{"id":3392,"date":"2020-05-28T16:37:11","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T14:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/?p=3392"},"modified":"2026-09-02T04:20:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T02:20:59","slug":"humanistyka-przeciwko-wirusom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/?p=3392","title":{"rendered":"The Humanities Against Viruses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\">At the invitation of His Magnificence the Rector of the University of \u0141\u00f3d\u017a, Professor Grzegorz Zi\u00f3\u0142kowski wrote an essay entitled <em>The Humanities Against Viruses<\/em> on the role of the humanities during the pandemic.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><em>The Humanities Against Viruses<\/em><\/summary>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I would like to express my sincere thanks to the University of \u0141\u00f3d\u017a for encouraging me to share a few words with you on the role of the humanities in the face of a pandemic. To begin with, I would like to emphasise that it is with admiration and gratitude that I observe the efforts of those who are currently carrying out their duties with such dedication, regardless of the danger they face, in difficult, often extreme conditions. I take my hat off to staff in the medical services, children\u2019s homes and social care, and to all those without whose efforts our daily lives would be much, much more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I suspect that many humanities scholars are reflecting today on the fact that, as academics, we find ourselves in a rather privileged position. Many of us are able to carry out a large part of our work remotely and, to a significant extent, limit our time away from the safety of our homes. This raises the question of our contribution to society in this time of crisis. Can we be of any use?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In seeking to answer this and, in doing so, to reflect for a moment on the meaning of practising the humanities in the circumstances in which we find ourselves today, it is worth returning to the essence of what we do. This may sound like an exaggeration, but I see the essence of the humanities in the ability to recognise and combat viruses, and the humanities themselves strike me as a peculiar form of virology\u2026 What sort of viruses am I referring to in this rhetorical figure? I suspect (is this heresy?) that they are no less dangerous than those which directly threaten our biological existence. This is because the consequences of the viruses I have in mind can be far-reaching and encompass a wide variety of fields, including \u2013 in my view \u2013 facilitating the spread of biological viruses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I shall mention here just a few of them, which I consider to be the most virulent. The humanities ought to work tirelessly, both during and beyond the pandemic, on developing \u2018vaccines\u2019 against the viruses of selfishness, ethnocentrism, xenophobia and intolerance, which \u2013 particularly under favourable political conditions \u2013 mutate all too easily into the viruses of racism, discrimination and blindness to the harm inflicted upon others. They also readily transform into viruses of historical amnesia \u2013 a failure to remember that the shape of the contemporary world, with its many global threats (of which the current pandemic is but one), is to a vast extent the legacy of colonialism and a consequence of commercialism, with their thirst for domination and greed. The world is out of balance; its harmony has been disrupted on many levels, manifesting itself both in the destabilisation, impoverishment and even complete destruction of many ecosystems, and in social injustices. I see solidarity, empathy and sensitivity to suffering as counterbalances to the forces of disintegration and to cultural, national or individual selfishness. These virtues require daily \u2013 literally: daily \u2013 and long-term nurturing so that they may fully reveal their power and help to cultivate and deepen a culture of interconnection, which is as desirable as it is inevitable. This applies at all levels, from the bond between two people to humanity\u2019s relationship with animals, the earth, water, air and the entire natural environment. During this period of enforced isolation, when many of us remain confined within the four walls of our flats or houses, it is all too easy to focus on our individual hardships and forget the fundamental importance of connecting with others and offering them support. Fortunately, examples of selfless acts of kindness counterbalance these tendencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is also worth remembering that where there is a threat, there is also a chance. Times of crisis disrupt our routines and sharpen our perception, allowing us to realise more keenly just how fragile human existence is and, consequently, how great the importance of the ethics of care and reliability \u2013 that is, the inclination to help and be caring \u2013 truly is. Times of crisis also remind us of the importance of mutual respect and cooperation in solving problems. This is why active listening, dialogue and emotional intelligence, as well as creative and critical thinking, are so valuable. Developing these skills is, of course, not a task reserved solely for humanities scholars \u2013 yet I believe that in this field, too, we can play a part in restoring balance and thereby demonstrate our value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I wish you all good health and peace of mind. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grzegorz Zi\u00f3\u0142kowski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Published on 27 May 2020 on the University of \u0141\u00f3d\u017a website.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\">Na zaproszenie JM Rektora Uniwersytetu \u0141\u00f3dzkiego prof. Grzegorz Zi\u00f3\u0142kowski napisa\u0142 tekst pt. <em>Humanistyka przeciwko wirusom<\/em> na temat roli humanistyki w czasie pandemii.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><em>Humanistyka przeciwko wirusom<\/em><\/summary>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bardzo dzi\u0119kuj\u0119 Uniwersytetowi \u0141\u00f3dzkiemu za impuls do tego, aby podzieli\u0107 si\u0119 z Pa\u0144stwem kilkoma s\u0142owami na temat roli humanistyki w obliczu pandemii. Na wst\u0119pie chcia\u0142bym podkre\u015bli\u0107, \u017ce z podziwem i wdzi\u0119czno\u015bci\u0105 obserwuj\u0119 dzia\u0142ania tych, kt\u00f3rzy z po\u015bwi\u0119ceniem wykonuj\u0105 obecnie swoje zawody, nie bacz\u0105c na gro\u017c\u0105ce im niebezpiecze\u0144stwo, w trudnych, cz\u0119sto ekstremalnych warunkach. Chyl\u0119 czo\u0142a przed pracownikami s\u0142u\u017cb medycznych, dom\u00f3w dziecka i pomocy spo\u0142ecznej oraz przed tymi wszystkimi, bez wysi\u0142ku kt\u00f3rych nasze codzienne funkcjonowanie by\u0142oby o wiele, wiele trudniejsze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Podejrzewam, i\u017c wielu humanistkom i humanistom towarzyszy dzi\u015b refleksja, \u017ce jako pracownicy naukowi znajdujemy si\u0119 w do\u015b\u0107 uprzywilejowanej sytuacji. Wielu z nas mo\u017ce wykonywa\u0107 du\u017c\u0105 cz\u0119\u015b\u0107 swoich zada\u0144 zdalnie i w znacznym stopniu ograniczy\u0107 opuszczanie bezpiecznej przestrzeni domowej. Nasuwa to pytanie o nasz wk\u0142ad w funkcjonowanie spo\u0142eczne w dobie kryzysu. Czy mo\u017cemy si\u0119 na co\u015b przyda\u0107?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chc\u0105c na nie odpowiedzie\u0107 i tym samym przez chwil\u0119 zastanowi\u0107 si\u0119 nad sensem uprawiania humanistyki w takich okoliczno\u015bciach, w jakich si\u0119 dzi\u015b znale\u017ali\u015bmy, warto powr\u00f3ci\u0107 do esencji tego, czym si\u0119 zajmujemy. Zabrzmi to by\u0107 mo\u017ce jak uzurpacja, lecz istoty humanistyki upatruj\u0119 w umiej\u0119tno\u015bci rozpoznawania i zwalczania wirus\u00f3w, a ona sama jawi mi si\u0119 jako swoista odmiana wirusologii\u2026 O jakich wirusach w tej figurze retorycznej mowa? Podejrzewam (czy to herezja?), \u017ce s\u0105 one wcale nie mniej gro\u017ane od tych, kt\u00f3re wprost zagra\u017caj\u0105 naszej biologicznej egzystencji. Dzieje si\u0119 tak, gdy\u017c konsekwencje dzia\u0142ania wirus\u00f3w, o kt\u00f3rych my\u015bl\u0119, mog\u0105 by\u0107 dalekosi\u0119\u017cne i obejmowa\u0107 najrozmaitsze dziedziny, w tym \u2013 sprzyja\u0107 kr\u0105\u017ceniu wirus\u00f3w biologicznych.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wymieni\u0119 tutaj tylko kilka z nich, w moim odczuciu najbardziej zjadliwych. Humanistyka winna nieustannie pracowa\u0107, tak w czasie pandemii, jak i poza nim, nad szczepionkami na wirusy egoizmu, etnocentryzmu, ksenofobii i nietolerancji, kt\u00f3re \u2013 szczeg\u00f3lnie w sprzyjaj\u0105cych politycznie warunkach \u2013 nad wyraz \u0142atwo mutuj\u0105 w wirusy rasizmu, dyskryminacji i za\u015blepienia na krzywd\u0119 wyrz\u0105dzan\u0105 innym. Bez trudu przekszta\u0142caj\u0105 si\u0119 te\u017c w wirusy historycznej amnezji \u2013 niepami\u0119ci o tym, \u017ce kszta\u0142t wsp\u00f3\u0142czesnego \u015bwiata, z wieloma globalnymi zagro\u017ceniami (a obecna pandemia jest tylko jednym z nich), stanowi w ogromnym stopniu dziedzictwo kolonializmu i konsekwencj\u0119 komercjalizmu, z ich pragnieniem dominacji i chciwo\u015bci\u0105. \u015awiat jest w nier\u00f3wnowadze, jego harmonia zosta\u0142a zaburzona na wielu poziomach, objawia si\u0119 to zar\u00f3wno rozregulowaniem, zubo\u017ceniem a nawet ca\u0142kowit\u0105 destrukcj\u0105 wielu ekosystem\u00f3w, jak i spo\u0142ecznymi niesprawiedliwo\u015bciami. Przeciwwagi dla si\u0142 dezintegracji i kulturowego, narodowego czy indywidualnego samolubstwa upatruj\u0119 w solidarno\u015bci, empatii i wra\u017cliwo\u015bci na krzywd\u0119. Cnoty te wymagaj\u0105 codziennej \u2013 dos\u0142ownie: codziennej \u2013 i d\u0142ugofalowej piel\u0119gnacji, aby mog\u0142y w pe\u0142ni objawi\u0107 swoj\u0105 si\u0142\u0119 i pom\u00f3c w kultywowaniu i pog\u0142\u0119bianiu kultury wzajemnych powi\u0105za\u0144, kt\u00f3re s\u0105 tak po\u017c\u0105dane, jak nieuniknione. Dotyczy to wszystkich poziom\u00f3w, od wi\u0119zi dw\u00f3jki os\u00f3b, po zwi\u0105zki cz\u0142owieka ze zwierz\u0119tami, ziemi\u0105, wod\u0105, powietrzem i ca\u0142ym \u015brodowiskiem naturalnym. W czasie przymusowej izolacji, gdy wielu z nas pozostaje uwi\u0119zionych w pude\u0142kach swoich mieszka\u0144 czy dom\u00f3w, jak\u017ce \u0142atwo skupi\u0107 si\u0119 na doznawanych indywidualnie dolegliwo\u015bciach i zapomnie\u0107 o fundamentalnej sprawie \u0142\u0105czno\u015bci z innymi i udzielaniu im wsparcia. Na szcz\u0119\u015bcie przyk\u0142ady bezinteresownie niesionej pomocy stanowi\u0105 przeciwwag\u0119 dla tych tendencji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Warto te\u017c pami\u0119ta\u0107, \u017ce tam, gdzie wyst\u0119puje zagro\u017cenie, pojawia si\u0119 r\u00f3wnie\u017c i szansa. Czas przesilenia wytr\u0105ca z rutyny, wyostrza postrzeganie, dzi\u0119ki czemu silniej dotrze\u0107 mo\u017ce do nas, jak kruche jest ludzkie istnienie i jak wielkie w zwi\u0105zku z tym jest znaczenie etyki troski i spolegliwo\u015bci, czyli sk\u0142onno\u015bci do niesienia pomocy i bycia opieku\u0144czym. Czas kryzysu przypomina nam tak\u017ce o znaczeniu wzajemnego szacunku i wsp\u00f3\u0142pracy przy rozwi\u0105zywaniu problem\u00f3w. To dlatego tak cenne jest aktywne s\u0142uchanie, dialog i inteligencja emocjonalna, a tak\u017ce kreatywne i krytyczne my\u015blenie. Rozwijanie tych zdolno\u015bci to oczywi\u015bcie zadanie nie tylko dla humanistek i humanist\u00f3w \u2013 s\u0105dz\u0119 jednak, \u017ce r\u00f3wnie\u017c na tym polu mo\u017cemy wsp\u00f3\u0142tworzy\u0107 dzie\u0142o przywracania r\u00f3wnowagi i tym samym potwierdza\u0107 swoj\u0105 przydatno\u015b\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u017bycz\u0119 Pa\u0144stwu zdrowia i pogody ducha. Uwa\u017cajcie na siebie i swoich bliskich,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grzegorz Zi\u00f3\u0142kowski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Opublikowano 27 maja 2020 na stronie Uniwersytetu \u0141\u00f3dzkiego.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zob. fragment w nagraniu <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=s665MjzkhAY\">wideo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"http:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Humanistyka-przeciwko-wirusom.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Humanistyka-przeciwko-wirusom.jpg 500w, https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Humanistyka-przeciwko-wirusom-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Humanistyka-przeciwko-wirusom-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-2020"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3392"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5081,"href":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3392\/revisions\/5081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grzeg.web.amu.edu.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}