Universální život a život lidský. K ontologii přírody u Jana Patočky a Maurice Merleau-Pontyho

The present article has two objectives. One is to elucidate the philosophical approach presented in the so-called Strahov Systematic Manuscripts of Jan Patočka in terms of consciousness and nature. The other is to compare this philosophical approach with Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s theses on nature, as elaborated in 1956–1961, and to point out some advantages and limitations of both approaches. In our opinion, Patočka’s philosophical approach consists, on the one hand, in a descriptive analysis of human experience, which he understands as a pre-reflective self-relationship pointing towards the consciousness of the world. On the other hand, on the basis of this descriptive analysis Patočka consequently explicates all non-human life, inorganic matter, and finally the whole of nature as life in its own right, the essence of which is also a certain self-relation with a tendency towards consciousness. The article then briefly presents Merleau-Ponty’s theses on nature, and finally compares them with Patočka’s overall theses on nature. The advantage of Patočka’s notion of nature as against Merleau-Ponty’s is that, in Patočka’s view, nature encompasses both the principle of unity and individuality. On the other hand, the advantage of Merleau-Ponty’s understanding of nature as against Patočka’s lies in the consistent interconnectedness of the infinite life of nature and the finite life of individual beings.

Prahy svobody (přel. J. Joseph)

Translation of the interview.

Doplňující otázky k rozhovoru Ulysse Lojkina a Frédérica Wormse (přel. E. Fulínová)

Supplemental questions to the interview of Ulysse Lojkine and Frédéric Worms.

Být člověkem a být filosofem podle J.-J. Rousseaua

The present paper aims to analyse how Rousseau conceives the possibility of being a philosopher and how he views the task of philosophy. While Rousseau is very critical towards contemporary philosophers and philosophy in general, he does describe his own enquiry as a philosophical one. In his view, the proper task of philosophy is ‘the knowledge of man’ that can be also understood as ‘the knowledge of oneself’. As Rousseau states in the Second Discourse, such knowledge is to be accomplished through our reason, yet the philosophy of his time fails in this task because the philosophers let themselves be dominated by their opinions. This claim is related to Rousseau’s distinction between love of oneself (amour de soi) and self-love (amour-propre). While reason is present in men naturally, it develops only under necessity related to the progress of society and social passions. Therefore, it cannot serve as the criterion of rightful conduct; this task belongs to conscience. As has been shown by Derathé, only man truly listening to his conscience can use his reason properly. Rather than to direct one’s self-love in a right direction, it seems that the solution of the problem for a philosopher is to convert self-love back to love of one-self to recreate the original unity of his person. Being human and being a philosopher thus becomes the same thing and the turn towards oneself can become the foundation of true self-understanding as well as true relationship to others.

Odkud řeč. Herderovo hledání odpovědi na otázku po lidském, či božském původu řeči

The article aims to present Herder’s early philosophy of language against the background of the question regarding the human or divine origin of language, which influenced mainly the German discussion in the 1760s. It focuses on the interpretation of two writings in which Herder answers the question of the origin of speech in a seemingly different way: A Treatise on the Origin of Language and The Oldest Document of the Human Race. While in the Treatise Herder insists on the human origin of language, in The Oldest Document he admits the need for “God’s teaching” for its origin. The question therefore arises as to whether Herder has revised his original position. However, we demonstrate that The Oldest Document is not a revision, but a supplement to the theses contained in the Treatise by metaphysical assumptions, which form an indispensable framework for Herder’s philosophy of language.

Za Janem Sokolem

Obituary of Jan Sokol.

Řeč na rozloučenou s Ivanem Havlem

Obituary of Ivan Havel.

Historiografie v dialogu o interpretaci pozdního socialismu

Reflection on the interpretation of late socialism.

André Comte-Sponville, Duch ateismu

Book review on André Comte-Sponville, Duch ateismu, Praha (Filosofia), přel. H. Fořtová, 2020, 220 str.

Pokrok (přel. M. Kettner)

Translation of the text written by Theodor W. Adorno.