Antoni Kępiński’s Integral Anthropology

Anthony Kempinski (1918–1972) – the most famous Polish psychiatrist and philosopher; founder of the model of axiological psychiatry, according to which human behavior is regulated by a hierarchy of values, author of the theory of energy-information metabolism. This article describes the integral vision of the human person by Antoni Kempinski, as well as the specifics of his therapeutic approaches as a psychiatrist. Therefore, to define its anthropological principles, the concept of “integral anthropology” was formulated. It is claimed that the basis of Antoni Kempinski’s anthropology is energetic-informational metabolism. If energy metabolism is subject to two biological laws: the preservation of life and the preservation of species, the information metabolism is associated with the subconscious (feelings) and consciousness (intellect and will). For Kempinski, man is an informational-energic, meaning psychosomatic integrity endowed with a spiritual element, as well as called to a mature, deep and lasting relationship with his environment, through which he can occur as a person. Any deviations at the level of energetic-informational metabolism lead to his mental disorders. Thus, a person can decide about their attitude towards the environment thanks to their biological conscience, which distinguishes the human person from the whole world of living organisms.