stanisław Krajewski and Adam Lipszyc, Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2009, 168-180.
18. A meditation on intellectual humility, or, on a Fusion of Epistemic Ignorance and Covenantal Certainty, in Learned Ignorance. An Investigation into Humility in Interreligious Dialogue among Christians, Muslims and Jews. Ed. by James Heft, Reuven Firestone and Omid Safi. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011, 241-256.
19. Can Another Religion Be Seen as the Other?, Alon Goshen-Gottstein and Eugene Korn (eds), Jewish Theology and World Religions, Oxford: The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2012, 137-147.
20. An Explanation of the Plural Form of God’s Name, Eidos 2(4), 2018, 115-121. DOI: 10.26319/4720
21. Assumptions behind the Postwar Gallery of the Core Exhibition at POLIN, w: A. Polonsky, H. Węgrzynek, A. Żbikowski (eds), New Directions in the History of the Jews in the Polish Lands, Boston: Academic Studies Press 2018, 40-59.
22. Franz Rosenzweig, the Jewish people, »and« Christianity in Dialogue, Rosenzweig Jahrbuch / Rosenzweig Yearbook 11, Das »Und« im Werk Franz Rosenzweigs / The »And« in Franz Rosenzweig’s Work, ed. by Matthew Handelman, Ephraim Meir, Christian Wiese, Verlag Karl Alber in der Verlag Herder GmbH, Freiburg / München 2018, 68-84.
23. Can a Robot Be Grateful? Beyond Logic, Towards Religion, Eidos. A Journal for Philosophy of Culture 4 (6)/2018, 4-13. DOI: 10.26319/6912 http://eidos.uw.edu.pl/files/pdf/eidos/2018-04/eidos_6_krajewski.pdf
24. History and Truth in Religion, w: Religious Truth. Towards a Jewish Theology of Religions, (ed. A. Goshen-Gottstein), London: The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization in association with Liverpool University Press 2020, 47-60.
25. Two Dimensions of Jewish Identity, w: Alon Goshen-Gottstein (ed.), Judaism’s Challenge: Election, Divine Love, and Human Enmity, Boston: Academic Studies Press 2020, 98-111.
26. Religion, in: Legacy of Polish Jews (ed. by B. Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, T. Sztyma), Muzeum POLIN, Warszawa 2021, 47-65.
