Edukacyjny potencjał fantastyki naukowej. Od Katedry Jacka Dukaja do edukacji spekulatywnej

Abstract

This article explores the educational potential of science fiction through a reading of Jacek Dukaj’s short story The Cathedral and its relevance to the concept of speculative education. Drawing on literary analysis and educational theory, the article examines the ways in which science fiction can foster critical reflection on the relationship between humanity, technology, and the future. Particular attention is paid to the cognitive and imaginative dimensions of the genre, which encourage readers to question established assumptions and engage with alternative models of reality. Dukaj’s Cathedral serves as a case study demonstrating how speculative narratives create spaces for intellectual experimentation, ethical inquiry, and reflection on the limits of human knowledge and perception. The article argues that science fiction can function not only as a literary genre but also as a powerful pedagogical tool, enabling readers to develop anticipatory thinking and to confront the uncertainties of a rapidly changing world. In this context, speculative education emerges as an approach that uses imaginative engagement with possible futures to cultivate critical awareness, creativity, and intellectual openness.