PL
The purpose of this critical paper is to refer to the content of Lech Witkowski’s piece on Helena Radlińska’s works and to point out to thought- -provoking topics and motifs. They are important not only for social pedagogy, which was created by Radlińska, but also for the complete education. The insightful methodology of studying these works and the characteristics of the issues dealt with highlight main categories of Radlińska’s works, their current relevance and dualities, as perceived by the researcher, resulting in that the reading becomes a thrilling intellectual adventure. Situating Radlińska on the background of her times and other teachers, the author highlighted signifi cant, subconscious values and weaknesses of inter-war educators. He pointed to the negligence of later times and motifs that could connect the inter-war period with today, as a kind of a bridge, raft or boat-hook protecting one against collapse: moral support for engagement or symbolic commitment of present days towards the past. In my view, this book constitutes a call for new pedagogy with strong roots in the cultural soil, manifesting its respect for the achievements of the past and broadly-understood humanistic values, threatened by the disaster in Polish education and passivity of the Polish scientifi c community, failing to see the danger.