(The Face of the Other: On the thinking of Emmnanuel Levinas)

Table of Contents

Levinas develops his fundamental philosophical considerations from the concrete encounter with the other, who in his radical otherness places an ethical demand on the ego. This claim is particularly evident in the face and gaze of the other. Thus the “face of the other” belongs to the central figures of thought of Levinas’ philosophy. This anthology unfolds the core motif of the “face” in different directions (e. g. in conversation with philosophical tradition) and at the same time shows its effect in various fields: in art or in the “political”.

(Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Considerations on the Government of Poland and on Its Projected Reformation)

Table of Contents

Considerations on the Government of Poland is the last political work by J.-J. Rousseau, it was published for the first time only after his death. Rousseau wrote the Considerations in a response to the request of the members of the revolted Polish nobility to propose a reform of the Polish Constitution. In this work Rousseau discusses the possibility of the survival of the Polish nation face to the disappearance of the Polish state. In this regard, Rousseau anticipates the national movements and demonstrates the originality of his political thought. The numerous references to the Social Contract contained in the Considerations prove the unity of his political theory as well as the strength and ardour of his convictions even in his last years. The book contains the notes of the author and the translator as well as the index, bibliography and a short survey of political the situation in the 18th century Poland. This is the first Czech translation of this work.

In: Ch. Krijnen (ed.), Concepts of Normativity: Kant or Hegel?

Both Kant and Hegel are convinced that the state is essential for human coexistence and cannot be replaced by another institution. Their justification of the state and their understanding of it does, however, differ. Kant is a theorist of natural rights and social contract, while Hegel is known as a critic of both of these theories and a theorist of an ethical state. Chotas explains what these two claims actually mean and in what respects do they contradict each other. He considers also their consequences for the notion of the state within a broader context of philosophy of these two thinkers.

(“Bildung [cultivation] of Man and of Spirit in Hegel: Discussion with a View to Humanism [Humboldt and Herder]”)

Table of Contents

This chapter analyses Hegel's concept of Bildung (cultivation) and shows its differences from the well-known and popular concept found in Humboldt and Herder. The chapter builds on the author’s longstanding interest in all issues concerning Bildung and the theory of the modern university.

In: Bomski, F., and Stolzenberg, J. (eds.), Genealogien der Natur und des Geistes: Diskurse, Kontexte und Transformationen um 1800. Göttingen: Wallstein Verlag, 2018, pp. 257–272.

Table of contents

The article was published in a monothematic issue on Republicanism. In contrast to the standard interpretation of Constant’s political theory as purely liberal, the author argues that an interpretation of Constant’s understanding of politics must take into account the ideas he expressed in De la religion. It is claimed that Constant develops the ideas of civic Republicanism by emphasising morality (based on our passions) and civic engagement as the chief means of preserving human liberty.

(Benjamin Constant, Principles of politics)

Table of Contents

The translated book is the key political work of the Swiss-French political writer and politician Benjamin Constant (1767–1830). Constant considers here the impact of the French revolution on political thought. The present publication is the translation of the manuscript version of the book (1806) that Constant could not publish at the time due to political reasons. This version of the book confirms him as a key representative of classical Liberalism.

(Kant and Husserl on Experience)

Table of Contents

The focus of the book is on the theory of experience in Immanuel Kant and Edmund Husserl, two major figures in the modern philosophy tradition. Although they both used the label of ‘transcendental idealism’ as to describe their own position, there have been only very few attempts to systematically compare their ways of thinking so far. The book is thus not only an attempt to explore into this rather neglected topic, but it is also a contribution to the problematic of transcendentalism and to the theory of knowledge in the western philosophy in general.

(On the Study Methods of Our Times)

Table of Contents

On the Study Methods of Our Times may be the most accessible text of Neapolitan philosopher Gaimbattista Vico (1668-1744). It presents a perspicious comparision of modern study methods with the ancient ones, bringing examples from various disciplines, not just from natural science or medicine, but also from art or law theory. According to Vico with the growing specialisations the education becomes fragmentary and detached from civil life. The translation of the book is preceded by an extensive introduction putting Vico's proposal to an appropriate frame and explaining some of his central notions.

(Kant’s Moral Law)

Table of Contents

The book is composed of two extended articles by the foremost interpreters of Kant, Konrad Cramer and Michael Wolff. It presents the moral law as a basic principle of Kant’s practical philosophy. The meaning of the moral law is interpreted and it is shown in what sense it is more fundamental than the categorical imperative. The book also provides an explanation of what Kant has in mind when he says that consciousness of the moral law may be called a fact of reason.

(Disease of the Epoch or Healing Provocation? Scepticism in Post-Kantian Philosophy)

Table of Contents

The present collection of essays is devoted to the debate about the new scepticism, which emerged in Germany as immediate response to Kant's critical philosophy. Sceptical doubts of Maimon and Schulze opposed the Kantian claim that it is possible a priori to determine the nature of experience and the conditions of its possibility. Reinhold defended Kant against such criticism, but modified his claim. This debate inspired Fichte, Schlegel and later Hegel to develop their own philosophy.