This contribution responds to the ongoing discussion about the narrativity of history and looks at some differences between fictive and historical narrative. The objective of this contribution is to further elaborate on the ideas of narrative transformations developed by Wolf Schmid, focusing particularly on historical narratives. The authors see differences between both kinds of narrative, especially on the level of reference (which is in line with the views of D. Cohn, P. Ricouer and L. Doležel). The problem of fiction and (...) reference is illustrated by Schmid's four tiered narratological model, especially on the level of happening. In fiction, this tier (of happening) is inferred backwards based on the presentation of the narration. This tier is positioned (excluded in absentia) so the elements of the narrative can be selected. In historical narrative happening has a different status and precedes both the story and the text. Although the shape of the past is related to the presentation of the narrative, it is not determined by nor reduced to it. The authors of this contribution describe the specific character and aspects of narrative transformation in the writing process. (shrink)

The paper has outlined a broad perspective of references for the (particular and general) theory of relativity to various domains of human knowledge and to technique. These references are presented both in their current and historical dimension. The following issues are discussed: 1) the place of the theory of relativity in the development of physics and cosmology, 2) its contribution to the development of mathematics, 3) the significance of the theory of relativity in the development of technique, and 4) the (...) role of the theory of relativity in the development of philosophy. The theory of relativity is – aside to quantum mechanics – one of the two basic paradigms (relativistic paradigm) of contemporary physics. Likewise it plays a fundamental role in further development of physics, astronomy and cosmology, contributing at the same time to the development of mathematics and philosophy. The author indicates that it is groundless to refer to the theory of relativity in the efforts to relativise and subjectivise cognitive and axiological questions. The theory of relativity does not relativise all its concepts of magnitudes, but it even confers the absolute status on certain magnitudes, which have been deemed relative before. (shrink)

In this essay I shall try to offer an outline of an answer to the question of which subject matter and which methodological peculiarities of cosmology caused cosmology only in this century to be transformed into one of the scientific branches of physics in spite of the fact that cosmological considerations on the Universe, and particularly on its origin, are present in the most archaic cultures and so belong to some of the oldest springs of human thought.