KHZAFI Introduction to Philosophy

Faculty of Economics and Administration
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Ing. Josef Šmajs, CSc. (lecturer)
Ing. Boris Janča (assistant)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Božena Šmajsová Buchtová, CSc.
Department of Business Management – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Contact Person: Vlasta Radová
Timetable
Sat 18. 10. 8:30–11:50 P102, 8:30–11:50 P101, 8:30–11:50 P106, Sat 8. 11. 12:50–16:15 P106, 12:50–16:15 P102, 12:50–16:15 P101, Sun 7. 12. 15:30–18:45 P106, 15:30–18:45 P102, 15:30–18:45 P101
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course covers four topics, the first of which – the history of philosophy - builds on social science subjects taught at secondary school. The other thematic units are parts of today’s systematic philosophy elaborated by the author: ontology of evolution, evolutionary gnoseology, philosophy of technology. The second part, i.e. evolutionary ontology, forms the theoretical basis for interpreting evolutionary gnoseology and philosophy of technology. All these parts comprehensibly show what is nature and natural evolution, and what is culture as opposed to nature (civilization) and socio-cultural evolution. Interpretation, which is based on knowledge and theories of current system of sciences, explains not only the natural and cultural evolution, but also a less known problem of ontic information and the role of information in open non-linear systems: the systems of living and culture. Also the problem of knowledge is not interpreted traditionally, which means obtaining information from the external environment of man, but evolutionarily ontologically, that is, as ontic procedure, through which open non-linear systems acquire and use information for their own growth and reproduction. The part of philosophy of technology interprets two lines of technological development (biotic and abiotic), the problem of evolution of technology, conflict and biosphere and technosphere and little-known abiotic agricultural technology and information.

Main objectives can be summarized as follows:
- Become familiar with classical philosophical tradition and the main problems of traditional philosophy
- Master interpretation of evolutionarily ontological concept of existential conflict of culture and nature
- Cope with problems of evolutional gnoseology issues including the ontic role of knowledge
- Cope with the problem of philosophical interpretation of technology and technosphere
- Refine students’ theoretical thinking
Syllabus
  • Thematic plan of the course:
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. What is philosophy, philosophic disciplines, particularity of the philosophic method, relationships between philosophy and science, philosophy and religion, philosophy and art, philosophy and politics
  • 3. Antique philosophy, medieval and Renaissance philosophy, main streams, authors and problems
  • 4. Modern philosophy, great systems of the 17th century, enlightenment, positivism, English empiricism, German classic philosophy, Marxian and existential philosophy, philosophy of language, philosophy of American pragmatism, hermeneutics, analytical philosophy
  • 5. Ontology as the theory of existence, history and meaning, Greek and medieval ontology, ontology of mechanic materialism, existential ontology, critical ontology by N. Hartmann
  • 6. Evolutionary ontology, general characteristic, relationship between existence and events, evolution, two ontic rules, two types of ontic orderliness
  • 7. Evolutionary ontology, open linear systems, information, ontic role of information
  • 8. Check test
  • 9. Evolutionary gnoseology, what is the knowledge, biological and cultural background of knowledge, language as a phenomenon of culture
  • 10. Evolutionary gnoseology, general and scientific knowledge, ontic role of knowledge
  • 11. Evolutionary gnoseology, problem of the truth, criteria of the truth, problem of compatibility
  • 12. Philosophy of technology, what is technology, two lines of technology, evolution of technology
  • 13. Philosophy of technology, productive, consumer and information technology, conflict between biosphere and technosphere.
Literature
  • ŠMAJS, Josef. Základy systematické filosofie. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita v Brně, 2006, 251 s. ISBN 8021041013. info
Assessment methods
Students are obliged to hand in a seminar paper (POT - work amended by tutor) during semester. The deadline for the delivery is one week before the day of exam. The seminar paper is is a precondition for taking the exam.
The final written test is composed of three open questions. Students have to answer them in the time limit of 30 minutes. The test is classified on scale from A to F.
If student commits a prohibited act, such as usage of various forbidden tools, cribbing, taking out any part of the exam or any other cheating, teacher is allowed to interrupt an exam and to grade a student with F, FF or FFF according to the seriousness of the offence. Mentioned procedure relates to all the activities that are included to the final evaluation of the course (seminar work, essays, tests etc.).
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2001, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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