Solaris

While he is best known for his science fiction, Stanisław Lem was also recognized as an essayist, a satirist, and, in particular, a philosopher. Because his work was heavily censored by the Communist party following the end of World War II, Lem gravitated to science fiction, where he could make philosophical statements without authorities recognizing their implications. As a philosopher, he was at the peak of his influence during the era of existentialism. The close of the war was defined by the philosophical question “What does it mean to be; what is the meaning of existence?” Among the European philosophers who contributed to existentialism were acquaintances of and influences for Lem. They included Martin Heidegger, Karl Jaspers, Paul Tillich, and in particular, Jean-Paul Sartre. The physicist in Solaris, Dr. Sartorius, is likely a reference to the French philosopher Sartre, who, like Lem, used fiction to express philosophical statements. The novel’s academic discourse includes philosophical discussions and disputes. Because this discourse is theoretical, Lem can express himself without fear of “correction” by his Communist handlers. His primary philosophy is that human beings are limited in their understanding of being because they view the cosmos through human eyes.