Tematy numerów w roku 2026
No 52, 2026/1
"Around Medicine, Doctors, and Medications in Culture"
Call for papers to Issue 52 of Perspectives on Culture (1/2026)
Georges Minois, a French historian, begins his work Priest and Doctor: From Holy Healers to Bioethics with a symbolic ekphrasis, referring to medieval miniatures depicting the integral connection between medicine and religion. He writes:
On one side, the priest with holy oils, and on the other, the doctor examining urine and measuring the pulse; between them, on the bed, the patient, understandably worried. The classic scene… presents the three protagonists of the human tragedy: the suffering patient surrounded by the doctor of the body and the doctor of the soul, upon whom both earthly health and eternal happiness depend. The problem lies in the mutual relationships between these two doctors, which were often complex. … The stakes are high. Even if concern for health does not exclude concern for eternal salvation, which should take precedence? One thing is certain: the priest and the doctor, shoulder to shoulder or face to face, have largely shaped our culture and mentality, as for two thousand years, many generations have passed through their hands, bearing the consequences of their good or bad decisions, benefiting from their achievements, and suffering through their mistakes.
There is no doubt that the loss of health, illness, and the suffering and fear associated with it, as well as the faith and hope placed in medicine, doctors, and medications, have for centuries been among the most universal human experiences at various stages of existence. This experience is strongly culturally conditioned. It is therefore no surprise that it is one of the most significant and meaning-laden dimensions of artistic inspiration, which makes cultural works saturated with medical, para-medical, and semi-medical motifs and themes presented in various perspectives and contexts. Today—especially after the experience of the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic—there is a noticeable increase in interest in the cultural dimension of medicine, as well as the connections between the mind and body. This is reflected in the growing number of debates, conferences, and scholarly publications devoted to the relationships between medicine and literature, medicine and art, medicine and religion, or medicine and philosophy. Medical knowledge and the therapeutic standards applied by clinicians are not isolated from the cultural reality surrounding doctors. Likewise, all medications, without which effective disease treatment and prevention would be impossible, are dependent on the time and place of their application, both in their material and immaterial dimensions.
Therefore, we invite interdisciplinary and integrative reflection on the cultural phenomenon for which the points of reference, context, and key concepts are broadly understood (both literally and metaphorically) notions of medicine, doctors, and medications. We invite researchers and practitioners interested in this topic to share their knowledge, scholarly reflection, and experience. We are particularly interested in contributions from humanists and representatives of social sciences and theology, including those working on the history of culture, literary history, art history, cultural heritage, cultural anthropology, theology, religious studies, and philosophy, as well as from representatives of medical sciences, especially those with a particular interest in the artistic understanding of culture, the art of medicine, and, above all, the belief that medicine is an art.
We are looking forward to receiving your articles!
The submission deadline is September 1, 2025.
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No 53, 2026/2
"Movement(s) and Identity?"
Western philosophy can be argued to have originated from the cities, among other factors, as a response to the challenges that the city as a space, a technical object and as a community brought with itself. However, when facing the question about the nature of the city itself, it is difficult to provide an answer, due to the city’s heterogeneity, evading clear definition. It cannot be understood solely as an architectural model or a static political organization; rather, it is a human space, inextricably linked to the human agents on the eternal movement(s) of various kinds, where they come into interaction with human and non-human Others. Thus, both: the exploration of the human identity and the urban identity of a place is crucial to the consideration of the identity problem in the context of cities. The city can be said to be the space for exploring the self vs the Other dynamics, and for fostering empathy. It is crucial nowadays when the cities are experiencing the dynamization of the social space caused by massive and varied migrations, whether we are talking of economic or scientific mobility, or the refugees fleeing war and natural disasters or climate change consequences. It appears that the city always has to be thought of as the meeting space of various actors and realities. In the words of Eric Corijn (Brussels Urban Summit 2023), “a good city is one that we make together”.
This volume will be the result of the IV Congress on Philosophy and the City: Movement(s) and Identity, which took place on September 19-20, 2024 at the Ignatianum University in Cracow. It was to face the above-sketched challenges from philosophical, interdisciplinary and multicultural viewpoints.
Guest editors of the volume: dr hab. Anna Bugajska, prof. UIK, dr Marek Liszka, dr Jacek Poznański SJ
We invite you to publish texts in English.
Deadline for sending texts: December 15, 2025
Publishing the texts: June 30, 2026***
No 54, 2026/3
"Mythology as a Source of European Culture"
Call for papers to Issue 54 of Perspectives on Culture (3/2026)
Greco-Roman mythology has served as an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artists of past eras, playing a significant role in shaping European art and culture. The deeply humanistic dimension of myth, tied to the origins of human thought, was inherently connected with attempts to understand the world, the laws of nature, the course of life, transience, the human condition, and humanity’s place in the world. The culture-forming role of myth, the accumulation of its various versions, diverse artistic interpretations, and iconographic transformations create a palimpsest reflecting the historical, cultural, and social contexts of the works that emerged over time. Cosmogonic and theogonic myths, the pantheon of gods, personifications of natural phenomena, heroes, hybrid creatures, the ideal of the Arcadian idyll, and transformations of beings—described, among others, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses—stimulated the minds of poets, painters, and musicians, becoming part of the collective imagination. In this context, an especially intriguing phenomenon is the syncretism of Christian culture and the world of mythology—the reception of pagan themes in Christian culture, the presence of mythological motifs in religious and ecclesiastical art, and their use in the propaganda of Christian rulers. This perspective raises important questions: what were the reasons and manifestations of the fusion between mythology and Christian faith and tradition? How were ancient myths adapted and interpreted within a Christian framework? In what ways was the allegorical method used to interpret myths and derive Christian moral teachings from them?
We welcome reflections on issues related to mythology within art history, literary studies, philosophy, religious studies, history, education, anthropology, and cultural studies. We encourage broad reflections on the origins and role of myth in culture as well as more specific analyses of the presence of mythology in various areas of human activity, both in historical and contemporary contexts. For example, a possible research topic could be the presence of mythology in court culture, the role and significance of mythological costume in painting, literature, theater, opera, epistolography, and social customs. Consideration of the role of mythological themes in culture will primarily cover the period from the late Middle Ages to the 20th century. However, reflections on the theme may also extend to the present day, seeking answers to questions such as: how does contemporary culture engage in dialogue with the ancient tradition? or, in what ways can the plasticity and materiality of antiquity find continuity in contemporary visual culture?
We invite you to publish texts in English.
Guest Editor of the Issue: dr Barbara Hryszko
We are looking forward to receiving your articles!
Submission deadline: March 1, 2026
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We invite you to publish your texts in out scientific journal Perspektywy kultury/Perspectives on Culture. Journal Parameter - 100 points. Detailed instructions on czasopisma.ignatianum.edu.pl/pk
