POLb1011 Big Issues of Contemporary Political Philosophy

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2023
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Baroš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Bc. Tereza Křepelová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Bc. Jana Kokešová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Baroš, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Thu 16. 2. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 23. 2. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 2. 3. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 9. 3. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 16. 3. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 23. 3. 12:00–13:40 P24a, Thu 30. 3. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 6. 4. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 13. 4. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 20. 4. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 27. 4. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 4. 5. 12:00–13:40 U32, Thu 11. 5. 12:00–13:40 U32
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
POLb1011/01: Wed 5. 4. 10:00–11:40 U35, Wed 10. 5. 10:00–11:40 U35, J. Baroš, J. Kokešová
POLb1011/02: Thu 6. 4. 8:00–9:40 P21b, Thu 11. 5. 8:00–9:40 P21b, J. Baroš, J. Kokešová
POLb1011/03: Thu 6. 4. 16:00–17:40 U35, Thu 11. 5. 16:00–17:40 U35, J. Baroš, J. Kokešová
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! POL142 20th Century Pol. Philosophy && !NOW( POL142 20th Century Pol. Philosophy ) && ( POL103 History of Political Ideas || POLb1008 Traditions Political Thought )
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 aims to introduce students to major topics of political philosophy in the 20th and 21st centuries. At the end of the course students will have acquired knowledge of the most significant issues informing both currect and recent scholarly debates, as well as of key contributors to these debates. Course participants will become familiar with core problems 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.
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the course, students will:
have acquired knowledge of key problems that structure recent debates in the discipline as wellm as the most important political philosophers of the 20th and 21st Centuries
understand the most significant issues and debates pertaining to contemporary normative theoretical reflection of society
be able to explain mutual interaction between political theory and political practice
acquire the ability to critically assess and compare pivotal contributions to contemporary political philosophy and
be able to apply them to important phenomena within present-day societies
Syllabus
  • 1) Course Mission and Essential. Nature and Vocation of Political Philosophy
  • 2) Carl Schmnitt's Realism. The Concept of the Political and States of Exception
  • 3) Liberalism in Peril: Isaiah Berlin, Liberty, and Value Pluralism
  • 4) Republican Liberty as Non-Domination: Hannah Arendt and Philip Pettit
  • 5) John Rawls's 'A Theory of Justice'. The Nature of Political Theory
  • 6) Liberalism in Peril: Friedrich August Hayek and Isaiah Berlin
  • 7) Natural and Positive Law/Right: Ronald Dworkin, HLA Hart. Dworkin's Egalitarianism
  • 8) Natural Rights Libertarianism: Individualism, Ownership, Metautopia
  • 9) Self-Study Week
  • 10) The Communitarian Critique of Liberalism: Has Liberalism Failed?
  • 11) Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School? Rationality, Democracy, Recognition
  • 12) Participative and Radical Democracy: Redistribution, Recognition, Empowerment
  • 13) Deliberative Democracy, Constitutional Patriotism, and the Constitutionalisation of International Law in the work of Jürgen Habermas
Literature
    required literature
  • Pateman, Carole. „Participation and Democratic Theory“. In: Robert Dahl, Ian Shapiro, José A. Cheibub (eds.), The Democracy Sourcebook. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, s. 40–47
  • Sandel, Michael. „Procedurální republika a nezakotvené jáství.“ Filosofický časopis č. 2, 1995, s. 249–265
  • Vávra, David. „Politické myšlení Hannah Arendtové“. Politologická revue 1/2007, s. 3–18
  • LACLAU, Ernesto and Chantal MOUFFE. Hegemonie a socialistická strategie : za radikálně demokratickou politiku. Translated by Rudolf Převrátil. První české vydání. Praha: Univerzita Karlova v Praze, nakladatelství Karolinum, 2014, 233 stran. ISBN 9788024626857. info
  • SCHMITT, Carl. Pojem politična : text z r. 1932 s předmluvou a se třemi korolárii. Translated by Otakar Vochoč. Druhé vydání. Praha: Oikoymenh, 2013, 124 stran. ISBN 9788072984916. info
  • DUFEK, Pavel. Úrovně spravedlnosti: Liberalismus, kosmopolitismus a lidská práva (Levels of Justice: Liberalism, Cosmopolitanism and Human Rights). Brno: Mezinárodní politologický ústav MU, 2010, 300 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-5317-5. info
  • HLOUŠEK, Vít and Lubomír KOPEČEK. Demokracie : Teorie, modely, osobnosti, podmínky, nepřátelé a perspektivy demokracie. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2007, 380 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-4249-0. info
  • ARENDT, Hannah. O násilí. 2. vyd. Praha: Oikoymenh, 2004, 78 s. ISBN 8072981285. info
  • HART, H. L. A. Pojem práva. Edited by Jiří Přibáň, Translated by Petr Fantys. V čes. jaz. vyd. 1. Praha: Prostor, 2004, 312 s. ISBN 8072601032. info
  • BOAZ, David. Liberalismus v teorii a politice. Praha: Liberální institut, 2002, 461 s. ISBN 80-86389-23-5. info
  • SHAPIRO, Ian and Jürgen HABERMAS. Teorie demokracie dnes. Edited by Milan Znoj. Vyd. 1. Praha: Filosofia, 2002, 95 s. ISBN 8070071567. 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
  • Velké postavy politické filosofie. Edited by Jaromír Žegklitz, Translated by Roman Civín. Praha: Občanský institut, 1996, 223 s. ISBN 80-901659-5-8. 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
  • RAWLS, John. Teorie spravedlnosti. Translated by Karel Berka. Praha: Victoria Publishing, 1995, 361 s. ISBN 8085605899. info
  • Liberální ekonomie : kořeny euroamerické civilizace. Edited by Tomáš Ježek. 1. vyd. Praha: Prostor, 1993, 239 s. ISBN 8085190214. info
    not specified
  • DUFEK, Pavel, Jiří BAROŠ, Sylvie BLÁHOVÁ, Tereza KŘEPELOVÁ and Patrik TAUFAR. Liberální demokracie v době krize : perspektiva politické filosofie. Vydání první. Brno: Sociologické nakladatelství (SLON) v koedici s Masarykovou univerzitou, 2019, 308 stran. ISBN 9788021091665. URL info
  • DUFEK, Pavel, Jiří BAROŠ, Sylvie BLÁHOVÁ, Tereza KŘEPELOVÁ and Patrik TAUFAR. Liberální demokracie v době krize : Perspektiva politické filosofie (Liberal Democracy in Times of Crisis : The Perspective of Political Philosophy). Praha – Brno: Sociologické nakladatelství – Masarykova univerzita, 2019, 308 pp. Studie, sv. 136. ISBN 978-80-7419-277-7. Info na stránkách nakladatele info
  • DENEEN, Patrick J. Proč selhal liberalismus. Translated by Petruška Šustrová. Vydání první. Praha: Academia, 2019, 176 stran. ISBN 9788020030504. info
  • HABERMAS, Jürgen. K ustavení Evropy. Translated by Alena Bakešová. Vyd. 1. Praha: Filosofia, 2013, 270 s. ISBN 9788070073919. info
  • ZNOJ, Milan and Jan BÍBA. Machiavelli mezi republikanismem a demokracií. Vyd. 1. Praha: Filosofia, 2011, 453 s. ISBN 9788070073605. info
  • HONNETH, Axel. Patologie rozumu : dějiny a současnost kritické teorie. Translated by Alena Bakešová. Vyd. 1. Praha: Filosofia, 2011, 292 s. ISBN 9788070073520. info
  • HART, H. L. A. Pojem práva. Edited by Jiří Přibáň, Translated by Petr Fantys. V čes. jaz. vyd. 2. Praha: Prostor, 2010, 312 s. ISBN 9788072602391. info
  • MOUFFE, Chantal. The return of the political. London: Verso, 2005, vii, 156. ISBN 1844670570. info
  • GRAY, John. Dvě tváře liberalismu. Translated by Daniel Micka. 1. vyd. Praha: Mladá fronta, 2004, 213 s. ISBN 8020409920. info
  • BALLESTREM, Karl and Henning OTTMANN. Politická filosofie 20. století. 1. vyd. Praha: ISE, 1993, 302 s. ISBN 8085241528. info
  • MARCUSE, Herbert. Jednorozměrný člověk : studie o ideologii rozvinuté industriální společnosti. Translated by Miroslav Rýdl. Vyd. 1. Praha: Naše vojsko, 1991, 190 s. ISBN 8020600752. info
Teaching methods
There are two pedagogical methods of the course:
The first 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.
The second method are seminar classes in smaller groups (ca. 15–20 students). Each seminar consists in (1) clarification of issues related to compulsory readings; and (2) student presentation of a selected text and subsequent in-class discussion
Assessment methods
The course is evaluated throughout the term (composite evaluation); students are expected to read approximately 600 pages of scholarly literature. There are several requirements to fulfil, in order to finish the course:
(1) Attendance at three seminars during the term. Evaluated activities include: Group presentation (0–6 points), position papers (0–3 points), activity in discussions (0–3 points), up to the maximum of 12 points (70 % of the final grade)
(3) Final written test in the exam period, 0-28 points awarded (four questions, 0–7 points each). The test comprises both lectures and assigned readings (70 % of the final grade)
The overall assessment (A through F) represents the total point score from these three parts.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2023, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2023/POLb1011