Introduction to Philosophy - RETA7001B

• Title: FP-Introduction to Philosophy
• Form of teaching: lecture
• Guaranteed by: Katedra filosofie a religionistiky (27-FR)
• Faculty: Protestant Theological Faculty
• Actual: from 2025 to 2025
• Duration in semesters: 1
• Semester: summer
• Points: 3
• E-Credits: 3
• Examination process: summer s.:
• Hours per week, examination: summer s.:2/0, C [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (unknown)
• Maximum number of enrolled students: unlimited
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Is provided by: RETA7001
• Repeated enrollment: 2 / 2 / 2 / 2
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Mgr. et Mgr. Olga Navrátilová, Ph.D.; Mgr. Jan Kranát, Ph.D.

Annotation

This is a one semester version of RETA7001.

The aim of the course is to introduce the students to the field of philosophical questioning and to present
philosophy as never-ending movement of thought rather than a system of particular teachings. To this end, we will
use several examples of important texts of the Western philosophical tradition. The course will focus on the
acquirement of the skills necessary for the interpretation of philosophical texts.

Last update: Navrátilová Olga, Mgr. et Mgr., Ph.D. (26.01.2026)

Course completion requirements

1) Active participation in the class (including preparation, if assigned), 2) regular attendance (two absences are permitted, if there should be for some reason more, please contact the teacher and some extra-work will be assigned), 3) the final colloquy examining the knowledge of the texts read and interpreted in the class.

Last update: Navrátilová Olga, Mgr. et Mgr., Ph.D. (26.01.2026)

Literature

Text that will be read and interpreted during the summer semester:

• Hume, David, An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding (chapters II-V, XI)
• Kant, Immanuel, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics (selected paragraphs)
• Searl, John, Minds, brains and science (chapter 1 and 2)
• Sartre, Jean-Paul, Existencialism is a Humanism

Other literature (non-compulsory, but perhaps helpful):

• Alfred Ayer, Hume: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford 2000.
• Roger Scruton, Kant: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford (1981 and other following editions).
• Thomas Flynn, Existentialism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford 2006.

Might be also helpful: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/index.html

 

Last update: Navrátilová Olga, Mgr. et Mgr., Ph.D. (06.02.2026)

Learning resources

Moodle: https://moodle.etf.cuni.cz/moodle/course/view.php?id=1025

Last update: Navrátilová Olga, Mgr. et Mgr., Ph.D. (06.02.2026)