Course: Philosophy of life

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Course title Philosophy of life
Course code KFHS/B116
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminary
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study 1
Semester Summer
Number of ECTS credits 2
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)
  • Klouda Jiří, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
1. Introduction: requirements, literature, aims of the course. 2. The relationship between philosophy and science. How the living differs from the inanimate. Life as a problem in ancient philosophy (Aristotle). 3. Life in modern philosophy, dualism between the body and soul (Descartes). 4. Evolutionism I (Cuvier, Lamarck). 5. Evolutionism II (Darwin, Wallace). 6. Evolutionism III (Haeckel and monism). 7. Naturphilosophy (Purkyně). 8. Vitalism: philosophy of life (Bergson, Driesch, Uexküll). 9. Vitalism in the Czech philosophy (Mareš, Rádl). 10. Neoevolutionism and the Great Synthesis (Mendel, Morgan, Huxley). 11. Normal and pathological, biologization of power, racism and eugenics (Canguilhem, Foucault). 12. Adolf Portmann and the reflection of his works in the Czech science of living. 13. Biosemiotics. 14. Atest.

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, unspecified, unspecified, unspecified
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course is to extend students knowledge acquired in the courses of the history of European philosophy. The focal point of our interest stands on the issue of the "living" across the history. The participants will meet the theories which influenced the thinking about life, the main attention will be paid to Darwinism and vitalism and their philosophical reflection. Dangerous moments between the science of life and ideology (eg racism, eugenics, lysenkism) will not be overlooked either. Last but not least, the newer directions (biosemiotics) will be presented too.
The graduate of the course will gain the orientation in the history of the most important biological theories and will be able to interpret the basic ideas of the representatives of particular directions.
Prerequisites
None.

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
1. Regular attendance. 2. Paper.
Recommended literature
  • Bergson, Henri. Myšlení a pohyb. Praha, 2003. ISBN 80-204-1014-7.
  • Canguilhem, Georges. Poznávání života. Praha, 2017. ISBN 978-80-246-3389-3.
  • Kleisner, Karel (ed.). Biologie ve službách zjevu. Červený Kostelec, 2008. ISBN 978-80-86818-64-1.
  • Larson, Edward J. Evoluce: pozoruhodný příběh dějin vědecké teorie. Praha, 2009. ISBN 978-80-7391-157-7.


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