POL142 Twentieth Century Political Philosophy

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2014
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Baroš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Pavel Dufek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Stanislav Balík, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. Pavel Dufek, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Wed 8:00–9:30 P51 Posluchárna V. Čermáka
Prerequisites (in Czech)
POL103 History of Political Ideas || POL180 Political Philosophy
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
there are 19 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
At the end of the course students will have acquired knowledge of the most important political philosophers of the 20th/21st Centuries, as well as key problems that structure recent debates in the discipline. Course participants will understand the most significant issues and debates pertaining to contemporary normative theoretical reflection of society. Also, they will be able to explain mutual interaction between political theory and political practice. They will thus acquire the ability to critically assess and compare pivotal contributions to contemporary political philosophy and apply them to important phenomena within present-day societies.
Syllabus
  • 1) Introduction. Nature and Role of Political Philosophy
  • 2) Modernity and Republicanism: Hannah Arendt
  • 3) Critique of Liberalism and the Concept of the Political: Carl Schmitt
  • 4) Critique of Modern Rationalism: Michael Oakeshott, JEric Voegelin, J.F. Lyotard
  • 5) Critical Enlightenment and the 20th Century Emancipation Project: The Frankfurt School and Jürgen Habermas
  • 6) Liberalism in Peril: Friedrich August Hayek and Isaiah Berlin
  • 7) A Theory of Justice: John Rawls
  • 8) Libertarianism: Robert Nozick
  • 9) Egalitarianism. Natural and Positive Law/Right: Ronald Dworkin, HLA Hart
  • 10) The Communitarian Critique of Liberalism: Michael Sandel, Charles Taylor, Michael Walzer, Alasdair MacIntyre
  • 11) Self-Study Week (Bank Holidays)
  • 12) Self-Study Week (Bank Holidays): Radical and Participative Democracy. Critique of the Distributive Paradigm
  • 13) The Cosmopolitan Turn: Democracy and Justice on the Transnational Level?
Literature
  • Politická filosofie 20. století. Edited by Karl Ballestrem - Hennig Ottmann, Translated by Alena Bakešová. 1. vyd. Praha: ISE, 1993, 302 s. ISBN 80-85241-52-8. info
  • Současná politická filosofie :sborník textů anglosaských autorů 20. století. Edited by János Kis, Translated by Pavel Barša. Vyd. 1. Praha: Oikoymenh, 1997, 501 s. ISBN 80-86005-60-7. info
  • BLACKWELL, Basil. Blackwellova encyklopedie politického myšlení. Edited by Janet Colemanová - William E. Connolly - Alan Ryan - David Miller, Tr. Brno: Jota, 1995, xiii, 580. ISBN 80-85617-47-1. info
  • Teorie demokracie dnes. Edited by Ian Shapiro - Jürgen Habermas - Milan Znoj. 1. vyd. Praha: FILOSOFIA, 2002, 95 s. ISBN 80-7007-156-7. info
  • Velké postavy politické filosofie. Edited by Jaromír Žegklitz, Translated by Roman Civín. Praha: Občanský institut, 1996, 223 s. ISBN 80-901659-5-8. info
Teaching methods
The basic pedagogical method of the course are lectures on each topic, which put the required readings into intellectual-historical context, and also focus on several selected problems and issues. Students are required to read the assigned readings before each lecture, so that they are ready to answer the teacher's in-class questions adequately.
Assessment methods
The course is evaluated throughout the term; students are expected to read approximately 650 pages of scholarly literature. There are several requirements to fulfil, in order to finish the course: (1) Seminar essay (for detailed instructions see the course syllabus in Study Materials), 0-15 points awarded. The essay invites students to show their ability to work with scholarly literature (3) Final written test in the exam period, 0-25 points awarded (five questions for 5 points each). The test comprises both lectures and assigned readings. The overall assessment (A through F) represents the total point score from these three parts.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 1999, Autumn 2000, Autumn 2001, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2003, Spring 2013, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2014, recent)
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