Course: Biological Determinism, Eugenic and the Understanding of Man

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Course title Biological Determinism, Eugenic and the Understanding of Man
Course code KFR/BBDET
Organizational form of instruction Lecture
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 6
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Rokyta Jan, doc. ThDr. Ph.D.
Course content
1. History - limpieza de sangre. H. Spenser, F. Galton, E. Fischer. Social Darwinism. 2. The question of the eugenic movement in the United States, Charles Davenport and the Eugenic Record Office. Eugenics in Sweden, Great Britain and Germany. Sterilization, first attempts at legislation in the Weimar Republic - Lex Zwickau. Constructing concepts and categories. 3. Analysis of sample literature - Die Freigabe der Vernichtung lebensunwerten Lebens. 4. Biological determinism as a self-understanding of National Socialism. 5. Historical reflection. L Poliakov, H. Arendt, Z. Bauman, M. Burleigh, R. Proctor, R. Lerner. 6. Literature and films with the theme of eugenics. 7. Legislation of the Third Reich - laws against non-Aryans, mentally and physically handicapped. 8. Biological determinism in the social sphere. C. Lombroso, Robert Ritter's "study" of the Gypsies. 9. T4 action in the Third Reich. G. Aly - the creation of social consensus - part of the Gleichschaltung. The course, the competences of those responsible. Post-war advocacy - example V. Brack. 10. Continuation of Action T4 - murder of persons with tuberculosis disease, incapacitated, anti-social persons. Continuity of Action T4 personnel with Action Reinhardt. 11. Opposition to eugenics, Franz Boas. Opposition to euthanasia in the Third Reich - church protests. 12. Participation of biologists, doctors in the actions of the Nazi regime in Germany. Scientific institutions - Kaiser Wilhelm Institute.

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, Dialogic (discussion, interview, brainstorming), Work with text (with textbook, with book), Stimulating activities (simulation, games, drama)
  • Preparation for an exam - 38 hours per semester
  • Contact teaching - 26 hours per semester
  • Independent critical reading - 50 hours per semester
  • Participation in classes - 26 hours per semester
  • Home preparation for classes - 40 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
The topic of the course will be the problem when biological determinism in history allowed to determine the value of human life, taken as absolute and objective, and consequently justified the right to ostracize someone socially, to prevent him from a full life or even to take it away from him. The whole course is taken as a demonstration of a certain type of thinking. The methodological approach will be historical - for example, the development of legislation regarding the mentally and physically handicapped in Nazi Germany, Action T4 and its sequel. Further, the structural - the question of the characteristics of the thinking of writings such as Die Freigabe der Vernichtung lebensunwerten Lebens.

Prerequisites
unspecified

Assessment methods and criteria
Oral examination, Student performance assessment

Recommended literature
  • Burleigh M. Death and Deliverance. Cambridge University Press, 1994.
  • Burleigh M., Wippermann W. Rasistický stát: Německo 1933?1945. Praha: Columbus, 2010.
  • Hawkins M. Social Darwinism in European and American thought,1860?1945. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
  • Hofstadter, R. Social Darwinism in American Thought. Boston: Beacon Press, 1992.
  • Lifton R. Nacističtí lékaři. Bb art, 2008.
  • Proctor R. Rasová hygiena. Lékařství v době nacismu. Praha: Academia, 2009.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester