Magyar szociológiatörténeti füzetek, 2. (Budapest, 1986)

Summary

Polanyi's swift flights unfamiliar and strange. There seems to be no place for empathy, imagination and intuition in the "exact" sciences. But perhaps Polanyi's popularity can be partially explained by just this richness of ideas and associations. It was his theory that gave perspectives to his opponents and colleagues devoted to 'non-valued sciences'... And perhaps here lies the clue to the dividing influence of his oeuvre. Polanyi's writings force us to take sides: this is testified by the battles ever going on between "Polanyists" forever faithful to their master and the equally enthusiastic "anti-Polanyists". His whole career proves that the natural state of sciences - as in other fields of life too - should not resemble still water.

The most characteristic feature of his personality was his confidence and his awareness of vocation; this was primarily true for the young Polanyi. He belonged to those engaged in the most passionate search for truth. "The freedom of the intellect," he writes in one of his unpublished essays, "does not mean that it knows and acknowledges no truth, morality, righteousness, and authority. Just the opposite: it searches for truth audaciously, follows morality relentlessly, .practices lawfulness and acknowledges authority. Audaciously and relentlessly, not backing from any kind of gaze; ever turning human stupor into alertness. Pursuing and hunting for the truth behind and in spite of different class- and racial truths; following pure morals beyond the

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