Kamil Gaweł is the vice president and treasurer of the Polish Rationalist Association. He is a lawyer who is preparing a doctoral dissertation on the United States Electoral College. He works at universities in Warsaw and Poznań. Here we talk about Rationalism in Poland.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: It was nice to meet in Copenhagen. I wanted to ask, though. How did you originally become interested in Rationalism?
Kamil Gaweł: It was very nice to meet you! Well, it’s hard to say it was just one moment. As a child, I was quite skeptical of the religious view of the world (in many ways). When I was a teenager, books by authors such as Richard Dawkins and Voltaire were important to me. I was also fascinated by the Age of Enlightenment with its enormous influence on the history of the world. I also came into contact with the Polish Rationalist Association relatively quickly, and as an 18-year-old I became a member of the national board of the PRA.
Jacobsen: What was the early life like for you?
Gaweł: In the context of his religious worldview, he was quite a typical Polish Catholic upbringing, although probably a bit more liberal. I don’t know if your question was about any potential negative childhood experiences I had because of my skepticism, but I haven’t had any.
Jacobsen: What are the major rationalist issues in the 2020s, so far?
Gaweł: It probably depends which member of the movement you ask. Personally, I am very worried about the popularity of anti-scientific attitudes. We could observe them, for example, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The big problem, in my opinion, is the ignoring of the challenges posed by the presence of radical Muslims in Europe. The risks associated with freedom of expression are obvious in this context. I also have the impression that our decade lacks the joyful optimism of technological development, and projects such as the Artemis program are not sufficiently present in people’s everyday conversations. In my vision, rationalism should not only focus on the negative features of the present, but also set new fields of inspiration.
Jacobsen: What other intellectual labels appropriately fit you?
Gaweł: I consider myself a humanist. Although not all activities of the humanist movement are equally close to me. The Age of Enlightenment is a constant source of inspiration for me. This was one of the reasons why I decided to dedicate my doctorate to the Electoral College of the United States of America. I find American constitutionalism fascinating.
Jacobsen: What organizations are you involved with now?
Gaweł: Of course, the most important thing is involvement in the Polish Rationalist Association. Our organization organizes meetings in various places (bookshops, cafes) all over Poland. So it’s actually a bunch of intellectual groups. I am part of a group of people who set up a foundation. It will be an entity focused on legal issues. It is worth mentioning that I work at universities in Warsaw and Poznań. I try to co-create new projects everywhere, for example within student organizations. I also still maintain research contacts with the University of Wroclaw, where I completed my master’s studies.
Jacobsen: In your country, what are the perennial superstitions and anti-rational movements?
Gaweł: I don’t think we have any specifically Polish superstitions, different from other Europeans. In my opinion, the biggest challenge for rationalism has recently been the Covid-19 pandemic and the negative attitude of some (obviously a minority) Poles to vaccinations.
Jacobsen: As the Vice President and Treasurer of the Polish Rationalist Association, what are the tasks and responsibilities of the position?
Gaweł: Both of these functions involve a lot of daily formal duties. Contacts with accounting or members are the most typical of them. But we also have a lot of academic and international projects that give me more different challenges!
Jacobsen: For the Polish Rationalist Association, what is the degree of integration with the other rationalist associations? I am aware that Sanal Edamaraku visited in 2012.
Gaweł: Yes, the visit of Sanal Edamaruku is a memorable event for us. When it comes to organizations in Poland closest to the PRA, the Polish Skeptics Club should probably be mentioned. We work with them mostly informally. Internationally, we are involved in humanistic structures. Thanks to these activities, we were able to get to know each other.
Jacobsen: Will the awards system be reintroduced in the future? I note this ended in 2012 for the organization in terms of who is publicly listed, at least.
Gaweł: It is true that in the past we have awarded people who contributed to rationalism with the title of “Rationalist of the Year”. We may return to this in the future, but there are no advanced plans for this.
Jacobsen: What are the newest targeted goals for the organization?
Gaweł: In the near future, we want to organize even more meetings around books and discussions. So far, they will take place all over Poland. We also want to participate in various academic initiatives. Some of our initiatives arouse the interest of researchers and we want to develop this. Let’s already think about, for example, the next edition of Darwin Days. It is a popularizing conference that has been held at Wroclaw University for many years. Some time ago, PRA Vice-President Jacek Tabisz published a book, we want to publish another one.
Jacobsen: If I ever go to Ukraine, then I will have to visit Warsaw to get into it. I’ll have to come by and see everyone again. Is there an opening, potentially, for The Stray Canadian ™ to stay with fellow rationalists and secular humanists?
Gaweł: Yes of course! I invite everyone reading these words to write an e-mail to my address: [email protected]
I will be happy to help you in various aspects of your presence in Poland. In the context of Ukraine, it is worth mentioning that the Polish Association of Rationalists has been very supportive of the heroic Ukrainian nation since the beginning of the war. For example, we published a Ukrainian-language version of our scientific calendar. I also encourage everyone interested in Ukraine to contact me!
Jacobsen: I love the feeling of this international community. It’s less of a global community and more of an international family in many ways. Because, as we get to know each other, we find out about each other’s stories and the wide range of the application of humanistic and rationalist values. Any final thoughts or feelings in conclusion?
Gaweł: I also value international experience very much! It is worth remembering that, as in every community, we have very different priorities. I invite everyone reading these words to contact me at the e-mail address provided above. I hope that I have aroused the interest of readers with the activities of the PRA. live long and prosper!
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Kamil.
Gaweł: I am grateful for the invitation to the interview. Thank you also for our talks in Copenhagen and I hope to see you in Singapore next year!
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Photo credit: Kamil Gaweł.