This volume of „Chowanna” deals with existential qualities—which, although traditionally analyzed in philosophy and sociology, as well as in psychiatry and psychology—are becoming an increasingly significant challenge for pedagogy and education. All the authors of this volume, who represent various academic disciplines, focus primarily on one of these qualities, namely: value. Since V. Frankl, in his famous book „Homo Patiens”, argues that human life is fulfilled in the world of values, and K. Dąbrowski, in „The Search for Mental Health”, claims that it is through this quality that the "secondary integration" essential for personal development can occur, value becomes an important task for pedagogy.

As an existential psychologist the Author of the article concentrates on the problem of a specific dimension of human existence, analyses the neotic qualities, i.e. the values and the feeling of the need of the sence of life. He also describes the content of individual qualities, putting emphasis on their subjective tendency “towards...”.

The article discusses one of the essential existential values i.e. the dignity. The Author does not limit herself only to its theoretical aspect referring to the approach and understanding of dignity in psychology, philosophy or psychiatry, but on the basis of her own empirical research she shows how this value functions and how connotative meaning is attributed to it in various youth groups in Poland and Sweden.

The article concentrates on the notions of fortitude, bravery and ethical courage. It tries to answer the following question: How to enliven the ideal of courage in the education of a human being? The author points to the sense and importance of personal courage in the process of controlling a person's behaviour and in stimulating the positive side of the human nature. She shows the connection between a teacher's courageous conduct and strengthening their pedagogical ideal. The text, in an analytical way, deals with the problem of education for ethical courage within the family and at school, it also reveals the perversions of the idea of courage in our modern civilization such as bravado or the cult of risk.

The Author has engaged himself in the analysis of one of the most important realities in the area of pedagogy, i.e. “the beauty”. Pedagogy from the beginning of its existence, both in the dimension of the art of education (pedagogia) and the theory of education (pedagogy), has been dealing with beauty, locating this issue in the essential area of self-reflection. Because of content-related and methodical grounds, the Author assumes that in modern times when discussing education the category of “beauty” tends to be approached from three principal aspects: ontology of education, axiology of education, and aesthetical education, which in consequence lead to the so called “triangle of the aesthetical education”.

It is pedagogical study about feminine values in feminine literature. In conclusion the author writes that feminine values have been changed lately. Women want family, children but simultaneously they desire to realize themselfs. In this day and age it can be reason of crisis of family.

The article aims at presenting the situation of the social group of people with mild mental retardation. The phenomenon of social helplessness, which is considered in two dimensions, is a tool for analyzing this situation. The first dimension is included in the paradigm of objective perception (measurement and description), the second introduces the subjective dimension and is comprised within the paradigm of subjective perception, expressed in the feelings of the examined.

The article presents the results of research into the values hierarchy in the elderly. It also attempts to assess the participation of specific values in their psychological balance. It has been agreed that to shape a positive life balance in the elderly such values as ‘family' and ‘religious practice' have significant importance as they compensate for the negative assessment connected with physical condition, social usefulness and economic status.

The consumerist civilisation propagates the cult of youth. On the opposite pole there is a depreciation of old age. This disturbs the natural harmony between the four “seasons of human life”: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age and, moreover, devaluates the role of life experience which is acquired later in life. The article aims at providing arguments for the sake of the thesis that both young and old people need one another. Since old age has a particular value which is the wisdom resulting from personal experience and from the distance towards transitory fascinations, fashions, trends and thinking styles.

The main space where a fight over depreciation of values is waged is school. More and more often we are talking about global education aiming at axiological neutrality that sooner or later may lead to chaos in the field of values and upbringing. The article touches the problem: what is value and how it exists. Next, the place of value in the upbringing is presented as well as problems and fears faced by teachers in contemporary school in the process of education based on values. The article ends with practical indications concerning educational work based on values. Among these the focus is on turning the educator into a master who meets students in order to unveil values.