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Does Popper's critique of Plato stand up against other interpretations?
Pokorný, Pavel ; Šimsa, Martin (advisor) ; Franěk, Jakub (referee)
The main goal of this thesis is to answer following question: Does Popper's critique of Plato stand up against other interpretations? This question is answered by author that he clarifies Popper's assumptions, and then he compares it with Plato's primary texts as well as with secondary sources of other interpreters (Gadamer, Reale, Graeser, Patočka, and Strauss). To answer the main question the author proceeds with this method: In the first chapter he focuses on the context of Popper's evaluation of Plato and clarifies the difference between terms of the open and closed society. He uses moments of Popper's life too. In the second chapter author clarifies Plato's political philosophy on the basis of analysis Leges a Respublica, which are texts that formulates the main ideas of Plato's philosophy and are the main source of Popper's criticism. In the third chapter author presents an explanation of Popper's criticism from the first volume of Open society and its enemies, while he mostly focuses on Popper's formulation of "law of revolution", which is based on assumption of validity of historicism in Plato's explanation of society development and an accusation of Plato's racism. In the last chapter author analyzes Popper's critical statements formulated against Plato and confronts it with other...
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Robert Kagan - The Life and Work
Škvorová, Sára ; Charvát, Jan (advisor) ; Franěk, Jakub (referee)
This thesis deals primarily with the work of Robert Kagan. Using discourse analysis it seeks the views of the U. S. position in the world and the role which the U. S. should play in the international field. Simultaneously it handles his view of the current world order and its possible alternatives. It examines the views and opinions of Kagan to the objectives of U. S. foreign policy, develops means to achieve those objectives as well as the obstacles that hinder the achievement of these goals. It also focuses on the relationship between Europe and the USA. It examines the causes and consequences of differences in the way Americans and Europeans perceive the use of power and foreign policy. To achieve a holistic view on the issue, the views of Kagan's critics are included.
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The Reflexion of the Roman Republic in the Roman and in modern political thought
Halamka, Tomáš ; Šimsa, Martin (advisor) ; Franěk, Jakub (referee)
The main objective of the thesis is to map how Roman and modern political thought reflected the era of Roman Republic. Particular authors, who devoted certain part of their work to Roman Republic, are chosen as representatives of the various historical eras. This thesis does the research into their work to find how specifically they mentioned, comment on or were inspired by Roman Republic. All these findings are presented in the context of particular thinker's complete work. Research begins with two authors living in republican times, namely Polybius and Cicero, and continues to the times of imperial Rome examining the 4th Century Eutropius. The part describing modern political philosophy chronologically lists Florentine Machiavelli, baron de Montesquieu, American Federalists and socialist thinkers Marx and Engels. The thesis then moves to comparison of all stated authors. Ten different topics are chosen to illustrate the common ground and differences of reflections among the examined authors. Such comparison provides required data for the secondary objective of the thesis - to explain which aspects of Roman Republic were the most significant for political philosophy.
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The Comparison of Concept of Democracy in the Work of Jean Jacques Rousseau and Hans Kelsen
Habrová, Klára ; Šimsa, Martin (advisor) ; Franěk, Jakub (referee)
The main goal of this paper is to compare Hanse Kelsen and Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concepts of democracy and to establish common features in their works. Attention is also drawn to the connection between Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Kelsen's writings. In order to determine this connection, the author of this paper examined fthe ollowing works of the above mentioned Of The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right and Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and O podstatě a hodnotě demokracie by Hanse Kelsen. Afterwards, the author's aim was to take a critical look at the two writer's works. She based her critical examination of Jean-Jacque Russeau on the writings of Božena Komárková, Jürgen Habermas and Charles Taylor and drew from Carl Schmitt's work to analyse Hanse Kelsen. To be able to critically appraise these authors as well, it was necessary to study other areas than democracy. For example, the author studied the topic of human rights as seen by Božena Komárková. The main part of this paper primarily deals with different concepts of democracy as the above mentioned authors have described. Individual works are examined in detail and the author tries to find common features in the concept of democracy as seen by Kelsen and Rousseau. Finally, the...
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The limits of freedom of expression in a liberal democracy
Zícha, Lukáš ; Kučera, Rudolf (advisor) ; Franěk, Jakub (referee)
The main topic of this paper is freedom of expression and its limits in liberal democracy from the point of view of political philosophy. First of all, the author explores the functions that freedom of expression has in society and its significance in European history beginning in Ancient Greece. Subsequently, the text focuses on all possible approaches to its limitation, two of which are identified as relevant for the case of liberal democracy. These approaches, represented by John Stuart Mill and Joel Feinberg, are closely connected and can be (and usually are) applied together. Therefore, after a detailed analysis of both, a singular assessing principle is created, which makes it possible to evaluate particular cases and tell if the limits of freedom of speech (acceptable in liberal democracy) were transgressed or not. The final principle of political philosophy is then applied to the case of the dissolution of the Workers' party by The Supreme Administrative Court. The author thoroughly examines both the political activities of the party itself and the method followed by the court when deciding the sentence. Afterwards, these two methods (the law and the political philosophy one) are compared, which helps to highlight both their similarities and differences. In both cases, the activity of the...
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Theatre and Politics: The Weimar Republic 1927-1933
Rudý, Jakub ; Kučera, Jan (advisor) ; Franěk, Jakub (referee)
This thesis aims at avant-garde theatre movement in Weimar Republic, namely at stage manager Erwin Piscator and playwright Bertold Brecht, as well as at characteristics of political and social surroundings of Weimar Republic. Intellectually is the aim of this thesis at mutual relation between theatre and politics. Thesis is set into years 1927 - 1933, however, broader context of post-war Germany is necessary, while setting both men in the context and surroundings of Weimar Germany. The thesis is divided into three parts. In the first one, culture, political and social conditions of Weimar Republic are analysed, matters of censorship, culture politics a political conditions of Weimar Republic are accented. The second part aims at Erwin Piscator, principles of his work and his public functioning in the years 1927 - 1933, as well as the response he became in the public. The third part aims in the same way at Bertold Brecht, principles of his playwriting, two plays written in the years 1927 - 1933 and again the response he became in the public. Relation between theatre and politics is analysed from two points of view. The first is point of view of Weimar Republic - its politics in culture and censorship. The second one is the point of view of both men, who had undoubtedly political targets set into...
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The Globalization and the Cosmopolitan Theory of Democracy
Vařeková, Petra ; Šimsa, Martin (advisor) ; Franěk, Jakub (referee)
This thesis is concerned with possibility of a cosmopolitan approach to democracy in the world changed by processes of globalization. The issue of globalization is analyzed from the perspective of three contemporary sociologists - Ulrich Beck, Anthony Giddens and Jan Keller. It will be shown in which way economic, cultural and political globalization changes rules of world politics. A modern concept of democracy traditionally assumed the nation-state framework, however nation-states are no longer able to react adequately to the global dimension of contemporary world issues. This fact allows thesis to open up a concept of cosmopolitanism that has ambitions to expand democratic governance at the global level. First this thesis will introduce Kant's cosmopolitan proposition of international legal order - a voluntary league of states. According to Kant, a perpetual peace can be achieved through realization of three spheres of public law: constitutional law, international law and cosmopolitan law. Many authors responded to Kant's position, each of them in a quite different way. In The Law of Peoples John Rawls proposes a political conception of right and justice that applies strictly to the principles and norms of international law. On the other hand, cosmopolitan authors like David Held and Daniele Archibugi...
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Civil Religion. Audit and Update
Jüptner, Jan ; Kučera, Rudolf (advisor) ; Franěk, Jakub (referee) ; Hrubec, Marek (referee)
PhD thesis assesses the history of the idea of civil religion and proposes a theoretical interface encompassing all its conceptualisations encountered to date (Rousseau, Bellah, Cristi, Parsons, Luhmann, and Lübbe). Civil religion is understood here as a system of reference points through which society, in the process of self-description, projects into the peripheries its autopoietic realities (of the past, future and eternality) so as to lend stability and import to its existence. By relating to these references, a discourse originates which, being characteristic of the presence of thick and comprehensive meanings, enables the society to communicate about its origins, ends and purpose. In its civil configuration this discourse is pluralist and the involvement of its actors is quite restrained. The model allows for an analysis of the entire serious symbol-based communication of the actors (weighty words, religious symbols, nationalism, conspiracy theories and political correctness) within a single context, as well as of preconditions for such communication. The crisis discourse opened in the USA after 9/11 and aspects of Czech life and institutions are also analysed. In the Czech Republic we identify a minority civil religion discourse, concentrated around semi-secularised references on truth and...
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Machiavelli's double solutions of resolving Italian crisis. The Prince and Discourses
Liška, Jan ; Kučera, Rudolf (advisor) ; Kučera, Jan (referee) ; Franěk, Jakub (referee)
At the end of 15th and the beginning of 16th century, Italy found itself in a deep political crisis. Although Italy was the most developed part of Europe at that time both culturally and economically, large parts of the peninsula were under direct influence of foreign powers. As a great Florentine and Italian patriot Machiavelli was greatly saddened by development and reflected this situation in his writing. Two greatest pieces of his work The Prince and Discourses on Livy each offer a different solution to this crisis. In The Prince Machiavelli tries to find a way back to Italy's lost freedom and greatness through one extraordinary man - the prince, while in Discourses he concludes that only republican institution and just laws can be the solution. This paper aims to introduce both of these solutions presented by Machiavelli and by comparing them within the correct historical-political context ultimately decide which one of them would Machiavelli himself favour.
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Camparison of social contract of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke
Veselý, Tomáš ; Kučera, Rudolf (advisor) ; Franěk, Jakub (referee)
This thesis deals with the theory of social contract, specifically the concepts of the social contract of two great English philosophers of 17th century, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. The theory of social contract is one of the most important paradigms of Western civilization, which explains the origin and functioning of the state. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are among the first thinkers who come up with a coherent theory of social contract. The first goal is to introduce concept of the social contract of the authors. What are their assumptions? What is the situation of society before the conclusion of contract? How is the social contract concluded and how terminated? Which form of the state do they prefer and why? What is their's conception of state power? What are the rights and obligations of the citizens and sovereign in state? How were they influenced by the political situation they lived in. The second goal is a comparison of their theories. A lot of apects of their theories are similar. On the other hand many aspects are very different. The work is divided into three main sections supplemented by a brief introduction and conclusion. The first two parts deal with each one of philosophers. The third part contains the actual comparison. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are undoubtedly ones of the most...
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