Warsaw School of the History of Ideas – On the Need of Order in Thinking about the History of Thought

Abstract

The article begins with a discussion of reasons for which the notion of scientific school is extensively employed in the history of science. In particular, I explore methodological and sociological criteria commonly used for defining scientific schools. In the following part the Warsaw school of the history of ideas is assessed by means of these two criteria, the conclusion being that it cannot be deemed a scientific school under any of them. In the last part I reflect upon the rationale behind the fact that „Warsaw school of the history of ideas” has become a plausible and popular term in Polish scientific historical self-narration despite weak factual grounds for its use.