Course detail

Present philosophy - postmodernism

FEKT-LFSPAcad. year: 2011/2012

The subject provides students with information on main thought stream of today´s post-modern Word. Philosophical or religion stream are portrayed with their background, pros and cons and possible risks of their blind following.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

3

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Upon absolving this subject, the students should be able to distinguish individual components of today´s pluralistic society. They should also be aware of the origin and nature of the components and thus be able to communicate with people of different philosophical and religious orientation other than their own.

Prerequisites

The subject knowledge on the Bachelor´s degree level is requested.

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Teaching methods depend on the type of course unit as specified in the article 7 of BUT Rules for Studies and Examinations.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Requirements for completion of a course are specified by a regulation issued by the lecturer responsible for the course and updated for every.

Course curriculum

1. "Inventoring" our world, basic characteristics of human existence - essential figures for future thinking. The terms of "modernity" and "post-modernity"
2. Plurality, multiculturalism, post-modernity - why there are many religious and philosophical streams, their origin, meaning and function of philosophical systems. Post-modern concept of polycentric truth.
3. The roots of today´s pluralism in foundations of the European culture. Various possibilities of mutual coexistence of distinct principles, isolation, monopoly, confrontation and juxtaposition.
4. Current religious streams - from world religions to unconformity groups. Tribe and universal religions, polytheism, dualism, monotheism, fideistic principles in thinking, ancient and current myths.
5. Philosophical and religious views of the world, their origin and foundations. Origins of scientific thinking in Ancient Greece, the first philosophers.
6. Sophists - the founders of the line leading to nowadays post-modern relativism and pragmatism.
7. Plato - everlasting inspirative parable of ideal world, founder of utopian, idealistic, social reforming ideas on society, in which the role of state can be overstressed. Current forms of thinking based on Plato.
8. Aristotle - the way out is reality, not idea or ideal. The result in the idea of mutually connected world, endowed with meaning and purpose, not only in complex, but also in parts. In the end it is the source not only for religion (neotonism), but also atheistic liberalism. From personalism to individualism.
9. Middle Age synthesis, the biggest and only universal religious-philosophical system in the history of European culture - pros and cons addressed to the middle ages.
10. Decline of middle-aged universal system, the origins to the break-up, its attributes and consequences. What new (modern) comes in place of the old? In search of the new determining principle.
11. The influence and consequences of the new inventions in science and technology, new economic and political dogmas (vivid till these days).
12. The War and the Revolution, the accompanying phenomena of European civilization, their philosophical fundament and consequences. The conflict of civilizations or their co-existence. The Globalisation as new phenomenon. The Economy as the determining principle.
13. The future of the world, the pessimistic and the optimistic visions. The place of an individual in the global, fact-finding, knowledge based society.

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

The main aim of this subject is to help students in their orientation in often untransparent situation of the today´s world. The secondary aim is to provide students with overview so that they could create their own portrait of the world. The topics were chosen with respect to historically entirely new conditions of multicultural society of the globalized world.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

The content and forms of instruction in the evaluated course are specified by a regulation issued by the lecturer responsible for the course and updated for every academic year.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Dějiny světa
Dějiny náboženství (Eliade, různí autoři)
Dějiny filosofie
Dějiny politických a ekonomických učení (Hearnshaw F.J.C; Mertl J; Mendl B.; různí další autoři)
Lyotard, J-F.: O postmodernismu, Praha 1993
Selech, W.: Naše postmoderní moderna, Praha 1994
Quesnel, M. D.: Co si myslíme, čemu věříme a kdo jsme, Praha 2002
Huntington S. P.: Střet civilizací, Praha 2001

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme EEKR-ML Master's

    branch ML-BEI , 1. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-TIT , 1. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-KAM , 1. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-EVM , 1. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-EST , 1. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-MEL , 1. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-SVE , 1. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-EEN , 1. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-BEI , 2. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-TIT , 2. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-KAM , 2. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-EVM , 2. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-EST , 2. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-MEL , 2. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-SVE , 2. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge
    branch ML-EEN , 2. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge

  • Programme EEKR-CZV lifelong learning

    branch ET-CZV , 1. year of study, winter semester, general knowledge

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer