Course: Czech Philosophy

« Back
Course title Czech Philosophy
Course code KFI/CFIL
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminar
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study 1
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 5
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Průka Miloslav, Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Hejduk Tomáš, doc. Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
Historical and systematic interpretation on history of the Czech philosophical thought and philosophy in the Czech lands; emphasis of lessons is in 19th and 20th century. Most important topics and personalities: concept and problem of history of Czech philosophy and philosophy in the Czech lands; recourse: Hussitism and its heritage, Czech way of the Reformation; pre-modern traditions and historical reflections (Comenius and Balbinus), baroque catholic philosophy; philosophy and science as the former of "national revival" (Palacky, Purkinje); "classics" of the 19th century (Bolzano, A. Smetana); main line of philosophy in the 20th century: T. G. Masaryk, E. Rádl, J. Patočka; philosophical inspirations and break up of modern multicultural and multinational society in the Czech lands; philosophy between ideologies and dissent, philosophy and idea of the human rights.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Methods of individual activities, Skills training
Learning outcomes
The goal of this course is to explain "philosophy of activism" in the Czech lands, mainly in the 20th century - i.e. philosophy characterized by naming and solving the contemporary problems of people and society. Students will encounter the historical background and the typical "lack of self-reliance" of this philosophy - its overlaping with the fields of politics, religion, science and art. They will consider its parallels with world philosophy and its reflection in the Czech tradition.
Students will maintain wide range of information from the Czech philosophy and philosophy in the Czech lands, which are presumption of understanding of various problems in humanities and science in this specific historical and cultural context. Students will obtain new competences in interpretation of different philosophical texts, knowledge of most important personalities of the Czech philosophy, as well as specific historical and systematic insight into relation between philosophy, history of science, religion and politics.
Prerequisites
e objective of this philosophical seminar is to introduce to historical, systematic and methodological problems of Czech philosophy, as well as philosophy in the Czech lands.

Assessment methods and criteria
Creative work analysis, Discussion

Credit will depend upon attendance at lectures. Elaboration of an exam test following the primary literature and the examined subjects.
Recommended literature
  • Antologie z dějin českého a slovenského filozofického myšlení (do roku 1848), Praha 1981..
  • Antologie z dějin českého a slovenského filozofického myšlení (1848-1948), Praha 1989..
  • Antologie z dějin československé filosofie, Praha 1963..
  • Slovník českých filosofů. Brno 1998; na internetu: http://www.phil.muni.cz/fil/scf/komplet/.
  • 1. CD: Milan Machovec: Masaryk aktuální, vyd. Ludmila Vrkočová Praha, 2008; KNA 20 147 (box 4 CD; viz též www.milanmachovec.cz ).
  • Blecha, I. Edmund Husserl a česká filosofie, Olomouc 2003..
  • Blecha, I. Jan Patočka, Praha 1997..
  • Císařovská, B. a Prečan, V. (eds.). Charta 77: Dokumenty 1977-1989, ÚSD AV ČR, Praha 2007..
  • Čapková, K. Češi, Němci, Židé? Národní identita Židů v Čechách, Praha 2005..
  • Dayová, B. Sametoví filozofové, Brno 1999..
  • Gabriel, J. a kol. Česká filozofie ve 20. století. Směry, osobnosti, problémy, Brno 1995..
  • Gabriel, J. a kol. Slovník českých filosofů, Brno 1998..
  • Hejdánek, Ladislav. Kapitoly z filosofické antropologie.
  • Hermann, T. Emanuel Rádl a české dějepisectví. Kritika českého dějepisectví ve sporu o české dějiny, FF UK, Praha 2002..
  • Kampits, P. Malé dějiny rakouské filosofie, Praha 1995..
  • Kohák, E. Domov a dálava. Kulturní totožnost a obecné lidství v českém myšlení. Praha 2009..
  • Kohák, E. Jan Patočka, Praha 1993..
  • Komárková, B. Původ a význam lidských práv, Praha 1990..
  • Král, J. Československá filosofie, Praha 1937..
  • Kučera, J. P. a Rak, J. B. Balbín a jeho místo v české kultuře, Praha 1983..
  • Lavička, J. Stručný nástin filosofie československé ve stol. XIX., Praha 1925..
  • Patočka, J. Texty k Chartě, in: Češi I. Sebrané spisy, sv. 12, Praha 2006, s. 423-447..
  • Purkyně, J. E. Útržky ze zápisníku zemřelého přírodovědce, ed. T. Hermann a V. Cílek, Praha 2009..
  • Sousedík, S. Filosofie v českých zemích mezi středověkem a osvícenstvím, Praha 1997..
  • Sousedík, S. Valerián Magni. Kapitola z kulturních dějin Čech 17. století, Praha 1983..
  • Zouhar, J. a kol. Demokracie je diskuse? Česká filosofie 1918-1938, Olomouc 2005..


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy Study plan (Version): Philosophy (2013) Category: Philosophy, theology 2 Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Summer
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy Study plan (Version): Philosophy (2015) Category: Philosophy, theology 1 Recommended year of study:1, Recommended semester: Summer