The problem of analyticity

Our purpose in the present paper is to give an account of certain results that have been obtained within the field of logical methodology by the Polish logicians in recent years. The problem of analyticity constitutes one of the main points on which these investigations have concentrated. The studies on the problem have brought about a series of papers written by several authors and containing results which seem interesting enough to be presented in this place. The work in this field has, to a great extent, been initiated by Ajdukiewicz. His interesting paper [1] poses the problem concerning the dependence of the analytic sentences on experience in a way which stimulates further inquiries. Almost all the recent papers concerned with this problem might be thought of as a kind of response to that stimulus. It should be noticed, however, that their authors make use of very different conceptual and formal frameworks. Any attempt to present their results in each author’s original terminology would thus lead to a very complicated and incoherent exposition. Therefore, we have decided to present all the results which have been taken into account within one uniform conceptual framework. It has been possible to arrive, in this way, at a comparatively simple and coherent exposition. But not all of the existing results could be included into it. Some papers must have been left out completely, some others—partly; and those which are included have undergone a more or less essential reformulation. For this reason, the present exposition can by no means be considered as an exhaustive survey of all results obtained in the field in question. The more so that it often goes beyond the mere statement of the existing results, filling some gaps in the picture to be presented.