Inedita, vol. 4: Didactics

The volume contains didactic writings of Kazimierz Twardowski, either published here for the first time, or reissued after a long time. Lectures in didactics delivered at the University of Lvov in the academic year 1902/1903, writings on the didactic program of primary and secondary education, as well as lectures on the history of universities and various versions of the lecture “On the Dignity of University” belong to the first group. To the second group, first of all, the “didactic” part of Twardowski’s excellent textbook for primary school teachers, published originally in 1901, belongs. 

The papers published in the volume enable us to appreciate Twardowski’s contribution to pedagogics and didactics. He not only presented some profound analyses from the domain of the psychology of teaching and education but was also able to present the main didactic principles in a form of a coherent system. Moreover, he knew how to apply these principles to the existing educational system. One of main Twardowski’s principles states the superiority of “formal” teaching (namely, teaching how to learn and think independently) over “material” teaching (namely, presenting a lot of “ready” information). This principle is universal and actual also today but often ignored when preparing teaching programs. 

Moreover, Twardowski was a stead defender of independence and the guardian of the dignity of universities, being deeply convinced that scholars’ main task is seeking the scientific truth, and not conducting research dictated by prevailing fashion or political factors.   

For these reasons, Twardowski’s writings in didactics are of not only historical value but may also be interesting for contemporary pedagogy researchers and teachers at all levels of education.