The article is an attempt to present the achievements of the axiological research current in Polish literary studies. Several key issues relevant to axiological research understood in general, philosophical terms were mentioned to determine whether literary studies can exist without axiology or whether axiology absolutely needs literary studies, as well as the issue of the chronological beginning of axiological research within Polish literary studies. The deliberations undertaken lead to a closer characterisation of the three schools that put forward the most important proposals of Polish literary axiological reflection: the Lublin school, the Toruń school and the Warsaw school. And it is in relation to them that the most relevant hitherto achievements of axiological research in Polish literary studies have been outlined.