Most of the proposals for reforms at the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences that were submitted in 1945–1950 concerned the adaptation of the Academy to further specialization in the world of science. The previously unknown initiative of the eminent philosopher Roman Ingarden, which is discussed in this article, was of a different nature. The institute he was designing was to be the center of permanent scientific cooperation between natural scientists and humanists.
Using archival sources and publications, the circumstances of creating this idea were also discussed together with the reasons why this initiative was not implemented.
Ingarden believed that research conducted as part of the Institute’s experimental labs should cover basic practical issues both for entire communities and individual people. They were to concern, i.a. the nature of man, his role in the world; his separateness and kinship to other living beings. The philosopher also proposed testing new research methods at the Institute and training numerous scientists in their application.In practice, the idea to establish the Institute of Human Sciences of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences was contrary to the policy of the state authorities at that time.
