FF:PHV416 Phil. and Sci-fi: Sel. Chap. - Course Information

PHV416 Philosophy and Science Fiction: Selected Chapters

Extent and Intensity

0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching

Teacher(s)

doc. Mgr. Radim Bělohrad, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. PhDr. Josef Krob, CSc. (lecturer)
prof. PhDr. Daniel Špelda, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

prof. PhDr. Josef Krob, CSc.
Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts

Prerequisites (in Czech)

(! PH0255 Philosophy in Science Fiction ) && (! CORE089 Philosophy in sci-fi )

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 27 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

At the end of the course students will have been introduced to the possibilities and particular cases of the use of thought experiments in literature as well as so selected philosophical problems portrayed in fiction. The goal of the course is to enhance the creative part of critical thinking while respecting the requirements of logical consistency and formal correctness.

Learning outcomes

Students will have an overview - About selected philosophical issues and fields philosophy of science, philosophy of society, ethics - on their connection with the issue of natural and social sciences cosmology, physics, history, psychology and generally modern technology and their consequences

Syllabus

• The introduction of selected philosophical questions by an interactive way and their reflection using sci-fi literature.

• This will be rather a workshop than a lecture!
  1. The creation of universes, the emergence of the world
• 2. The sign, name and reality
• 3. Evolution, meaning of life
• 4. Social determinism
• 5. Space, time
• 6. Mind, body, solipsism and realism
• 7. Artificial intelligence
• 8. The historical role of a mistake
• 9. The Judgment Day

Literature

• Isaac Asimov: Nadace.
• LEM, Stanisław. Golem XIV (Přít.) : Dokonalá prázdnota ; Golem XIV.
• Isaac Asimov: …že jsi naň pamětliv. Roboti a androidi, Praha, Svoboda 1988, s. 404–426.
• Arthur Clark: Zpráva o třetí planetě. Devět miliard božích jmen. Praha, Práce 1982
• LEM, Stanislaw. Summa technologiae. Praha: Magnet-Press, 1995. 328 s. ISBN 80-85847-47-7.

Teaching methods

Lecture based on assigned reading, discussion and text analysis.

Assessment methods

Test

Language of instruction

Czech

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: kombinovaná forma: 16 hodin/semestr.

Listed among pre-requisites of other courses

• CORE089 Philosophy in sci-fi
  typ_studia(BM) && forma(P) && !(program(B-PH_) || obor(FBPHpV)) && !NOWANY(PHV416) && !PHV416  

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/PHV416