New Books Network Józef Tischner, "The Philosophy of Drama" (U Notre Dame Press, 2024)
Nov 12, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Artur Sebastian Rosman, an associate research professor and editor at the University of Notre Dame, delves into Józef Tischner's thought-provoking work, The Philosophy of Drama. Rosman shares his eight-year journey in translating Tischner, exploring the dramatic essence of human existence defined by encounters and moral dilemmas. They discuss the significance of themes like ethical responsibility, the nature of evil, and the role of trust in fostering solidarity, while also linking Tischner's ideas to key literary figures and the context of twentieth-century Europe.
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How The Translation Project Began
- Artur Rosman stumbled into translating Tischner after a casual conversation with the Tishner Institute about a grant opportunity.
- He spent about eight years on the project and found the book's structure mirrored his own life's dramas.
Drama As Moral Stakes
- Tischner frames human life as drama where encounters can lead to salvation or damnation rather than abstract theorizing.
- This dramatic seriousness reorients philosophy toward pastoral, ethical responsibility in daily life.
Evil Drives Philosophical Renewal
- Postwar Central European philosophy treats the problem of evil as central to rebuilding moral and social life.
- Tischner and peers sought a philosophy that responds to historical atrocities by re-centering ethical responsibility.
