PHV449 Philosophy of History: Selected Chapters

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Taught in person.
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Daniel Špelda, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Martin Dominik (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Daniel Špelda, Ph.D.
Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Fri 8:00–9:40 A11, except Fri 19. 4.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 10 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce the main ideas of philosophy of history from the classical Antiquity to the present time. The main attention is paid to the big systems of philosophy of history in 18th and 19th centuries and their refutation by the representatives of the 20th-century continental philosophers. After completing the course, students will be able to enumerate the main movements and their representatives. Further, they will be able to present the most influential concepts and to explain their justification, motivation and deficiencies.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, a student will be able to present the main theories that emerged in the history of philosophy of history and to explain their main ideas; a student understands the importance of philosophy of history and will be able to critically consider their ideological dangers.
Syllabus
  • 1) The ancient philosophy of history
  • 2) The Christian and medieval philosophy of history: eschatology
  • 3) The Enlightenment philosophy of history: Voltaire, Turgot, Condorcet
  • 4) Kant
  • 5) Vico
  • 6) Hegel
  • 7) Marx
  • 8)Positivism
  • 9) Spengler
  • 10) Methodological critique of philosophy of history in the 20th century: Popper
  • 11) Factual critique of the philosophy of history in the 20th century: Adorno-Horkheimer, Foucault
  • 12) Anthropological critique of the philosophy of history in the 20th century: Marquard 13) Delegitimizing philosophy of history in the 20th century: Lyotard, postmodernism 14) The end of history? Fukuyama, posthistoire, collapsology, transhumanism
Literature
    recommended literature
  • SCHLOSSBERGER, Matthias. Geschichtsphilosophie. Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 2013, 269 stran. ISBN 9783050064543. info
  • A companion to the philosophy of history and historiography. Edited by Aviezer Tucker. First published. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, xii, 563. ISBN 9781405149082. info
  • HOLZBACHOVÁ, Ivana. Filozofie dějin : problémy a perspektivy. 1. vydání. Brno: Masarykova univerzita v Brně, 2004, 295 stran. ISBN 8021035935. info
    not specified
  • LÖWITH, Karl. Dějiny a význam dějin. Translated by Tomáš Suchomel. Vydání první. Praha: Oikoymenh, 2022, 274 stran. ISBN 9788072985951. info
  • COPLESTON, Frederick C. Dějiny filosofie. Translated by Jana Odehnalová. Vydání první. Olomouc: Refugium Velehrad-Roma, s.r.o., 2021, 635 stran. ISBN 9788074124099. info
  • BREITENSTEIN, Peggy H. Die Befreiung der Geschichte : Geschichtsphilosophie als Gesellschaftskritik nach Adorno und Foucault. Frankfurt: Campus, 2013, 325 s. ISBN 9783593395982. info
  • KLEINGELD, Pauline. Geschichtsphilosophie bei Kant : Rekonstruktion und Analyse : proefschrift. Leiden: [s.n.], 1994, 239 s. info
  • DOKULIL, Miloš. Filosofií dějin k dějinám filosofie. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 1992, 180 s. ISBN 8021004185. info
  • SCHAEFFLER, Richard. Einführung in die Geschichtsphilosophie. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1973, 245 s. ISBN 3534055918. info
Teaching methods
The course has a form of lecture.
Assessment methods
Written colloquium in the Information System. Students will answer 1 open question. The list of 14 questions is identical to the 14 topics of the course, i.e.:
1) Ancient Philosophy of History
2) Christian and Medieval Philosophy of History
3) Enlightenment philosophy of history - Voltaire, Turgot, Condorcet
4) Kant
5) Vico
6) Hegel
7) Marx
8) Positivism
9) Spengler
10) Methodological critique of 20th century philosophy of history: Popper
11) Factual critique of the philosophy of history in the 20th century: Adorno-Horkheimer, Foucault
12) Anthropological critique of the philosophy of history in the 20th century: Marquard 13) Delegitimizing philosophy of history in the 20th century: Lyotard, postmodernism 14) The end of history? Fukuyama, posthistoire, collapsology, transhumanism
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2024/PHV449