The Philomaths, or Philomath Society (Polish: Filomaci or Towarzystwo Filomatów; from the Greek philomathes, "lovers of knowledge"), was a secret student organization that existed from 1817 to 1823 at the Imperial University of Vilnius.
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The society was created on 1 October 1817 in Vilna, Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (which acquired those territories following the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1794. The society was composed of the students and alumni of the Imperial University.
Notable members included Józef Jeżowski (co-founder and president), Jan Czeczot (co-founder), Józef Kowalewski (co-founder), Onufry Pietraszkiewicz (co-founder), Tomasz Zan (co-founder), Adam Mickiewicz (co-founder), Antoni Edward Odyniec, Ignacy Domejko, Teodor Łoziński, Franciszek Malewski, Jan Sobolewski, Aleksander Chodźko, Michał Kulesza. Most of them were students, but some members and supported included faculty and former alumni.
Its structure was a cross between freemason organization and a learned society. It was divided into two chapters - scientific-mathematic and literary. The members of the latter discussed literary works, and the organization aims were self-educational and didactic; however around 1819-1820 the members became split on whether the organizations should concentrate on self-education (Jeżowski) or take a more active role in restoring Poland's independence (Mickiewicz), eventually the second faction gained dominance and new social and political goals emerged.
The discussions increasingly turned toward romanticist ideas that were banned by the Russian Empire for their pro-independence currents; history of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was studied, pro-independence works written and circulated. The organizations inspired the creation of many similar youth organizations across the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania,[1] and it established ties with similar clandestine pro-Polish organizations in Congress Poland and the rest of partitioned lands, such as the Patriotic Society (Towarzystwo Patriotyczne) of Walerian Łukasiński, and even Russian organizations such as the Decembrists.[1]
Three closely related groups were formed from 1820 to 2005:
The Association is organized in the territory by units called Research Commission (currently there are three, called North-Italy, Central-South Italy and South Italy, respectively, with four local branches), supported by a Tecnarca and responsible for carrying out projects and organize activities related to the achievement of goals. In cities where the presence of members is small you are confined Research Groups (Sections), headed by a technocrat.
The Association operates a selection on aspiring members, to examine curricula and considering the consistency to the principles filomatici.
Its stated purpose is the dissemination, through a technocratic conception of society, a greater awareness of the positive progress of science for human well-being. It declares itself non-denominational, apolitical and universalist
In 1822 the organizations went through some name changes. In 1823 the organization was discovered by Russian authorities led by Nikolay Nikolayevich Novosiltsev. After a trial that lasted several months, in 1824, 108 people were convicted of membership in this or related organizations; 20 members of the Philomaths or related organizations were sentenced to imprisonment or katorga and exiled to Siberia; over a dozen faculty members were dismissed (including historian Joachim Lelewel).
Adam Mickiewicz, one of the Three Polish Bards, convicted of being a Philomath member and exiled into Russia, later described his experiences in that period in the third part of a major work, Dziady (Forefathers' Eve).