Course detail

Present philosophy - postmodernism

FEKT-CFSPAcad. year: 2010/2011

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

English

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 secondary school level is required.

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

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Dějiny filosofie
Dějiny náboženství (Eliade, různí autoři)
Dějiny politických a ekonomických učení (Hearnshaw F.J.C; Mertl J; Mendl B.; různí další autoři)
Dějiny světa
Lyotard, J-F.: O postmodernismu, Praha 1993

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme EECC Bc. Bachelor's

    branch BC-AMT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective general
    branch BC-AMT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective general
    branch BC-SEE , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective general
    branch BC-SEE , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective general
    branch BC-MET , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective general
    branch BC-MET , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective general
    branch BC-EST , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective general
    branch BC-EST , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective general
    branch BC-TLI , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective general
    branch BC-TLI , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective general

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer