Academic literature on the topic 'Jerzy Prokopiuk'

“I Consider Myself a Heretic and a Gnostic, and I Pride Myself on Being One.” Jerzy Prokopiuk’s Esoteric Reception of Gnosis and Gnosticism In the paper, the author presents Jerzy Prokopiuk’s (1931–2021) outlook on gnosis and Gnosticism. Prokopiuk was a Polish esotericist, translator, and non-academic specialist in religious studies. His views on this subject can be divided into four areas: (1) definition of gnosis; (2) the essence and de- scription of Gnosticism as a historical religious formation; (3) description and understanding of the post-Gnostic tradition; (4) gnosis and Gnosticism as a hermeneutic tool. As to (1) definition of gno- sis, the Prokopiuk presents three forms of this special kind of knowledge: escapist gnosis (know- ledge liberates the human spirit from material body and the physical world); transformational gnosis (knowledge transforms the human soul, body and earthly nature); lateral gnosis (idea of alternative worlds). Regarding (2) Gnosticism, Prokopiuk says that its source was ancient mysteries and a par- ticular type of religious experience. He sees (3) the post-Gnostic tradition as an unbroken chain of esoteric groups and figures from late antiquity to the present day. Finally, gnosis and Gnosticism are (4) a hermeneutic tool for Prokopiuk because they allow him to interpret phenomena and texts of culture (in the field of literature, cinema, psychology, and others). The paper also reflects on the usefulness of some of Prokopiuk’s ideas for contemporary humanities.

<strong>Four phases of Jerzy Prokopiuk views</strong> Jerzy Prokopiuk is a polish translator, who is especially interested in esotericism. He defines his worldview by two terms: theoanthropocentrism and spiritual holism. The major inspiration for him is Rudolf Steiner&rsquo;s anthroposophy , as well as depth psychology created by Carl Gustav Jung. Prokopiuk considers Steiner and Jung as neognostics or transformation gnostics. Transformation gnosis is more optimistic than pessimistic old gnosis taken from the ancient times. Transformation gnosis, trying to transform individual people, and also all social life, is the seed of New Age Movement. Prokopiuk becomes a popularizer of New Age in Poland, publishing over five hundred essays and twenty-two books about esoteric, but his later works are much more pessimistic. Hence Prokopiuk&rsquo;s worldview has four phases. First phase, when he is a pessimistic young man, disappointed by catholic religion, but not interested in the materialistic worldview though. The second phase, when Prokopiuk gets to know the anthroposophy and meets Robert Walter &ndash; polish anthropospher. The third phase, when he builds his original worldview, by getting inspirations from various esoteric traditions, and focuses on New Age. And the fourth phase, when he backs to his youthful doubts. Jerzy Prokopiuk jest polskim tłumaczem, szczeg&oacute;lnie zainteresowanym ezoteryką. Sw&oacute;j światopogląd określa dwoma pojęciami: teoantropocentryzm i duchowy holizm. Gł&oacute;wną inspiracją jest dla niego antropozofia Rudolfa Steinera, a także psychologia głębi stworzona przez Carla Gustava Junga. Prokopiuk uważa Steinera i Junga za neognostyk&oacute;w lub gnostyk&oacute;w transformacji. Gnoza transformacji jest bardziej optymistyczna niż pesymistyczna stara gnoza zaczerpnięta z czas&oacute;w starożytnych. Gnoza transformacyjna, pr&oacute;bująca przekształcić pojedynczych ludzi, a także całe życie społeczne, jest zalążkiem Ruchu New Age. Prokopiuk staje się popularyzatorem New Age w Polsce, publikując ponad pięćset esej&oacute;w i dwadzieścia dwie książki o ezoteryce, ale jego p&oacute;źniejsze prace są znacznie bardziej pesymistyczne. Stąd światopogląd Prokopiuka ma cztery fazy. Pierwszą faze zauważa się, kiedy jest młodym pesymistą, rozczarowanym religią katolicką, ale nie zainteresowanym materialistycznym światopoglądem. Druga faza uwidacznia się, kiedy Prokopiuk poznaje antropozofię i mysl Roberta Waltera &ndash; polskiego antropozofa. Trzecia faza pojawia się, kiedy Prokopiuk buduje sw&oacute;j oryginalny światopogląd, czerpiąc inspiracje z r&oacute;żnych tradycji ezoterycznych i skupia się na New Age. I faza czwarta, kiedy wraca do swoich młodzieńczych wątpliwości. &nbsp;

Abstract In Polish literary-historical criticism, the concept of Gnosticism has been used most frequently as a hermeneutical category that makes it possible to understand better the oeuvre of authors from Central and Eastern Europe. Polish scholars have successfully identified (neo)gnostic ideas present in the works of Jerzy Hulewicz, Tadeusz Miciński, and Franz Kafka. By referring to the works of Hans Jonas, Kurt Rudolph, and Jerzy Prokopiuk, many of them, unfortunately, have reproduced stereotypes on Gnosticism. In light of more recent studies on Gnosticism, the conclusions of their inquiries have become problematic. The main goal of this paper, therefore, is to highlight the most common errors present in the examination of Polish literary scholars from the perspective of Gnostic studies, as well as the inaccuracies in their methodology that stem from outdated scholarly materials.

This text continues Jerzy Prokopiuk&rsquo;s commentary on the first part of Rudolf Steiner&rsquo;s work <em>The Philosophy of Freedom</em>, titled <em>Knowledge of freedom</em>. Steiner emphasizes the role of critical thinking, which shows the relation between subject and object. The ability to observe one&rsquo;s own thinking process is also a possibility to overcome Immanuel Kant&rsquo;s epistemological boundaries. This epistemology assumes dualism of cognizable phenomena and uncognizable noumena. This approach is called critical idealism, which is only an ostensible alternative for naive realism. Steiner also criticizes naive realism for unjustified belief about world completeness, cognizable by observation. According to him, if observation has limits (because it depends on the observer position), thinking is identified as being capable of reuniting human with the universe. The consequences of it are not only epistemological, but also ethical, which is a subject of the second part of <em>The Philosophy of Freedom</em>, titled <em>The reality of freedom. </em> &nbsp; Tekst jest kontynuacją komentarza Jerzego Prokopiuka do pierwszej części <em>Filozofii wolności </em>Rudolfa Steinera zatytułowanej <em>Wiedza o wolności</em>. Steiner w swojej filozofii podkreśla rolę myślenia, ustanawiającego relację pomiędzy podmiotem i przedmiotem. Możliwość obserwowania własnego myślenia jest dla niego sposobem na przezwyciężenie ograniczeń epistemologii Immanuela Kanta. Epistemologia ta zakłada dualizm poznawalnych fenomen&oacute;w oraz niepoznawalnego noumenu. Pogląd ten nazywa autor <em>Filozofii wolności </em>idealizmem krytycznym, kt&oacute;ry okazuje się jedynie pozorną alternatywą dla realizmu naiwnego. Steiner zaś krytykuje realizm naiwny za nieuzasadnione przekonanie o kompletności poznawanego za pośrednictwem obserwacji świata. Według niego obserwacja jest ograniczona chociażby ze względu na usytuowanie obserwującego, to myślenie posiada zdolność zespalania człowieka z kosmosem. Konsekwencje owego zespolenia są nie tylko epistemologiczne, lecz także etyczne, co stanowi już przedmiot drugiej części <em>Filozofii wolności</em>, zatytułowanej <em>Rzeczywistość wolność</em>.

While discussing gnosis in contemporary Polish culture, it is impossible to overlook the figure of Jerzy Prokopiuk (born 1931). But Prokopiuk’s body of work should not be judged solely on the merit of his prolific publishing and popularising activity, as one should also take into consideration his spiritual, intellectual and gnostic explorations, as well as how they contributed to the historical reception of gnostic ideas in Poland. This is why this paper will seek to present Prokopiuk’s views on the essence of God, the nature of the world, and the human phenomenon.

Jerzy Prokopiuk is an outstanding Polish translator, historian of Gnosticism and Gnostic. Prokopiukin his works undertook the question of mystical experiences, but also described their own mystical experiences. His specific gnostic attitude is also evident in its most spiritual experiences.