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Aristoxenus of Tarentum - a study on the work Elementa Harmonica
Langhammerová, Gabriela ; Hladký, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Šíma, Antonín (referee) ; Švantner, Martin (referee)
The thesis deals with an Ancient Greek work Elementa Harmonica (Harmonic Elements) written by Aristoxenus of Tarentum and to the same extent with the contexts of the creation of this work. Elementa is primarily a musical-theoretical work, focused mainly on specific parts of which music, and more specifically, melody, consist. There is a huge and thorough description of particular elements including those who tried to deal with the same matter before Aristoxenus himself. Therefore, Elementa are amongst other a very valuable source of collected knowledge concerning both musical theory, methodology and musical practice provided by Aristoxenus' predecessors. However, Elementa have also an interesting methodological approach, combining mathematical (which means basically Pythagorean) and peripathetical (predominantly Aristotelian) attitudes in a unique synthesis leading to an establishment of a brand new position of musical-theoretical research. This thesis shall provide an analysis of the main constituting branches and its further implications. Key words: Aristoxenus of Tarentum, ancient music theory, Elementa Harmonica, methodology of science, history of science, Pythagorean tradition, peripatos, melody, elements
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The Evolution of the notion of a World Soul in Henry More
Joseph, Jacques ; Hladký, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Nejeschleba, Tomáš (referee) ; Hill, James (referee)
The main goal of this thesis is to describe the evolution of the concept of a world soul in the thought of Cambridge Platonist Henry More (1614-1687). However, this topic is discussed within the broader context of early modern philosophy and the birth of modern science. The philosophy of Henry More presents a very interesting confrontation between Renaissance Neo-Platonism and Cartesianism, early modern mechanicism and the newest scientific discoveries of his age, the notion of a world soul being exactly the point where all these thought currents meet. The classical conception of a platonic world soul in More's early thought later becomes the Spirit of Nature, a principle complimentary to mechanicism (and at the same time acting as its metaphysical foundation). Yet in order for the regularity of such phenomena as gravitation to be guaranteed, the Spirit of Nature has to be rid of any conscience and will of its own. However, besides this tendency to "strip" the world soul of its personal aspects, leading ultimately to the notion of a completely impersonal natural law, a deeper analysis of certain aspects of More's philosophical system shows also a determination to preserve the broader connections that tie the classical notion of a world soul to a specific world picture that does not necessarily fit...
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Nietzsche, Conscience, Evolution
Šturmová, Magdalena ; Hladký, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Markoš, Anton (referee)
The philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche was significantly influenced by the theory of evolution, though his interest was almost solely in relation to the human psyche. However, while many topics of his philosophy are similar to current topics of discussion in science, reflection on these thoughts is rare. The aim of this dissertation is to present Nietzsche's pivotal thoughts about the nature, function and evolution of human consciousness, with subsequent reflection on these thoughts and on their embedding in the broader context of current scientific discussion. From the standpoint of Nietzsche's philosophy, the main themes of this work are the conception of consciousness as "social instinct"; the critique of conception of consciousness as human essence and related topics; and, from the standpoint of current science, the question of the mechanism of the evolution of the human consciousness. The conclusion deals with cognitive archaeology and its attempt to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the human mind. The appendix is about Nietzsche's relation to Darwinism.
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Plato's second coming. An outline of the philosophy of George Gemistos Plethon
Hladký, Vojtěch ; Karfík, Filip (advisor) ; Segonds, Allain Philippe (referee) ; Zografidis, George (referee)
The present work is an attempt to provide a complex exposition of the philosophy of George Gemistos Plethon, a XVth century Byzantine Platonist who influenced also contemporary Renaissance thinkers in Italy. The first part of this study treats Gemistos' "public philosophy", that is, his practical proposals for political reforms in the despotate of Morea (in the Peloponnese) on the basis of Platonic principles as well as the funeral orations, which he composed and in which the immortality of the human soul is demonstrated by rational argumentation. The second part is dedicated to the overall reconstruction of Plethon's own version of Platonism or philosophia perennis, the perennial rational philosophy, which is common to all the people throughout different ages and the best expression of which is to be found in the works of Plato and Zoroaster (the Chaldaean Oracles, according to Plethon). Finally, the third part discusses the religious beliefs of Gemistos - examines the testimonies of the contemporaries, his stand at the Council of Florence, and his treatise on the procession of the Holy Spirit as well as the neo-pagan Laws which is a kind of his self-stylisation to Plethon, "the second Plato", - with the result that it is rather improbable that Gemistos was a Platonic polytheist as it is often claimed.
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Biological meaning and cultural role of human eyes and iris color
Hořejší, Johana ; Kleisner, Karel (advisor) ; Hladký, Vojtěch (referee)
This study focuses on biological and cultural role of human eyes with respect to variation of iris color. It concerns evolution, genetic determination, and anatomy. It studies possible relationships between eye color and predisposition to diseases. Besides biological aspect, it deals with eye as an indicator of attractiveness and tendency to some types of behavior. It also outlines the role of eye in folklore and alternative medicine.
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Kabbalistic sources in the philosophy of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
Herůfek, Jan ; Neubauer, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Hladký, Vojtěch (referee) ; Nejeschleba, Tomáš (referee)
This work deals with Mirandola's concept of natural magic and Christian Cabala. I based my study on Pico's prohibited heretic thesis: "There is no science that assures us more of divinity of Christ than magic and Cabala." Pico defended this thesis in the fifth part of Apology. Later Princeps concordiae returned to the same topic, at first in the incomplete work Comentto, then in his late works Expositiones in psalmos and Heptaplus. In the first chapter I incorporate Pico into the historical context. I put emphasis on both Pico's way to philosophical knowledge and his application of philosophical and theological knowledge in the 900 Theses, which was an ambitious but not very successful project. I used the failure of the disputation and the subsequent condemnation of the theses as a starting point for developing the thesis on magic and Cabala in the two following parts. The next chapter focuses on Pico's concept of magic and necromancy. It is necessary to say that Pico never dealt only with magic, but he always related it to astrology or Cabala Defending the status of these sciences in Apology against his opponents, Princeps concordiae followed his division of sciences, introduced earlier in Oratio. Pico related his curriculum scientiarum to the pseudo-Dionysian process. Dialectics and moral philosophy were...
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Scientia de anima according to the Commentary of the Treatise On the Soul by Ienko Wenceslas of Prague (†1375): a Philosophical Study and Semicritical Edition
Radechovský, Adam ; Hladký, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Visi, Tamás (referee) ; Dekarli, Martin (referee)
The subject matter of the dissertation thesis is concerned with a research in the medieval history of philosophical ideas of Charles University before the year 1400. The thesis focuses on a history of natural philosophy, specifically medieval psychology or scientia de anima. The research is based on a study of Bohemical manuscript commentary tradition to Aristotle's treatise On the Soul (De anima). The primary centre of interest focuses on a commentary entitled Commentum in I-III libros De anima Aristotelis written by Czech master of Prague University Ienko of Wenceslas in 1375. The aim of the thesis is to analyse Ienko's commentary both from the historical- philosophical point of view and contextualized it into the broader context of peripatetical philosophy and to the De anima medieval Latin commentary tradition. The thesis offers a critical reevaluation of previous research on the topic and also a deeper understanding of methodological aspects of Ienko's commentary as an university handbook. The critical edition of the commentary was not to the present published except for some fragments. A semicritical edition with a transcription of the commentary creates an appendix of this thesis. The edition covers some content issues from the first, second and third book of Aristotle's treatise On the Soul...
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The Shield of Achilles: Minoan Representational Conventions in Early Greek Poetry and Thought
Valentinová, Lucie ; Chlup, Radek (advisor) ; Hladký, Vojtěch (referee) ; Thein, Karel (referee)
The present thesis examines Homer's description of the Shield of Achilleus and Minoan miniature frescoes, particularly the Sacred Grove and Dance Fresco and Grandstand Fresco. It uses them as examples to explore the transmission of ideas between cultures - the intensely visual Minoan civilisation of the Bronze Age centred on Crete and the earliest cultural strata of ancient Greece - that preferred different means of representation, painting, and poetry. Because Minoan fresco painting was essentially non-narrative and not accompanied by readable written records, so that "deciphering" its iconography is not an option, the thesis argues that we can learn about general cultural perceptions from interpreting and analysing how techniques of representation in painting and poetry treat the representation of time and space. From the relationship that these techniques establish with the beholders of the representation, we can infer their self-understanding. If the world appears to us as an intricate complex of cultural representations, the way we interact with them reflects our sense of our human place in the world. The non-narrative techniques of Minoan frescoes - particularly the use of vertical perspective, the absence of a fixed point of view, suppressed focalisation, and map-like composition - are shown...
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Soul and Cosmos in Plato's Timaeus
Stránský, Jiří ; Hladký, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Špinka, Štěpán (referee) ; Krása, Ondřej (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to examine the problem of soul in Plato's Timaeus while paying due respect to its close connection with the topics of cosmology and cosmogony. The inquiry proceeds from the highest level of the cosmos itself to the lowest level of the souls of mortal beings. In the first chapter, an important question, whether the cosmos singularly came into being or not is being examined. In this context, two traditional approaches are distinguished and it is argued that a proper answer to this question has to contain some elements of them both. The second chapter examines the nature of Plato's maker of this world, the demiurge. It is argued that he is a primordial deity who should not be identified with any aspect of the created cosmos or the intelligible being and who not only creates the bodily world and its soul but serves as a sort of paradigm for the soul in respect to its capacities as well. The topics of soul and cosmos blend equally in the third chapter which is devoted to the world-soul. It concentrates on three main topics which are relevant also for the souls occupying a lower position in the hierarchy. These are the blending of the soul that explains its basic properties, the structuring of the soul and attributing it a particular motion and finally the problem of cognition...
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The Evolution of the notion of a World Soul in Henry More
Joseph, Jacques ; Hladký, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Nejeschleba, Tomáš (referee) ; Hill, James (referee)
The main goal of this thesis is to describe the evolution of the concept of a world soul in the thought of Cambridge Platonist Henry More (1614-1687). However, this topic is discussed within the broader context of early modern philosophy and the birth of modern science. The philosophy of Henry More presents a very interesting confrontation between Renaissance Neo-Platonism and Cartesianism, early modern mechanicism and the newest scientific discoveries of his age, the notion of a world soul being exactly the point where all these thought currents meet. The classical conception of a platonic world soul in More's early thought later becomes the Spirit of Nature, a principle complimentary to mechanicism (and at the same time acting as its metaphysical foundation). Yet in order for the regularity of such phenomena as gravitation to be guaranteed, the Spirit of Nature has to be rid of any conscience and will of its own. However, besides this tendency to "strip" the world soul of its personal aspects, leading ultimately to the notion of a completely impersonal natural law, a deeper analysis of certain aspects of More's philosophical system shows also a determination to preserve the broader connections that tie the classical notion of a world soul to a specific world picture that does not necessarily fit...
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