CORE005 Guide to Contemporary Philosophy

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2026
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Radim Bělohrad, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Radim Brázda, Dr. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Michaela Fišerová, MA, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Mgr. Zdeňka Jastrzembská, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. PhDr. Josef Krob, CSc. (lecturer)
PhDr. Josef Petrželka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Marek Picha, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Dagmar Pichová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. PhDr. BcA. Jiří Raclavský, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Josef Krob, CSc.
Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Kateřina Urubková
Supplier department: Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 14:00–15:40 B2.23, except Mon 16. 11. to Sun 22. 11.
Prerequisites
!FAKULTA(phil) && TYP_STUDIA(BM) && FORMA(P) && MAXATR(3, core)
The course is open to students in the full-time Bachelor's and five-year Master's programmes except for the Faculty of Arts of MU.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 100 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 84/100, only registered: 8/100, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/100
Abstract
The course introduces students to selected topics, methods, and problems in contemporary philosophy. Each topic takes a specific illustration, thesis, or reflection as its starting point to anchor the discussion in the broader context of the discipline and its terminology.
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the course, students will be able to

  • navigate the core areas of contemporary philosophy 
  • identify and reconstruct key philosophical arguments 
  • apply philosophical methods to contemporary social issues
  • defend a philosophical thesis in a structured manner 

Key topics

  1. When Stones Fall (epistemology, metaphilosophy)
  2. If You Are Reading This, You Are Not a Robot (philosophy of mind)
  3. Limits of Thought and Artificial Intelligence (philosophy of technology)
  4. What a Black Raven Proves (philosophy of science)
  5. Selecting for Deafness (applied ethics)
  6. From Mill to Pitomio (social philosophy)
  7. A Random Arrangement of Plants (philosophy of art)
  8. Photographic Vision, Remembering, and Forgetting (semiotics)
  9. You Are What You Eat (social philosophy, metaphysics)
  10. Deconstruction of the Signature (semiotics)
  11. Life, the Universe, and Everything (metaphysics)
  12. The Meaning of Life (axiology)

Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
Lectures with presentations, exercises, discussions
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
The final test will be administered as an e-exam in the university computer lab via IS. In addition to assessing baseline knowledge acquired during the course, the test primarily focuses on the ability to apply this knowledge to specific problems.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Předmět není určen pro studenty programu Filozofie ani ostatní studenty z Filozofické fakulty MU.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024, Autumn 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2026/CORE005