BSSn4497 Planetary Security: Threats, Governance, Politics

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Nikola Schmidt, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Josef Kraus, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Josef Kraus, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Division of Security and Strategic Studies – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites
For master level students, taught in English.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course merges several axes of human knowledge and the new capability to act we have in facing new and emerging planetary-scale threats in the meaning of natural phenomena, human-made threats, and extraterrestrial threats. The discussion will be focused on the perceptions of insecurities, how we come to understand them, and how they influence our organizational capacity to reflect them. We will discuss the theory along with five planetary-scale challenges: pandemic, planetary defense, climate change, interplanetary security, and extraterrestrial contact. There are no speculations ahead of you, only solid scientific material or declassified materials by governments.
Learning outcomes
The main questions and topics which we will discuss are:  How do science and technology intersect with global governance of planetary insecurities?  How do we translate scientific knowledge into political decisions?  Do we have proper governance instruments to face planetary-scale challenges?  Could current global governance above the system of nation-states answer challenges we are aware of and those that are emerging?  What political instruments could we develop to answer those we are aware of?  Is national security perception an answer or burden to supra-national planetary-scale or even extraterrestrial security issues? The objective of the course is to discuss the growing number of planetary-scale challenges and threats requiring a global response, and critically analyze them visa vis the possible consequences to the current global liberal inter-national/inter-state political system. Not all ideal answers from the theory come without unintended consequences, therefore both critical realist and critical cosmopolitan perspectives are welcomed in the course but if you want to think in a post-anthropocentric, transhumanist, or even classical realist way, you are welcome as well. The mix of theoretical perspectives, various solutions, imaginations of consequences, and analysis of possible black swan turning points are what we need in the course.
Syllabus
  • Introduction and course summary Problem of governance, global governance, and security global governance Emergence of the planetary security perspective Translating scientific knowledge in global governance Planetary and inter-planetary security UFO/UAP, national security and the stigmatization of scientific knowledge
Teaching methods
Each theoretical session (90 mins) consists of a presentation and your reflection on the provided reader. It is followed by a case study session (90 mins) on the same day. Therefore, the course has an introductory session at the beginning. Then five theoretical sessions are followed by case study sessions during which some of you present, and we all discuss the planetary-scale challenge or threat. The sequence of cases is chosen to particularly show the growing severity, immediacy but also complexity of the planetary-scale cases.
Assessment methods
All requirements are based on the case you choose and your study of it throughout the course. During the course, you will present the case in a form that will stimulate a discussion in the class. Then, at the end of the course, you will present your policy paper on how you think the world should approach the problem. Each student chooses a case out of five, therefore we will see more perspectives on each case. Evaluation Distribution of points: 30p Policy paper (max. 1500 words) deadline: third week of ex. period policy paper includes annex (no word limit) 30p Presentation ( 30 minutes) on your selected day
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every other week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/BSSn4497