Introduction into Philosophy

Lecturer:

Peter Zamarovský (gar.)

Tutor:

Peter Zamarovský (gar.)

Supervisor:

Department of Management and Economics

Synopsis:

Brief overview of main persons and ideas of ancient philosophy. The basic aim is to point out close relation of ancient philosophical ideas with our present day problems.

Requirements:

Syllabus of lectures:

What is philosophy, the mythological background.

Presocratic philosophers, the Milesians and concept of arche, reductionism and science.

Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans, concept of soul, metempsychosis, mathematics, music, medicine etc.

Heraclitus and his view on nature. Temporality in Westarn and Eastern philosophy.

The Eleatic school, problem with negative concepts and vacuum, Zeno`s paradoxes.

The way to materialism (Empedocles, Anaxagoras).

Atomism, Democritus and Leucippus. Ancient and modern concepts of atom, cosmology.

Concept of ananke, absolute determinism, Laplace demon and modern science.

The Sophists, subjectivism and relativism. Sophists and post-modern philosophy.

Socrates and his method. Socratic schools. Megarians and paradox of the liar.

Plato and Platonism. Idealism, the allegory of the cave and it`s consequences. Atlantis.

Aristotle, his live and teaching. Logic, methodology of science, Aristotelian physics.

Philosophy of the Hellenistic period. Epicurus and atomism. Stoicism, scepticism.

Science in Alexandria, Archimedes, Euclides and geometry.

Syllabus of tutorials:

Study Objective:

Study materials:

P. Zamarovský: The Historical Roots of Philosophy, CVUT, Praha, 2007.

Note:

Time-table for winter semester 2011/2012:

Time-table is not available yet

Time-table for summer semester 2011/2012:

Time-table is not available yet

The course is a part of the following study plans: