According to Eugen Fink, a German phenomenologist and student of Martin Heidegger, „metaphysics of death“ is one of the most important tasks of philosophy. However, metaphysics, as the queen of philosophical disciplines, finds itself in the sharpest marginal situation because its concepts of illuminating and determining being seem to be fragmented. The relationship between metaphysics and death should be perceived as such that death is not the subject of metaphysical thought, but rather its existential motive. Fink looks at the phenomenon (...) of death from a different perspective than his mentor Martin Heidegger. Like other of his existentials, by which the human existence is defined, he complements it by an aspect of intersubjectivity, which fundamentally revises the strongly individualistic concept. (shrink)

Some philosophers claim that our visual world is just an illusion. They support this point of view with a body of empirical research which shows the fragility of our capacity to precisely represent our visual world. My aim is to show that this question is even more complicated. I will introduce a double notion of visual representation. I argue that what we called vision is a result of two distinct processing of visual information.

At first sight, the work of Albert Camus appears to be readily interpretable. However, it is the literary and unsystematic nature of the expression of thoughts that causes different understandings of his texts. It is no wonder that many authors point out to the Camus’s philosophical inconsistencies. In this paper I focus on several interpretations of Camus’s texts, which I consider to be inaccurate. This is, particularly, the critique of “happy Sisyphus” by Eva Beránková in the afterword of Czech edition (...) of The Myth of Sisyphus, but also documentary film Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life by the famous biologist Richard Dawkins. In the context of Irvin Yalom’s reflection on the happiness and meaning of life, I point out that even the recognition of the therapeutic potential of literary-existential texts is not clear. (shrink)

The main aim of this paper is to contribute to the field of history of Slovak philosophy by focusing on the reflection of Schopenhauerʼs philosophy in the thinking of Tomáš Garrique Masaryk. We focus on the criticism of Masaryk’s statement in his famous work Ideály humanitní: Pessimism is identical with nihilism. We try to prove that Schopenhauer’s pessimism is not necessarily identical with nihilism by detailed analysis of Schopenhauer’s ontological system.

The main aim of this paper is to contribute to the field of history of Slovak philosophy by focusing on the reflection of Schopenhauerʼs philosophy in the thinking of Tomáš Garrique Masaryk. We focus on the criticism of Masaryk’s statement in his famous work Ideály humanitní: Pessimism is identical with nihilism. We try to prove that Schopenhauer’s pessimism is not necessarily identical with nihilism by detailed analysis of Schopenhauer’s ontological system.

The text deals with the understanding of philosophy as spiritual exercises, which accentuate its practical, transformative part. Ancient philosophy consists at the same rate from discourse as from particular practice oriented on transformation of philosophizing subject. This non-reductionist approach is present, e.g. in eastern philosophies as well. As Pierre Hadot points out, in ancient and eastern philosophy a certain set of common features and practices can be described. In more detailed way the text is addressed to the forms of philosophies (...) as spiritual exercises in Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. (shrink)

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Ernst Bloch´s death and the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx´ birth, the presented study examines Bloch´s reinterpretation of the Marxist philosophy in his original concept, which is based on the self-transcendence, on the utopian horizons of the materialistic-monistic founded identities. Is the humanistic philosophy of historical progress founded ontologically enough?

The topic of the paper is an accentuation and analysis of moral message of Cervantes‘ character of Don Quixote. The aim of the interpretation is to advert that the absurdity of knight-errant could be used as a demonstration of idealistic conviction in personal and also in public life. The article also concerns with the fact that idealism necessary collides with its realistic background and opposite. This collision does not prove that the idealism or realism is true or false. It concerns (...) rather with steadiness, integrity and straightness of the subjective conviction which, however, must be proved in every single case. The paper is also focused on a context of other Cervantes‘ works, which rather complicates than helps the interpretation. In the text I also rely on some works and ideas of Dostoyevsky and Schelling. Especially Dostoyevsky was the author who particularly elevates the beauty of Don Quixote. (shrink)

In the deeper layers of Les Misérables, II. In the deeper layers of the Kolyma Tales On first sight, it would seem that Victor Hugo and Varlam Shalamov represent completely opposite worlds. From a formal standpoint, it is truly so: Hugo’s epopeia versus the short prosaic thriftiness of Shalamov. What connects both of these poets then? Hugo in the meeting of the bishop with the member of the Convention, G. explores the eventual convergence of opposing political positions. On a personal (...) level, he uncovers the honest effort of both characters. Shalamov in Kolyma Tales recounts the experience of Russian intelligentsia after the October revolution which had a tragic impact, even on his personal life. As the son of an Orthodox priest, he understands the structure of Christianism, but looks at it from the position of a devout follower of humanistic ideals, who spent 20 years in the Soviet labour camps. Both authors protest against the physical destruction of the differently thinking parts of the nation and initiate thinking about faith and honest unfaith. (shrink)

The paper deals with epistemic intuitions as a specific epistemological phenomenon. It points out some difficulties of examining this matter and suggests a new methodological perspective which seems promising with respect to removing such difficulties. The first part of the paper concerns with identification and characteristics of EI. They occur primarily within the so-called method of cases in which the judgements based on EI constitute demonstrations of “normal” understanding of knowledge. In the second part of the paper the attention is (...) paid to the justificatory function of EI which leads to the main epistemological question concerning EI, namely: What makes EI possess a strong justificatory status? The goal of the third part is to show that current conceptions of EI do not provide satisfactory responses to the justificatory question. In the fourth part of the paper the pivotal methodological turn is introduced and defended. The turn consists in a shift from substantial to adjectival perspective on the issue: instead of “intuitions” it gives preference to “intuitive” beliefs or judgements. This change in subject matter allows setting aside many difficulties related to the substantial form of EI. It also makes the matter a part of ordinary “mainstream” epistemology, which results in a welcomed elucidation of the topic. (shrink)

This study tries to answer two questions. First, whether we can consider Hronský´s novel ‘Chlieb’ agricultural novel and second, whether the meaning and function of agricultural novel represents Hronský´s philosophy of life. This study also deals with the grounds of Hronský´s philosophy of life.

The purpose of this paper is to examine Césaireʼs dismissed poems, written between 1948 and 1950, the time when „Mandela of the Caribbean“ was a convinced communist. Firstly, we observe conditions of his membership in PCF and the role he played in the most communist party in the West. Secondly, we will try to explain how the influence of „socialist realism“ is being manifested in his seven Stalinist poems, both in their genesis and their expression. Eventually, on the basis of (...) the works of renowned Caesarists, we shall evoke his disagreement on national poetry with Aragon, the forerunner of his brilliant resignation in 1956, and highlight the circumstances which led him not only to leave the Party, but also to disavow his Communist-Leninist-inspired pieces of his complete works edition. (shrink)

This paper focuses on the three famous female characters in Socratic philosophy – namely on Aspasia of Miletus, Diotima of Mantineia and Theodota. The main aim of this paper is to argue for the hypothesis that the female characters in the Socratic literature and the ideas to which they refer are of much greater importance than the masculine characters and even represent some exemplary examples of philosophical wisdom. We will try to verify this hypothesis by analyzing important parts from Platoʼs (...) dialogue Symposium, Xenophonʼs Memorabilia, and by examining some fragments that have been preserved from Aeschines of Sphettus. (shrink)

The aim of this study is to examine different possible meanings of the expression “Watteau’s monkeys”. In its literal sense, it leads us to those works of the artist which represent monkeys: to the arabesque entitled The Monkeys of Mars, to the engraving called Amour mal accompagné and to his two paintings in which monkey artists can be found. In a more abstract and theoretical sense, this expression is related – in a pejorative way – to artistic imitation: it may (...) refer to Watteau’s epigones, who made an attempt to create fête galante paintings in the manner of the artist. These two meanings intertwine in the symbolism traditionally attached to the figure of the monkey, the animal which has a reputation for being an excellent imitator, as the proverb ars simia naturae puts it, art is the monkey of nature. (shrink)

Few French writers have pushed the love of animals as far as Emile Zola. To the somewhat Rousseauist eyes of the French writer, the animal is always good and man, animated by a “fraternal tenderness” towards him, has a sacred duty to defend this mute and fragile companion against hunger and cruelty. But where does the human bestiality come from, since we do not keep it from animals? In theory, Zola begins by imputing it to the incompatible “shock of temperaments”, (...) then he explains it by misery or analysis it as degeneration, a “hereditary crack”. The article examines in detail how the “bad Beast” works in practice, in Germinal’s text. It proves that the way Zola uses this notion corresponds in fact very vaguely to his own naturalist theories. The Beast is a curious relative of the Christian devil, on the one hand, and of the evil deities of paganism, on the other. Omnipresent and polymorphic, absolutely not “scientific”, contrary to what Zola claims, but very suggestive on the poetic level, the Beast remains one of the most striking metaphors of evil that the ending nineteenth century have invented. (shrink)

Rétif de La Bretonne is well known as an erotic writer, but he also imagined strange and exotic worlds as in The Austral Discovery by a Flying Man, first published in 1781. The novel could be seen as a pa- rody of travel books, surprising the reader with unbelievable semi-human animals. It could also be a humoristic rewriting of Buffon’s Natural History. But Rétif seems to be serious: not only human beings should take care of all the species of human-animals, (...) but they must teach them elements of sciences and morals, before employing them to organize a pacific and well-governed colonial Empire. It is quite obvious that for Rétif, animality helps humanity to reach its perfection. The virtues of birds and monkeys are particularly important to improve heroes’ abilities. Furthermore, the author himself seeks in animals his own prophetic identity. (shrink)

In her novel Que font les rennes après Noël? Olivia Rosenthal interweaves a documentary on animals, based on testimonies gathered from professionals who work in contact with animals and a biographical fiction: the story of a woman, from her childhood to adulthood, until the moment when She assumes her homosexuality. This complex weaving makes it possible to address most of the questions that the contemporary world poses about the animal world, but above all, to question the savagery and the domestication (...) – of the human as well as the animal. (shrink)

Why do insects elicit such repulsion? From a corpus of 150 insect films, this paper proposes several ways for capturing this aversion. From an anthropological point of view, the insect recalls the past epidemics, refers to the infernal spaces and by its power, inspires excess. Also, in the Fifties, it was a hero of the fantastic movies. This moment of golden age has technological causes related to the transformations of occidental society in the aftermath of the Second World War. However, (...) the approach of insect was also more empathic through its hybridization. He is then the symbol of the pitiful marginal or, on the contrary, the transhumanistic future of the augmented body. (shrink)

In the present text, the authors deals with the specific phenomenon of the so-called wild children, i. e. human beings deprived of contact with other members of the human species. We concentrate on a particular historical case – Victor of Aveyron, a wild child found in France in the end of the 18thcentury who has been submitted to remarkable pedagogical procedures conducted by J.-M. Itard. We attempt to highlight Itard’s philosophical background and to show how his philosophical conjectures might have (...) influenced his practical pedagogical approach especially in the domain of language acquisition. (shrink)

The animal, guardian of the magical rites, is an usual theme of surrealists. Frida Kahlo, seriously injured in this flesh, finds refuge next to her guardian pets which are considered like the idol in the colombia civilization. Her parrots, her dwarf stag, her small and dark monkey are the faithful companions. The other companions are her itzcuintli dogs descended from an old mexican race that aztec Xoloti god should have offered to the humanity to lead towards this one to the (...) world of the death. We will also mention the sphinx of Leonor Fini, the hyena of Leonora Carrington which belongs to the fertile world of the night, just as her white horse, sacred animal in the Celtic mythology and in chamans of the central Asia.These painters women appropriate through the selfportrait the magical strenght of animals, as theirs totems like in the primitive religions. (shrink)

The theme of animal and animality has been linked to literature since a long time ago. We could also find it in a writing of contemporary French writer Karine Tuil. The main characters of her novels are going through stressful life situations that make it possible for the readers to reveal the true depth of the human soul. In the present study we are dealing, among other things, with the question of what situations are turning people into animals – where (...) is “the breaking point” in behaviour, when does man cease to be human and becomes an animal? We are also interested in the reaction of the main character’s surroundings, the Jewish society and the character itself. As the basis of our research, we chose three novels full of irony and Jewish humour from the pen of Karine Tuil: Interdit, Du sexe féminin and Douce France. (shrink)

Joy Sorman was born in 1973. She likes to write about what she does not know, and explore improbable topics. She asserts that she has no imagination whatsoever, which implies for her to work a lot on documentary sources. The body is at the core of her work and this body can also be that of an animal. In a dyptich-like construction, Comme une bête, published in 2012 and La peau de l’ours in 2014, Joy Sorman investigates the links between (...) humans and animals, in texts which are at a crossroads between fables and documentaries. (shrink)

The aim of this article is to offer several possible interpretations of dogs which appear in many works of Jean-Antoine Watteau. By the analysis of the influences that led the painter to the creation of his own style, we have found that he borrowed the motif of this animal from 17th century Flemish painting, and Rubens’s art in particular. The role of the dog in Watteau’s paintings is nonetheless not evident: it could be paying homage to Rubens, it could be (...) seen as a symbol of wealth, faith and eroticism and it can also be a decorative element. Our goal is not to give an answer to the question as to what the function of the dog in Watteau’s paintings is, but by analysing Watteau’s biographies, evoking some of his pictures and studying the unusual posture of the represented dogs, we wish to show directions for the analysis of this enigmatic animal. (shrink)

From 1st till 13 April 2014 continuously, the performeur Abraham Poincheval lives inside a bear naturalized in one of the showrooms of the Musée de la chasse et de la nature in Paris. The animal is fitted out to receive his tenant as well as a whole device of autonomy. What reveals such an artistic act? A fable, where the ancestral order of domination would symbolically be spilled, between the human being-predator and the animal-consommé; no without irony because the performance (...) takes place in a place dedicated to the tradition of the hunting in Western Europe. The biblical history revisited by Jonas and by the whale? Except that here the journey is motionless and accompanied with the diurnal stream of visitors of the museum. It is a question here of being literally in the skin of the bear and in permanent relation with the public: during the performance a webcam in the bear connects 24/24 live Poincheval and the world via Internet. (shrink)

The victims of the cruelty of beasts, the Africans die with the hand of Europeans who are entertained by killing without being ever punished. The death comes even without the participation of European, the colonizer is only its cause indirect. In fact the contact between European and African is never realized. Another important aspect of this relation inferior-superior, of this death dehumanised, is its symbolic value: while the death of old-men of fictional Africa represents the disappearance of the notion of (...) ancestors, the death of the young African generation takes away all the hope of one society which occurs to be on the brink of the existential crisis. At the same time the bestial behaviour, having no mercy, of European colonizers wake up the spirits of colonized Africans who experience the need of the liberty. The old and young generation of Africans dies in the moment when they prepare the revolution. The death of those defenceless wretches stresses the cruel existence in this Africa which is represented in francophone African novels. (shrink)

The animal is the point living on tension where from leaves for Nietzsche the question: which is this “not yet fixed animal”, this “tense rope between the superman and the animal”, in brief man? Cows are at the same time the animals of the damaged link of the man in the animality by the memory ; and those of a link compromised by the human being in his animality by the ruminante thought. So, cows are not the stuffed specimens of (...) a bestiary but the question at the same time of the animality of man and the demarcation of man and animal. (shrink)

The purpose of this text is to present a set of arguments showing that the status of dogs working in the field of human scent identification should not be midway between “a living work instrument” and “an actor in work” as it is considered now. Dogs should be clearly recognized not only as actors in work in this field, but also as “active actors”, because the type of work that human scent identification requires is not based on forcing dogs to (...) work, but on their voluntary and autonomous cooperation, which can arise only thanks to a solid and stable bond between the trainer and his dog. (shrink)

So called “Western roman”, focused on the period of the civil wars during the French revolution between the republicans and the royalists represents an important phenomena of the French historical novel in the 19th century. It’s connected with the names of such authors like Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balzac. The article deals with the motifs of cruelty and bestiality, typical for this type of literature. Firstly, the article will point to the origin of this theme in the Vendée literature, (...) connected with the extremely violent character of the civil war. Afterwards, the article will expose some typical forms of this theme: description of terrors and brutality, figures of Chouans presented as savages and characters of mans-monsters. Finally, we will talk about a connection between the theme of the violence and the ideological dimension of the Western roman. (shrink)

The dog, seen today as the symbol of faith and alertness, has been present in pictorial arts, especially in Flemish and Dutch painting since the 15th century. Over time, this animal has lost its aggressive character in various forms of representation and has become a somewhat indispensable element of genre paintings. Our analysis aims to study the dogs which appear in the sketches and paintings of Jean-Baptiste Greuze. We wish to show the different roles that can be attributed to the (...) dogs in the artist’s works, mainly through the analysis of his paintings in Diderot’s Salons, and also in works of less known art critics, such as Mathon de La Cour and abbé de la Porte. (shrink)

The animal is an integral part of the literary fancy, and especially the fancy of the marvellous. Yet the birth of the fairy tale, as a literary genre, is due to the French storytellers’ quill in the end of the 17thcentury. That way a true fashion for fairy-tales arises, strengthened by the entrance of the oriental fairy-tale in the early 18th century. The 1730’s bring the parodic reaction, together with the influence of libertinism. The question, in view of parodic processes (...) and the presence of libertinism in these fairy-tales, is then to understand how the animals enter storytellers’ critical and subversive intentions. We propose a few answers to that question through the analysis of the bestiary in Tanzaï et Néadarné, the first parodic and libertine fairy-tale of Crébillon fils. (shrink)

The Renaissance was a period in which the world went throught numerous changes. These changes were reflected in knowledge. In an effort to respond to new findings, science had to undergo a certain revision. This revision manifested itself in several attempts to create a new classification of knowledge. We can find such an attempt to create a certain classification in Philip Sidney´s The Defence of Poesy, where his classification is closely related to his definition of poetry. The aim of the (...) study is therefore to interpret Sidney´s classification of knowledge. (shrink)

Our aim is to examine ironical intertextual references and metalanguage in the movies of Woody Allen. The first part of the paper is devoted to intertextuality. To begin with, we specify the notion of intertextuality. Consequently, we provide certain typology of intertextual references, which takes its inspiration from Gérard Genette and Denis Fortin. Finally, we use this typology in investigating the phenomenon of intertextuality in Allen’s movies. The remaining part of the paper focuses on metalanguage. Again, we specify the crucial (...) notion, the notion of metalanguage. This part is inspired mostly by Patricia Waugh’s work on metafiction. We introduce the distinction between embedded stories and metafiction. Subsequently, we examine their occurrences in Allen’s movies. (shrink)

The traditional approach to determine the human’s death was based on evidence of cessation of breathing and circulation. There has been significant progress in the field of resuscitation during the twentieth century. Since the physicians were able to provide an artificial blood circulation and respiration, it turned out that the current cardiopulmonary standard of human death is insufficient. It was therefore replaced by brain death. Even this position has many problems. One of them is the question which part of the (...) brain must be non-functional. The prevailing definition speaks about the whole brain death. An alternative definition considers determining of the death by non-functioning of higher brain, which is linked to the existence of consciousness. Thus, death is defined as the irreversible cessation of consciousness. As a promising starting point of access to the death appears the understanding of life as a system of mutually reinforcing and conditioning processes. All approaches are linked to a number of ethical issues and, last but not least, to the question what we consider a life worthy of living. (shrink)

The following essay deals with Plotinus’ metaphors of theatre in his work On Providence, which should clarify, what is and what should be the existence of man. The first metaphor presents the life of man through the image of an actor who understands that his role is not real. The other two metaphors reveal the fate of man as given, essential and not phantomic and, thus, appear to contradict the first one. The contradiction is only illusive, because each metaphor of (...) existence, each existential is valid for different type of man, which is characterized by different “quality of soul”. (shrink)

Although the US Constitution introduced a republican state system, there is no specific definition of the republic there. The US Constitution is deliberately short document. Its authors wanted to create a charter that would survive throughout times and conditions. However, given the briefness of the Constitution, they felt the need to explain and defend the ideas that had been advocated in it. Thus, The Federalist still serves as the primary source of interpretation of the US Constitution. It is therefore my (...) intention to examine the meaning of republicanism in The Federalist. Although I speak of the republican teaching of The Federalist, there is, in fact, an ambiguity in the use of the word in those essays. This ambiguity reflects an ambiguity in the general use of the word in the political theory and discourse of the 18th century. However, more fundamental problem seems to be the so-called Madison’s „two definitions“ of republic from Federalist No. 37 and No. 39. Both of these essays were written by James Madison. I agree that there is a fundamental difference between these two definitions. I do not, however, believe that it reflects inconsistency in Madison’s thinking. I will argue that these „two definitions“ reflect Madison’s strategy to introduce a new definition of the republic. Thus, in The Federalist, there are two uses of the word republic: 1) its putative meaning in America, the meaning which was embodied in most of the state constitutions and which is the Anti-Federalist understanding of republicanism; and 2) The Federalist’s understanding of what constitutes republicanism. This second use is a new republicanism and represents a significant break on certain crucial points from the then dominant American understanding. (shrink)

The paper is focused on the issue of freedom and its negative profiling in thought of F. A. Hayek. Article analyses the meaning and role of negative freedom for the individual, highlights the fundamental pillars of personal freedom in human society and, thus, reveals its contribution to the functioning of state arrangement, which Hayek accentuates. Whereas the protection of individual freedom in society should serve as a measure against any arbitrary coercion, for example by the state, the aim is to (...) clarify and work out Hayek’s attitude to coercion of man in society. In this context, it points out any discrepancies arising from the conditionality of freedom and coercion or restriction. (shrink)

The review study focused on Czech translation of Pierre Hadot’s Qu’est-ce que la philosophie antique? is divided into three parts. In the first part the motivation behind the question “what is ancient philosophy?” is considered. On the one hand, Hadot aims to show that usual contemporary understanding of philosophy with its emphasis on discourse and theory does not provide adequate perspective to interpret ancient philosophy in its own right and thus the question on its nature must be asked anew. On (...) the other hand, Hadot sees the core of ancient philosophy in specific praxis, not in theory, and this concept serves as norm for critical revision of the contemporary philosophy. The second part is addressed to the content of the chapters. The study accentuates that Hadot offers not only a description of various ancient philosophical schools and movements, but also presents a certain genealogy of the contemporary understanding of philosophy. The final part is dedicated to brief critical assessment of Hadot’s book and draws several conclusions concerning the institutional character of philosophy with regard to present crisis of humanities from its perspective. (shrink)