POL478 Classical British Political Philosophy

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2006
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Pavel Dufek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Pavel Dufek, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ivona Tolarová
Timetable
Wed 18:00–19:30 U41
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of the history of the political thought and/or history of philosopy, passive knowledge of English.
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
Students will read selected chapters from the basic texts dealing with the British political thought and with associated secondary materials, the context of their time period and their relevance for the present days. The course will be focusing on the most important authors from the seventeenth to the nineteenth ceturies. The topics will include: British empiricism, induction, the ideal state, social contract, British jurisprudence, liberalism, conservativism and liberties. Selected authors: T. More, F. Bacon, T. Hobbes, J. Locke, D. Hume, A. Smith, J. Bentham, J.S. Mill and others.
Syllabus
  • For more information see "Interaktivni osnovy" in the IS. 1. Introduction: organization of the course
  • 2. Racionalism v. empiricism. Methods, intro to the classical British political thought
  • 3. Ideal state. Utopia. (T. More, F. Bacon)
  • 4. Ideal state. Social contract. (T. Hobbes)
  • 5. Freedom. Tolerance. J. Locke
  • 6. Freedom. Liberalism. J. Locke
  • 7. Reading week
  • 8. B. Mandeville, D. Hume
  • 9. D. Hume
  • 10. A. Smith, J. Mill
  • 11. J. Bentham
  • 12. J.S. Mill
  • 13.
  • 14.
Literature
  • BACON, Francis. Nové organon. 1. vyd. Praha: Svoboda, 1974, 249 s. info
  • Descartes, R. Meditace o první filosofii. Praha: Oikoymenh, 2003.
  • Descartes, R. Rozprava o metodě. Praha: Svoboda, 1990.
  • More, T. Utopie. Praha : Mladá fronta, 1978.
  • BACON, Francis. Nová Atlantida ; a, Eseje. Edited by Francis Bacon, Translated by Alois Bejblík. 3. vyd., v MF 1. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1980, 107 s. URL info
  • HOBBES, Thomas. Leviathan neboli o podstatě, zřízení a moci státu církevního a občanského. V Praze: Melantrich, 1941, 375 s., [4. info
  • LOCKE, John. Dopis o toleranci. Vyd. 1. Brno: Atlantis, 2000, 103 s. ISBN 8071082023. info
  • LOCKE, John. Druhé pojednání o vládě. Vyd. 2. Praha: Svoboda, 1992, 184 s. ISBN 802050222X. info
  • RÖD, Wolfgang. Novověká filosofie. Translated by Jindřich Karásek. Vyd. 1. Praha: Oikoymenh, 2002, 383 s. ISBN 80-7298-039-4. info
  • MANDEVILLE, Bernard. The fable of the bees, or, Private vices, publick benefits. Vol. 1 : Mandeville's Fable of the bees (Variant.). Edited by F. B. Kaye. Indianapolis: Liberty Press, 1988, cxlvi, 412. ISBN 0-86597-072-6. info
  • HUME, David. Essays, moral, political, and literary. Edited by Eugene F. Miller. Rev. ed. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1987, xlix, 683. ISBN 0-86597-056-4. info
  • HUME, David. Enquiries : concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of morals. Edited by L. A. Selby-Bigge - P. H. Nidditch. 3rd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1975, xl, 417. info
  • SMITH, Adam. Pojednání o podstatě a původu bohatství národů. Translated by Vladimír Irgl. Nové, přeprac. vyd. opatř. Praha: Liberální institut, 2001, xv s., s. ISBN 80-86389-15-4. info
  • BENTHAM, Jeremy. A fragment on government and an introduction to the principles of morals and legislation. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1960, lxiv, 435. info
  • MILL, John Stuart. Úvahy o vládě ústavní. 2. upr. vyd. Praha: Svoboda, 1992, 239 s. ISBN 802050267X. info
  • MILL, John Stuart. On Liberty and Other Essays. Oxford: University Press, 1991, 592 s. ISBN 0-19-282208-X. info
Assessment methods (in Czech)
Výuka bude probíhat seminářovou formou. Účast studentů v diskuzích je zásadní pro úspěch v kurzu. Hodnocení: participace na hodinách (40%), čtenářský deník - 6krát (40%), prezentace 1krát (20%).
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2014, Spring 2016.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2006, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2006/POL478