The article is based on evolutionary ontology and deals with the basis of technology, two branches of technological development, the process of evolution of technology and a little known problem of the compatibility of biosphere with the sphere of technology. The author claims that technology is a way, procedure or algorithm by which man uses and controls living and non-living natural processes, structures and powers for their own cultural purposes. The tool, the machine and the automatic system are considered to form the evolution of abiotic technology. The first stage of biotic technology is considered to be hunting and gathering, the second being planetary spread of agriculture, animal keeping and breeding. The third phase consists of modern biotechnologies, cloning and genetic manipulation. At the end the author points out that technology is the most active anti-natural subsystem of culture, is incompatible with living nature, suppresses it and irreversibly damages. As it absorbs new structural information, though, it could form, in a regime of bio-friendly culture, an efficient way of reducing the current ecological crisis.

The work deals with the influence of the French Revolution and the related neo-humanist movement on the first phase of Czech national revival from the end of 18th and the beginning of 19th centuries. First it notices some changes in the interpretation of the French Revolution, especially in contemporary historical studies, and rejects criticisms of the revolution. It shows how German society reacted to the revolution and how the German neo-humanist movement and its major concept of “antique ideal” emerged under the influence of it. The conditions in Germany serve as tertium comparationis to the situation in Bohemia. It is claimed that we can find a positive attitude toward French Revolution in Bohemia too, especially in protestant and free mason circles. That made the reception of new humanism in Bohemia easier, since neo-humanism was based on revolutionary ideas as well as German protestantism and its humanist dimension. New humanism was then able to play a positive role in the emancipatory process of Czech society for almost the whole of the first half of 19th century.

Josef Jungmann laid the foundation of literature and science written in Czech by his scientific activity. He was a leading figure of Czech national revival in the early 19th century. However, Jungmann’s reception in later Czech thought was rather mixed. Masaryk rejected his liberalism, Patočka his language conception of nation. From 1845, at the end of his life, Jungmann recorded his memories and especially opinions on a number of public and private themes. The records, published under the title Memoirs, play an important role in fully understanding Jungmann’s personality.

The article is a contribution to the theme of „Czech Philosophers in 1945–1948“. It concerns the work in which J. L. Fischer further developed his system of hierarchical philosophy as well as his (at the time dominant) pedagogical, lecturing and organiza­tional activities: he was the dean of the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University between 1945–1946 and the rector of the new Palacký University in Olomouc between 1946–1949. The article also discusses Fischer´s attempts to influence the contemporary debate on the reform of Czech educational system.

The paper deals with a conception of international order and its limits in the trans­national and global context from the point of view of a theory of social and political recognition. It concentrates especially on the conception developed by Axel Honneth. It is a reconstruction as well as an interpretation of the conception, showing the pos­sibilities and limitations of its application on transnational and global levels. First, the paper analyses Honneth’s arguments concerning moral realism and international recog­nition. It discusses the need of international recognition as related to the political and cultural recognitions. Then, it shows the insufficiencies of the conception of interna­tional recognition on the background of globalization on one hand and the individual/society relationship on the other. The following part of the paper deals with problems of a transposition of patterns of recognition from the national level to international and transnational levels, and explains limits of arguments developed by V. Heinz, T. Pogge and A. Wendt. In mapping the tendencies to transnational and global recognitions, the paper focuses on the important transitory phenomenon of extraterritorial recognition. It also articulates arguments how a theory of recognition can be developed on transna­tional and global levels.

This article deals with the polemics of the German philosopher Hans Blumenberg with the theory of secularization. Secularization theory explained the origin of many modern ideas as an unauthentic derivative of original religious content – this included the idea of progress, which, for example, Karl Löwith interpreted as secularized escha­tology. The paper presents two levels of Blumenberg’s argumentation: Firstly, Blumen­berg opposed the methodological foundations of the theory of secularization which he identified as the so-called substantialist conception of history. This conception presup­poses the existence of a persisting historical substance which passes through the ages with only slight accidental changes. According to Blumenberg, this approach is mistak­en because there is no such historical substance. As an alternative approach, Blumenberg introduced his dialogical functionalism. Secondly, Blumenberg suggested an alternative interpretation of the origins of the idea of theoretical progress, which was later extended and transferred to the whole of history. Although it is possible to raise a number of objec­tions aimed at the details of Blumenberg’s conception, his ideas still remain a fascinat­ing and inspiring example of an historical approach to philosophy.

In this number of the Studia Philosophica journal, we present a translation of the first chapter of Kant´s work Religion innerhalb der Grenzen der bloßen Vernunft (1793). It is a late work of Kant’s in which he summarizes and systematizes his philosophy of religion. This work resulted in Kant being banned from writing and lecturing on all issues related to religion. Today, the work is not considered outrageous or scandalous any more. It is rather seen as the first attempt to found religion on pure practical reason, not church regulations. One of the best pieces of evidence for this effort is the famous first chapter of the work, which focuses on what is called radical evil in man.

The work takes up Antonín Jeřábek’s book of interviews with Karel Mácha (On the Truth of History), published to celebrate the jubilee of this Czech philosopher living in Germany since 1978. It supplements in some respects the picture of Mácha’s personal relationship with Czech philosophy and history.

The paper deals with the role of irony in the thought of Blaise Pascal. The author proposes to distinguish two types of irony in Pascal’s work. The first type – offensive irony – can be found in The Provincial Letters, Pascal’s polemics with the principles of Jesuit moral teachings. The use of ironic strategy allows Pascal to criticize efficiently the Jesuit argumentation and the problematic consequences of their moral values. In Pascal’s Pensées, the function of irony changes radically. Pascal’s description of the position of human beings can be compared to the irony of situation, represented usually by The Oedipus King by Sophocles. Irony thus becomes a perspective which depicts the paradoxes of human existence and intensifies the emotional impact of Pascal’s work.

Durkheim’s political interest stems from an analysis of anomies of the late 19th century society. He credits the anomies to the changes in the organization of labor division in the society as well as to the fact that man is a being with ever increasing demands. In this respect he appeals to all social classes to abide by the rule of moderateness. – Durkheim poses the question if sociologists can contribute to social reform. In his view the most important contribution is their scientific work, i.e. an analysis and a description of social reality. Such activity does not qualify them as politicians. In politics, a scientist can only act as a citizen or possibly an adviser and an educator.

This paper contains preliminary notes on an interpretation of Hegel’s political philosophy. It concentrates on the last part of The Philosophy of Right, i. e. sphere of the ethical life. A thesis defended in the paper is that it is Hegel’s notion of bureaucracy which is crucial for the interpretation. Concepts are employed of civil society and public sphere by J. Habermas, as well as of habitus by P. Bourdieu in order to highlight fragmented character of the civil society. Therefore, the bureaucracy is given major role in realization of “the concrete universal” by means of both public administration and parliamentary politics. The centrality of bureaucracy in political integration is therefore called administrative nationalism.

The study is about the ontology late Martin Heidegger. The work analyses mainly category Lichtung and category Sein and relation L ichtung and Sein. Lichtung is in Heidegger’s work “The End of Philosophy“ ALETHEIA , also truth in early ancient meaning, mainly in Parmenides trought. Me study anylyses also form good method according to Heidegger.

This year it is 130 years since the birth and 80 years since the death of Karel Vorovka (3/2/1879 – 15/1/1929) as well as 80 years since the publication of his American Philosophy. The author shows the way that led Vorovka to this work: his strong orientation to western thinking, his attendance at the 6th international philosophical congress taking place at Harvard University in Cambridge near Boston (13–17/9/1926) and his personal and professional relationships with Anglo-American philosophers. It presents Vorovka’s “trip reports” from American meetings and the results of his studies: reviews of some Harvard philosophers’ works (R. B. Perry, W. A. Hocking, C. I. Lewis) and journal articles on American neo-realism, personalism and behaviorism, which were eventually included in his American Philosophy.

Kosík’s work Dialectics of the Concrete (1963) attracted great attention both in Czechoslovakia and abroad. Jan Patočka was among those who responded to the book in 1960s. One of the reasons for his interest was the fact that Kosík used elements of Heidegger’s philosophy to overcome dogmatic Marxism. Patočka pointed out that Kosík had not adopted the ontological intention of Heidegger’s analyses of everydayness, which creates a certain tension in his work. Kosík’s dialectics of the concrete, which stems from an analysis of everyday practice, never became, in Patočka’s opinion, a dialectic of real life.

The article deals with some problems that concern the reliability of scientific knowledge and the rationality of scientific theories’ acceptance. The central attention is paid to the discussion between realists and instrumentalists and the controversies over literally interpretation of theories and their ontological commitments. The author examines one famous argument for realism (no miracle argument). She engages in the problems to which the argument is exposed (the circularity and the pesimmistic induction) and considers the possibilities to avoid them. The author concludes by claiming that even though no offered strategy is able to withstand effectively the pessimism that arises fromthe history of science, there is no reason to reject the realistic thesis.

Love, universals, a new written source, deceit and treason – all of that can be seen in a play on the love affair between the philosopher Abélard and his conscientious student Heloise. A recently discovered letter of Abelard reveals that he actually never lost his manhood, but only pretended his bad luck to find peace and quiet for his philosophical contemplations on, among other things, universals.

A „dramatic humoresque“ – not exactly a truthful version of the clash of ideas of two major medieval Czech figures, John Huss and his philosophically more vigorous teacher Stanislav of Znoymo. In our version Huss invents the matches in order to set the world on fire and thus purify the church of evil – the audience and readers´ task is to find all historical and factual inaccuracies deliberately incorporated into the play.