The Relationship between Science and Religion in the Writings of Adam Synowiecki

[recenzja: „Na drodze (nie)wiedzy. Pisma humanistyczne Adama Synowieckiego”, opracowali i opatrzyli przypisami, wstępem i bibliografią filozofa poprzedzili Zbyszek Dymarski i Maria Urbańska-Bożek, Wydawnictwo Marek Derewiecki–Pomorskie Towarzystwo Filozoficzno-Teologiczne, Kęty–Gdańsk 2024, ss. 410]

Abstract

The review essay is devoted to a reflection on the relationship between science and religion in the writings of Adam Synowiecki, situated within the broader context of contemporary humanities. The aim of the text is to show how Synowiecki addresses the interdependencies between science, religion, and faith, drawing on both the philosophical-theological tradition and contemporary thought. The essay discusses inspirations derived from the ideas of Nicholas of Cusa, particularly regarding the understanding of the limits of human knowledge, as well as hermeneutic threads present in the work of Hans-Georg Gadamer, which conceive of understanding as a dialogue and an event of meaning within the horizon of culture, history, and values. Additionally, Synowiecki’s thought is compared with the reflections of Leszek Kołakowski, highlighting similarities in their intellectual trajectories and approaches to critical reflection on religion. The essay emphasizes that, in Synowiecki’s view, science and religion are not in opposition, and a fuller understanding of the world requires that the natural sciences take into account the humanistic perspective.