E-LOGOS, 2010 (vol. 17), issue 1

History of Philosophy

Humovy ideje filosofie jako vědy a tematizace času

Tomáš Kunca

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-20 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.276  

Study presents two ideas of philosophy as a science as exposed both in David Hume´s Treatise ("science of man" or "science of human nature") and Enquiry ("mental geography" or "science of operations of mind") with intent to make explicit fact, that former leads to philosophical analysis of time, the later to absence of this kind of analysis. Study is a contribution to the new Hume debate in sense of "Treatise turn" and reminder of 270th anniversary of Treatise first publication.

Problematičnost základní teze Humova empirismu

Petr Špecián

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-17 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.282  

The article analyzes the basic assumptions of Hume's empiricism as it is developed in A Treatise of Human Nature and tries to shed light on their dubiousness. There is Hume's primary thesis explaining the relation between impressions and ideas in the centre of the attention - particularly with respect to the question of possibility of general assertions (which is the same with the question of the status of logic in Hume's philosophical system), the question of the legitimacy of the distinction between ideas and impressions and the question of difference between the mind and the consciousness. Inspired by the Husserlian critique on Hume and after having...

K některým aspektům antického pojetí dějin

Miroslav Vlček

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-20 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.293  

Presented study tries to map most important conceptions of history in Antics. It's already found in Greek mythology, in Hesiod, who comes as the first with concept of continually descending ages of humanity. This conception can be found later in Plato, especially in his conception of constitutions. It can be found in Poseidonius of Apameia, philosopher of the second phase of stoicism, who later influenced roman spirituality which perceives history as descent.

Philosophy of Science

About a logic of measurability

Arto Mutanen

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-19 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.274  

The notion of measurability is of central importance in empirical sciences. However, the general logic of measurability is not clear enough. In the present paper we will consider a logic of measurability. The intention is to get a notion of measurability which would have some general properties that the notion of measurability should have. The general strategy is to interconnect the logic of measurability to more general logic of experimental sciences. This gives us a logic of measurability which have several general properties that the notion of measurability is assumed to have. This will show that the strategy of the paper is of more general philosophical...

Sociálna forma pohybu hmoty (a jej hlavné, štruktúrne prvky)

Robert Burgan

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-19 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.284  

Simultaneously with the definition of social form of moving are in the following parts of this paper discussed the borderline between biological and social phenomenon, the substance and key structural elements of social form of moving and in the end the possible extinction of social form of moving or its substitution by entirely new supersocial form of moving with its own structural elements and laws of motion.

Philosophy of Mind

Několik poznámek k Leninově kritice Empiriokriticismu I

Karel Pstružina

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-13 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.280  

There are two reasons why Lenin´s work Materialism and Empiriokriticism is advantageous to explaining my own opinion. First one consists in elemental form by which are explained category of consciousness and the role of human thinking at the process of cognition at this Lenin´s book. Second reason consists at findings that many people are consonant with Lenin´s solution of these problems.

Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy

The meaning of life together and inter-relationship in business

Maciej Bazela

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-17 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.277  

The author argues that life together and inter-relationship are extremely important values in business, supposing we accept John Paul's II vision of business enterprise as "community of persons". Since firms are principally made of people and called to serve people, the ultimate purpose of business is nothing else but integral human development. Consequently, companies ought to act upon the ideals of life together and interrelationship by taking the road of social and environmental responsibility. The values of life together and (symbiotic) interrelationship turn into three major tasks for business: a) care for employees; b) care for local communities;...

An Analysis of Black Heterodox Thought

Jack Kerwick

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-26 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.285  

Among the numerous currents of which contemporary American political life consists, few have been met with the curiosity that so-called "black conservatism" has succeeded in eliciting from its observers. Yet while there has been considerable talk over a so-called "black conservatism," there has been nothing like a sustained philosophical attempt to determine the character of this orientation, or whether it even is a unitary phenomenon at all. I show that while those to whom the label "black conservatism" is characteristically ascribed do indeed share in common a rejection of the conventional thinking on contemporary race-related issues, this is about...

Philosophy as a Way of Life in Xenophon's Socrates

Kristian Urstad, Tor Freyr

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-14 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.286  

An important idea in antiquity was that to engage in philosophy meant more than the theoretical inquiry into fundamental questions, it was also conceived of as a way of life modelled on the philosophical life of Socrates. In a recent article, John Cooper defends the thesis that, for Socrates and his all successors, the philosophical life meant to live according to reason, understood as the exercising of one's capacity for argument and analysis in pursuit of the truth - which he conceives of as wisdom. It is our contention that an inclusion and close reading of Xenophon's testimony casts doubt on Cooper's unified model of Socrates and his conception...

Pojetí lidské přirozenosti u Adama Fergusona

Pavel Janda

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-18 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.291  

The goal of the presented paper is to provide basic theses of the Ferguson's theory of human nature. Later on it will be examined whether all presented premises may be understood as forming plausible theory without major contradictions. I am going to argue that Ferguson's theory is conclusive not only considering human nature but the relationship between society and individual as well. However, if we want to add the theory of moral sentiment we will find that it causes many difficulties to reconcile it with the Ferguson's understanding of the relationship between individual and society. In the presented work I am interested only in the Ferguson's theory...

Etika Francise Hutchesona

Miroslav Vacura

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-23 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.292  

The paper presents ethical theory of Francis Hutcheson, one of the most important sentimentalist philosphers. The main focus is on his Essay on the Nature and Conduct of the Passions and paper presents it's main arguments toghether with some critical remarks.

Excellent Student Papers

Rawls' two principles of justice: their adoption by rational self-interested individuals in A Theory of Justice

Alexandra Dobra

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-7 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.273  

The present paper aims in a first stage, to exploit succinctly the cardinal argument - the contract argument - acquainted in "A Theory of Justice", which provides incentives for the two principles' general adoption. In a second stage, a discussion appraising the feasibility of these two principles and their subsequent empirical adoption will be dealt with. This contributes to the provision of counter-arguments and the highlighting of weaknesses.

What does Marx mean by the "fetishism of commodities"?

Alexandra Dobra

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-8 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.281  

The present paper aims to analyse Marx's concept of "fetishism of commodities" by explaining the mechanism of a social genesis of determined illusions, arising in the sphere of production and circulation of commodities. It highlights the existence of an auto-sustained autarkic system of 4 variables - reification, objectification, duplicity and habit - sustaining and leading to the fetishism of commodities.

Brněnská ekonomická škola a mezní užitek

Tomáš Vaverka

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-16 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.283  

The discussion over the character of economics as an exact science is still vivid. During the 20th century the attempts to establish the solid foundations for the exact economics are to be found by the authors of the Austrian school of economics. The same thought emerges by the Brno school as well where there is an explicit claim on epistemological purification of economics. This article describes the common features of both above mentioned approaches which can be seen particularly in deriving the law of diminishing marginal utility by purely formal methods. Furthermore, on the grounds of this analysis, there are uncovered the general conditions of...

Miscellany

Obraz a slovo

Jiří Vaněk

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-16 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.278  

The essay explains the connections between word and image as seen from the aspect of mental contents. Its theme includes various possibilities to express mental contents as well as the interpretation of words by images and the interpretation of images by words. If we read the image as type, metaphor, symbol or myth, we can find different meanings. The word in image has a specific function in relation to the horizons of meaning in human world.

Ošklivost mezi estetikou a etikou

Jiří Vaněk

E-LOGOS 2010, 17(1):1-13 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.290  

This essay explains the problems with the definition of ugliness as one of the basic aesthetic categories. Here, it is conceived as a deformation of the "right form" of species appearance of objects, whereas the "right form" is not understood as one model, but rather as a dimension. By providing examples from the history of philosophy and visual arts (Neo-Platonism, Michelangelo, modern spiritual art), the necessity to understand ugliness in the wider referential frames is shown. It is also shown in what manner the comparison participates in the final judgment.