Julian Ochorowicz

Julian Ochorowicz ("Yool-yahn Oh-hor-oh-veech"), also known as Julien Ochorowicz, (February 23, 1850, Radzymin – May 1, 1917, Warsaw) was a Polish philosopher, psychologist, poet, publicist and leading exponent of Polish Positivism.

Life
Ochorowicz studied natural sciences at Warsaw University. In 1874 he received his doctorate from Leipzig University. In 1874-75 he was editor-in-chief of the popular Polish-language periodical, Niwa. From 1881 he was assistant professor (docent) of psychology and natural philosophy at Lwów University.

Ochorowicz subsequently spent several years in Paris, France, where from 1907 he would be co-director of the Institut General Psychologique.

Returning to Warsaw, from 1900 Ochorowicz was president of Kasa Literacka (the Literary Fund). He published his pedagogical papers in Encyklopedia Wychowawcza (the Encyclopedia of Education).

Ochorowicz was a pioneer of empirical research in psychology, and conducted studies into occultism, spiritualism, hypnosis and telepathy.

His most popular works included Wstęp i pogląd ogólny na filozofię pozytywną (An Introduction to and Overview of Positive Philosophy, 1872) and Jak należy badać duszę? (How Should One Study the Soul?, 1869).

Ochorowicz the poet published in Przegląd Tygodniowy (the Weekly Review) under the pen-name, "Julian Mohort." He wrote the poem, "Naprzód" ("Forward," 1873), regarded as the Polish Positivists' manifesto.

Friend of Prus
Julian Ochorowicz was a Warsaw University schoolmate of Bolesław Prus, who portrayed him in his 1889 novel, The Doll, as the scientist "Julian Ochocki." Ochorowicz, after returning to Warsaw from Paris, in 1893 delivered several public lectures on ancient Egyptian knowledge. These evidently helped inspire Prus to write (1894-95) his sole historical novel, Pharaoh. Ochorowicz provided Prus books on Egyptology that he had brought back from Paris. Also in 1893, Ochorowicz introduced Prus to the Italian Spiritualist, Eusapia Palladino, whom he had brought to Warsaw from her mediumistic tour in St. Petersburg, Russia. Prus attended a number of séances conducted by Palladino and incorporated several prominent Spiritualist-inspired scenes into Pharaoh.

Ochorowicz hosted Palladino in Warsaw from November 1893 to January 1894. Regarding the phenomena demonstrated at Palladino's séances, he concluded against the spirit hypothesis and for a hypothesis that these phenomena were caused by a "fluidic action" and were performed at the expense of the medium's own powers and those of the other participants in the séances.

Ochorowicz later studied, as well — in 1908-09, at Wisła, Poland — the mediumship of Stanisława Tomczyk.

Spiritualism was not an unusual subject of study for noted psychologists in the latter half of the 19th century. An American psychologist who looked favorably on Spiritualism was William James.