VV019 Selected chapters in politology

Faculty of Informatics
Spring 2015
Extent and Intensity
2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Ing. Miloslav Dokulil, DrSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. RNDr. Aleš Horák, Ph.D.
Department of Machine Learning and Data Processing – Faculty of Informatics
Contact Person: prof. PhDr. Ing. Miloslav Dokulil, DrSc.
Supplier department: Department of Machine Learning and Data Processing – Faculty of Informatics
Timetable
Tue 14:00–15:50 A218
Prerequisites
The course thematically follows VV015; its passing is not obligatory, but recomendable.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 32 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Political terms/concepts are based in their historically given background (so as it has been the case with the initíal course). Their analysis illustrated by contemporary material makes possible a reasonable orientation and choice in political problems. An analysis of contemporary social and political problems is the starting point; the past has often been the clue towards the understanding of today's questions.
Syllabus
  • The beginnings of Political New Ages.
  • The American experience (Madison, Hamilton, Jay, Paine and the American Constitution). Its resonance in the works by Tocqueville. The problems of "majority rule". The status of "federation" and the "sovereignty" of the particular colonies (republics). An example for the EU?
  • Great Britain and Central Europe under the influence of Enlightenment and in confrontation with the French Revolution. - Montesquieu. Burke. Tocqueville.
  • The "European balance of power" in the 19-th century.
  • From conservatism via liberalism to Marxism? J. St. Mill, "On Liberty".
  • The re-grouping of forces after 1848. Imperialism?
  • WWI and the re-arrangement of Europe after the war. Political ideologies in between of the two world wars. - Toynbee, Sspengler. Fascism, nacism, communism, Trotskyism.
  • The second global conflict of war in the 20-th century and its political and ideological outcome. The formation of the "Two Camps".
  • Towards a United Europe? - The end of colonialism? The problem of toleration. The disintegration of the so-called Eastern Bloc. Terrorism.
  • Conclusion: New centres of power and new ideas? Liberalism again? Tiredness of democracy? Is corruption to win over? The end of American Hegemony? (Arendt, Orwell, Fukuyama, Huntington, Chomsky etc.)
Literature
  • Texty zadané během přednášek.
Teaching methods
A suggestive and engaged exposition is more important in civics than some "slides". To say nothing of any reading from a projecting screen which interferes both with the ideas in question and the mutual contact.
Assessment methods
3 credits after both regularly attending the classes, submitting 2 essays and a group discussion about the themes of those essays (2 to 3 students each time); (2 credits after both regularly attending the classes and submitting 1 essay)
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2003, Spring 2005, Spring 2007, Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2013, Spring 2017, Spring 2019, Spring 2021, Spring 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2015, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fi/spring2015/VV019