| 1. | Modal variations of philosophical and socio-political perspectives of nationalism in the context of European dynamics (starting points, forms, and mutations) * | The author of the dissertation focuses on analysing the starting points and specific forms of key concepts of nationalism in the context of the philosophical, political, literary, and theological works of European personalities across three pivotal periods: from recalling the early forms of nationalism, primarily characteristic of the 19th century, through the surge of nationalism during the interwar periods and World War II, up to the so-called post-communist era. The dissertation will focus on examining and revealing the forms and causes of social upheavals in connection with the growing onslaught of nationalist and extremist views today. Attention will also be given to the analysis of the theme of so-called fluid nationalism. |
| 2. | Normativity of nature: approaches in contemporary (neo)aristotelian ethical naturalism | Modern ethical debates have to deal with the thesis that what ought to be cannot be inferred from what is. In contemporary (neo)aristotelian naturalism, the relevance of this dichotomy is questioned and rejected, and nature is accepted as the basis of normativity. The aim of the future dissertation is to map and critically evaluate not only the opinions of those moral theorists who hold the dichotomy is – ought, but especially to map and critically evaluate the relevance of solving this dichotomy in some elected representatives of (neo)aristotelian ethical naturalism. Based on a critical analysis of these approaches, the future doctoral student will express, evaluate and compare the strengths and weaknesses of the researched authors on the problem. He then formulates and justifies his own opinion and shows what he agrees with in the solution of the given topic in the researched authors and in what he disagrees with them. |
| 3. | Love as a virtue in modern ethical theories | Love is often taken as the noblest emotion, but its understanding as virtue is beginning to prevail in some modern ethical theories. The aim of the future dissertation is to map and critically evaluate the understanding of love between two extremes: love as emotion and as virtue. The future doctoral student chooses some representatives of modern ethical theories (eg Frankfurt, Singer, Stump, Foot, Spaemann) who thematize love as virtue. It maps and critically evaluates their views on understanding love as a virtue. Based on a critical analysis of these approaches, the future doctoral student will express, evaluate and compare the strengths and weaknesses of the researched authors on the problem. He then formulates and justifies his own opinion and shows what he agrees with in the solution of the given topic in the researched authors and in what he disagrees with them. |
| 4. | The place and function of emotions in moral evaluation | According to noncognitivist ethical theories, moral evaluation expresses the emotional state, beliefs and axtudes of the actor. In cognitivist theories, emotional states do not play a significant role in moral evaluation, because the actor acts on rational reasons, in which objective moral facts are to be taken into account in the first place. The aim of the future dissertation is to map and critically evaluate the place and function in the moral evaluation of elected representatives of cognitivist and noncognitivist approaches. Based on a critical analysis of these approaches, the future doctoral student will express, evaluate and compare the strengths and weaknesses of the researched authors on the problem. He then formulates and justifies his own opinion and shows what he agrees with in the solution of the given topic in the researched authors and in what he disagrees with them. |
| 5. | Naturalistic Explanations of Religion | A characteristic feature of religions is the cognitive plus which, according to them, comes from revelation, which goes beyond a full rational explanation, thus requiring an axtude of faith. Naturalistic explanations of religion are an amempt to explain and reduce the phenomenon of religion to a purely natural phenomenon with the help of the apparatus of natural and social sciences. The process of naturalization of religion can therefore also be understood as a process of its rationalization. The aim of the future dissertation is to map and critically evaluate the tendencies in the naturalization of religion among some selected authors. Based on a critical analysis of these approaches, the future doctoral student will express, evaluate and compare the strengths and weaknesses of the researched authors on the problem. He then formulates and justifies his own opinion and shows what he agrees with in the solution of the given topic in the researched authors and in what he disagrees with them. |
| 6. | The Idea of University as a Philosophical Problem | The idea of university and of “academic being” in a broader sense is a cultural historical phenomenon whose creators have been philosophers from the times of Plato. Its basic characteristics were established by medieval culture, but in the modern era its formation and defense has been influenced by philosophers such as I. Kant, W. von Humboldt, J. H. Newman, J. Dewey, Ortega y Gasset, K. Jaspers, J. Habermas, A. MacIntyre, among many others. Even though the idea of university within the history has been developed and transformed, it has survived to our days as one of the key ideas of human civilization, in the background of which lurk ideas such as education, scholarship, science and humanism in general. Nowadays, these ideas are under societal pressure if not in crisis. From the philosophical point of view, what is needed is a complex and conceptual critical self-reflection of the phenomenon of university (academy). It is necessary to investigate anthropological, social, political and ethical aspects of the whole issue of higher (university) education and science, the place and relations of academic institutions with the state, economics, culture, etc. |
| 7. | Democracy adjourned: uncertainty as a characteristic of society in an environmental crisis ** | The student will elaborate a problem analysis of the concept of political democracy in the epoch of the Anthropocene with reference to the tradition of critical theory of society and the theory of post-democracy, aversive democracy, simulation democracy and other ways of addressing the problem of democracy |
| 8. | The Kantian egalitarian meaning of dignity | Kant’s concept of “dignity” as a normative starting point in thematizing the indivisibility of human rights is a key but still under-analyzed issue. The reflection on this relationship will be in two perspectives raised by E. Tugendhat: firstly, its anchoring in the principle of the relations of individual and collective autonomy, secondly, the elaboration of this normative starting point against the background of the ambivalent relationship of the right to property with the right to life. |
| 9. | The concept of environmental democracy: possibilities and limits ** | The concept of environmental democracy, as a theoretical framework of a possible political system of an environmentally and socially sustainable society in the expected climatic and demographic conditions of the Anthropocene, arises within the framework of environmental political philosophy. The doctoral thesis will be focused on the possibilities of formulating the concept of democracy respecting not only environmental security (Planetary boundaries) but also environmental and social justice. |
| 10. | The dynamics of negation in social conflict ** | The phenomena of conflict and enmity are traditionally conceived of as undesirable, temporary and derived. The aim of the research is to continue a minority stream of thinking and explore these phenomena as constitutive parts of the composition of social relations. Fundamental oppositions of enmity and friendship, of that which is alien and that which is our own, can be understood as hierarchical and power-based structures. Simultaneously, they are, however, a necessary precondition for our orientation in the social world. By means of the movement of dialectical negation they represent the basis for creation and development of social identity. |
| 11. | The problem(s) of control in the context of intelligent technologies | The control over intelligent technologies is a complex phenomenon that leads to several difficult questions, challenges, and problems: are we destined to lose the control over intelligent technologies? Who should have control, and which form of control they should have? Which form of control is morally acceptable? The thesis will provide answers to these questions. |
| 12. | Intelligent technologies and responsibility gaps | According to some researchers, intelligent technologies lead to gaps in responsibility that cannot be bridged according to others, they lead to gaps in responsibility, but these gaps can be bridged; according to others still, they do not lead to gaps in responsibility at all. This thesis will analyze the problem of responsibility gaps and argue for one of these views. |
