FP-Introduction to Philosophy - RETA7001

• Anglický název: Introduction to Philosophy
• Zajišťuje: Katedra filosofie a religionistiky (27-FR)
• Fakulta: Evangelická teologická fakulta
• Platnost: od 2025
• Semestr: zimní
• Body: 4
• E-Kredity: 4
• Způsob provedení zkoušky: zimní s.:
• Rozsah, examinace: zimní s.:2/0, Z [HT]; letní s.:2/0, Z [HT]
• Počet míst: zimní:neomezen / neurčen (neurčen); letní:neomezen / neurčen (neurčen)
• Minimální obsazenost: neomezen
• 4EU+: ne
• Virtuální mobilita / počet míst pro virtuální mobilitu: ne
• Stav předmětu: vyučován
• Jazyk výuky: angličtina
• Způsob výuky: prezenční
• Poznámka: předmět je možno zapsat mimo plán; povolen pro zápis po webu
• Garant: Mgr. et Mgr. Olga Navrátilová, Ph.D.; Mgr. Jan Kranát, Ph.D.
• Je prerekvizitou pro: RETA7011, RETA7041

Anotace

Introduction to Philosophy in the winter semester 2025/26: 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.

Moodle:
https://moodle.etf.cuni.cz/moodle/course/view.php?id=690
passwort: "intellectus"

Poslední úprava: Navrátilová Olga, Mgr. et Mgr., Ph.D. (23.09.2025)

Podmínky zakončení předmětu

For the winter semester: There are two conditions for gaining the credits: 1) Active and regular participation in the class. 2) The students are asked to read one of the books introducing to philosophy. Each student should write a short paper about one of the philosophical questions chosen from the selected book (three pages) as well as prepare a short introduction to the question, which she/he will present to other students.

For the summer semester: 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.

Poslední úprava: Navrátilová Olga, Mgr. et Mgr., Ph.D. (26.01.2026)

Literatura

Texts that will be read and interpreted during the winter semester:

• Patočka, Jan, Heretical Essays in the Philosophy of History (selected paragraphs),
• Plato, The Republic (Sun Analogy, The Divided Line, Cave Allegory, VI, 506b–VII,517c),
• Aristotle, The Metaphysics (I,1–2),
• Descartes, René, Meditations on First Philosophy (1^st and 2^nd meditation, selected paragraphs)

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:

A) Introductions to philosophy:

• Jostein Gaarder, Sophie’s World. A Novel About the History of Philosophy, New York: Berkleys Books 1996.
• Roger Scruton, An Intelligent Person‘s Guide to Philosophy, Penguin Books 1998.
• Edward Craig, Philosophy. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press 2002.
• Thomas Nagel, What Does It All Mean?, Oxford: Oxford University Press 1987.
• Simon Blackburn, Think. A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy, Oxford: Oxford University Press 1999.

B) History of philosophy:

• Anthony Kenny, A New History of Western Philosophy, 4 volumes, Oxford: Oxford University Press 2004–2007 (accessible online from the library catalogue).
• Frederick Copleston, A History of Philosophy, 8 volumes, London: Burns & Oates 1946-1966 (accessible in the library).
• John Shand, Philosophy and Philosophers. An Introduction to Western Philosophy, London: UCL Press 1993.

C) Introduction to the texts read in the course:

• Julia Annas, Ancient Philosophy. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press 2000 (Plato and Aristotle)
•  Simon Blackburn, „Knowledge“, in: Think. A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy, Oxford: Oxford University Press 1999, pp. 15–40 (René Descartes).
• Alfred Ayer, Hume: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford 2000.
• Thomas Flynn, Existentialism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford 2006.

D) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/index.html

The encyclopaedia is a very useful online tool and its entries can serve as a good introduction to various philosophers and philosophical topics.

Poslední úprava: Navrátilová Olga, Mgr. et Mgr., Ph.D. (26.01.2026)

Studijní opory

Winter Semester: Moodle: https://moodle.etf.cuni.cz/moodle/course/view.php?id=690

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

Poslední úprava: Navrátilová Olga, Mgr. et Mgr., Ph.D. (06.02.2026)