Course: History of Philosophy

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Course title History of Philosophy
Course code KFHS/KBH25
Organizational form of instruction Lecture
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)
  • Konrádová Veronika, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
1. Introduction: Terminology, definition of areas of philosophical interest, basic historical overview of the stages of philosophical thought. 2. Conditions for the emergence of philosophy in ancient Greece, the earliest philosophy, the Presocratics. 3. Pluralism and relativism: the debate between Sophistry and Socrates. 4. The foundation of Western philosophy: Plato and Aristotle 5. Political Thought in Greek Philosophy (Plato, Aristotle) and Historiography (Herodotus, Thucydides) 6. The early Middle Ages and St Augustine: the symbiosis of the Christian religion and Platonic philosophy, Christian analysis of history, the earthly community and the divine community 7. High Scholasticism and St Thomas Aquinas: synthesis of Christianity and Aristotelianism, proof of divine existence, the problem of universals. existence, the problem of universals 8. Late Middle Ages: via antiqua vs. via moderna, William Ockham: "Ockham's razor", nominalist position in the dispute over universals, implications of nominalism for the concept of science. 9. The re-founding of philosophy in the modern period, epistemology and the problem of certainty of knowledge, René Descartes and methodological scepticism, the turn to the subject, the modern concept of science. 10. Modern political thought: the relationship between the individual and the state, the legitimacy of political power (Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau). 11. Immanuel Kant: the "Copernican turn", Kant's critical philosophy 12. G. W. F. Hegel: Phenomenology of spirit and objective spirit in history, Friedrich Nietzsche and the threefold form of history 13. Edmund Husserl: the crisis of the sciences, the phenomenological method, the natural world 14. Philosophy of the 20th century: completion of the survey of the main currents of thought.

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, unspecified, unspecified
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course is to provide students with a basic overview of the history of philosophical thought from its ancient origins to the present. The course provides (i) an overview and general characterisation of the historical stages of philosophical thought, including a selective introduction to its most important representatives, (ii) a systematic exposition of key themes in ontology, epistemology and ethics as formulated by philosophical authors. The choice of topics charts the emergence and transformation of thought patterns relevant to contemporary understandings of man and the world. There is also a strong emphasis on philosophical reflection on history.
The student will be able to - characterise the specifics of philosophy as a distinctive discipline. - use specialist terminology - explain basic philosophical concepts - distinguish the main trends in philosophical research and their representatives - characterise selected philosophical problems in specific areas of philosophical research - place the main problems of the various philosophical disciplines in their historical context.
Prerequisites
none

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
Successful completion of a written examination is a prerequisite for credit. The test will be in the form of open questions, testing the knowledge corresponding to the different thematic blocks introduced in the course.
Recommended literature
  • Aurelius Augustinus. Vyznání. Praha, 1992. ISBN 8017-480-3.
  • Blecha, I. Filosofie, Olomouc. 1998.
  • Heinzmann, R. Středověká filosofie, Olomouc. 2000.
  • Kenny, A. Tomáš Akvinský, Praha. 1993.
  • Koyré, A. Od uzavřeného světa k otevřenému vesmíru. Praha, 2004.
  • Koyré, A. Rozhovory nad Descartem. Praha, 2006.
  • Merleau-Ponty M. Svět vnímání. Praha, OIKOYMENH, 2008. ISBN 978-60-7298-287-5.
  • Nietzsche, F. Nečasové úvahy. Praha, 1992.
  • Petříček, M. Úvod do (současné) filosofie. Praha, 1991.
  • Platón. Ústava. Praha, 2003.
  • Ricken, F. Antická filosofie. Olomouc, 1999. ISBN 80-7182-092-X.
  • Szlezák, T. A. Za co vděčí Evropa Řekům. O základech naší kultury v řecké antice. Praha, 2014. ISBN 978-80-7298-496-1.
  • Tretera, J. Nástin dějin evropského myšlení, Litomyšl. 1999.
  • Vaněk, J. Filosofie v kultuře západní tradice. Praha, 2013.
  • Vernant, J.-P. Počátky řeckého myšlení. Praha, 1993. ISBN 978-80-7298-393-3.


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