ESA911 European Culture Studies

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Rostislav Niederle, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Hana Řehulková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Rostislav Niederle, Ph.D.
Department of Aesthetics – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. Rostislav Niederle, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Aesthetics – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Wed 16:00–17:40 B2.13, except Mon 17. 11. to Sun 23. 11.
Prerequisites
The course is opened as optional to the wide range of students in humanities without special requirements.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 12 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
As a block, the European Cultural Studies course deals with questions of cultural and art history with particular reference to the adoption, interaction and interpenetration of cultural, social, linguistic and national identities in the European region.
Learning outcomes
A student will learn from the European cultural tradition a several themes and motifs (authors, institutions, myths, philosophy, religion).
Syllabus
Realism in art is normally associated with the so-called true representation of the world. However, such a seemingly innocent doctrine is problematic. As Plato observed, if artistic representation is to be true in a strict correspondence sense, what need is there for it at all if we have reality itself? And if it is not true, it is a fiction, and as such can only claim some "truth" in some other, artistic sense. The aim of the course is to problematize, not relativize, the notion of realism, and ideally the goal is to stimulate individual rethinking of the world-artistic representation of the world relationship. Therefore, the film works presented do not necessarily correspond to general ideas of a realistic work. Texts on realism generally concern aesthetics (mimesis), film theory, the relationship between art and politics, literary theory, visual art, and theatre. The course will conclude with a written test; questions on the test will be drawn exclusively from the required texts and questions associated with the films screened. Practically, the course is divided into two groups, with alternating weeks of lectures and film screenings. Specific lecture topics and film screenings will be announced prior to the course. Topics: Plato and the problem of Realism Aristotle and his concept of Mimesis Modern Realism as an Aesthetic Ideal Discussion about so-called Social-Realism Gyorgy Lukacs and his concept of Realism Totalitarian States and their Aesthetic Doctrines Sources of the Modern Europe, its Art and Culture
Literature
    required literature
  • JUDT, Tony. Zle se vede zemi : pojednání o naší současné nespokojenosti. Translated by Jakub Franěk. Vydání první. V Praze: Rybka Publishers, 2011, 191 stran. ISBN 9788087067321. info
  • CHANDLER, Raymond. Prosté umění vraždy. Translated by Tomáš Korbař. 1. vyd. v Albatrosu. Praha: Albatros, 2004, 417 s. ISBN 8000013703. info
  • LUKÁCS, György. Umění jako sebepoznání lidstva. Edited by Petr Rákos, Translated by Růžena Grebeníčková. Vyd. 1. Praha: Odeon, 1976, 447 s. URL info
Teaching methods
lectures, film projections
Assessment methods
Written test.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Information on completion of the course: Obecné podmínky ukončování kursů Semináře estetiky
The course is taught only once.
General note: Obecné podmínky ukončování kursů Semináře estetiky.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2016, Autumn 2019, Autumn 2022.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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