The idea of cultural studies by Stanisław Pietraszko and the concept of “active culture” by Jerzy Grotowski were born at the same time. One can point to many similarities between them, despite the extreme difference in the languages in which they were formulated. Pietraszko’s theory is a classic concept of cognitive humanities, laying the foundations for thinking about culture as an autonomous sphere of reality requiring a specific field of science and a specific language dedicated to its study. Grotowski’s actions are an act of non-cognitive humanities, i.e. getting to know the world in non-conceptual categories of doing and experiencing. Despite this, and despite the lack of evidence of any direct contact or infl uence of both their creators on each other, there are visible similarities in their way of understanding culture: as “a way of living according to values”. Values are the central subject of consideration for Pietraszko, and activities for Grotowski. The explanation of this convergence, also referred to as Zeitgeist, can be sought in the rules of cultural creation. This is a process of internal change of the cultural order, and it manifests itself through the creativity of outstanding individuals.