Śniadanie z Mistrzem 2020 - 2026 · Szkoła z Charakterem

Włodzimierz Lengauer 11.02.2026

·20 min·1 clip

Professor Lengauer explains why losing the search for the divine element makes us lose a significant part of our humanity.

The episode features an interview with Professor Włodzimierz Lengauer on the show Śniadanie z Mistrzem. The host begins by asking about Walter Otto's emphasis on the divine element in human existence and how its loss affects modern secularized society. Lengauer responds that we lose a significant part of our humanity, not just from not reading ancient texts, but due to secularization. He criticizes the modern world as unethical and stresses the importance of reading poetry to understand human culture. Lengauer delves into Walter Otto's interpretation of Homer, highlighting a scene from the Iliad where Achilles alone sees Athena, illustrating that the divine force is within him. He connects this to Otto's view that divinity is part of human nature. Lengauer advocates for mythological or poetic thinking, referencing philosopher Karrer, to recognize something higher in ourselves. The host then asks for poetry recommendations to protect our divinity, akin to Achilles seeing Athena. Lengauer suggests Sophocles' Oedipus Columnus, Virgil's Aeneid, symbolists like Vyacheslav Ivanov, and Polish poet Bolesław Leśmian. The conversation shifts to Leśmian's fascination with nature and the miracle of creation, linking it to Dionysian myths. Lengauer explains Dionysus as a god who dies and is reborn, offering consolation to mortals, and notes parallels with Christian concepts. He discusses how followers of Dionysus are called Bakkhos, similar to Christians, and references the Greek idea of striving to be like God. The episode concludes with the host thanking Lengauer for the insights on following Otto's work and understanding our pursuit of something beyond the material world.

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