Electronic Library of
Scientific Literature Electronic Library of
Scientific Literature
Volume 10 / No. 1 / 2000
Peter Skalník
Charles University, Faculty of Natural History, Department of Anthropology and Human
Genetics, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czechia
The question ”Will Europe Work?” is very appropriate and comes at an appropriate time. The question is however legitimate only when we mean by Europe the whole of it and only if that whole of Europe is not taken out of its evident context which is the whole world. This paper will consider main trends of formation of a new, post-1989 Europe from sociological and anthropological points of view, and pose the question of Europe as a question of the world. More specifically I am asking twin question, namely ”Will the world work if Europe works?” and ”What kind of working of Europe the world needs?”. In what follows I shall employ and question the predominantly emic civilizational and socio-economic categories of West and East along with the North/South opposition and some commonly used terms borrowed from sociology, anthropology and political studies. My firm conviction is that the problem of democracy, i.e. its spreading and possible relativization under the conditions of globalization, can be best tackled if Europe is confronted with itself as a still divided continent and with the rest of the world.
HUMAN AFFAIRS, 10, 2000, 1, 3–11
Ján Szelepcsényi
Ulica Andreja Mráza 4, 821 03 Bratislava, Slovakia
Man was created in the image of God. Therefore he has the right to live in conditions
which respect human dignity. They include the opportunity to work and to earn living for
himself and his family.
In spite of the scientific and technical achievements applied in human life, the
development of the quality of human life cannot be rated as progress that leads to higher
aims of Christian humanism.
Since nation-states are not able to implement the social programme respecting the
principles of Christian humanism, the Church should necessarily enter the area of
material, spiritual, and social need not only through its opinions and social teachings
but also by concrete initiatives, which would mitigate the widespread poverty and save
human dignity. The enforcement of social justice and solidarity is the best way to
persuade humankind that the teachings of Christ are highly topical and important for the
preservation and development of human nature.
HUMAN AFFAIRS, 10, 2000, 1, 12–33
Václav Černík
Institute of Philosophy, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Klemensova 19, 813 64 Bratislava,
Slovakia
The paper offers a reconstruction of Hrušovský’s conception of being. The author points out that Hrušovský’s aim was a new, nonclassical understanding of ontology as naturally connected with epistemology, axiology, and the theory of action. Some terminological and methodological problems brought about by Hrušovský’s efforts are examined as well.
HUMAN AFFAIRS, 10, 2000, 1, 34–39
Pavel Cmorej
Institute of Philosophy, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Klemensova 19, 813 64 Bratislava,
Slovakia
Hrušovský’s book Problémy noetiky (Problems of Epistemology, 1948) is one of the most remarkable works of Slovak philosophy from the first half of the twentieth century. The book offers the first and till today the only systematic account of the analytical theory of knowledge. In his book Hrušovský draws on some of the achievements of the Vienna Circle, on the works of B. Russel, A.J. Ayer, A. Pap and many other protagonists of analytical philosophy. The author of this paper focuses mainly on the problematic issues within and arising out of Hrušovský’s conception of empirical knowledge, based as it is exclusively on the subjective data of consciousness. He examines the assertions concerning these data and their relationships to the empirical statements, especially to those concerning objects of sensation. He also explains some of the shortcomings and insufficiencies of Hrušovský’s understanding of these statements and their negative consequences for his theory of knowledge.
HUMAN AFFAIRS, 10, 2000, 1, 40–52
Jozef Viceník
Institute of Philosophy, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Klemensova 19, 813 64 Bratislava,
Slovakia
The paper discusses selected problems, which were considered by Igor Hrušovský during the first, basic period of his intellectual development between 1930 and 1948. It shows Hrušovský’s work as determined by the historical background, the plurality of existing philosophical streams and by temporary favourable conditions, which made the integration, discussion and assimilation of modern scientific thought possible. The author outlines Hrušovský’s specific way to his own theory of science, the logic and methodology of science, which were remarkably influenced by logical empiricism. On the basis of his conception of scientific induction, Hrušovský rejected extreme verificationism – his model of science was a confirmationist one. His understanding of basic propositions was antipsychological and antisubjectivist. The author also outlines the changes in his theory of science due to the shift of his attention to the problem of noetics.
HUMAN AFFAIRS, 10, 2000, 1, 53–67
Ján Lukačka
Institute of Historical Studies, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Klemensova 19, 813 64
Bratislava, Slovakia
The issues partaining to the formation and the role of the aristocracy in the Middle Ages were studied by Slovak historiography only marginally, since that privileged social class was regarded as a foreign element among the Slovak people. The shaping of the Slovak ethnic group was also presented as a mere plebeian matter without participation of higher social strata. A deeper insight into the issues shows, however, that the Slovaks underwent the same development during the process of ethnogenesis as all the neighbouring nations. The leading class of local origin (the nascent aristocracy) also participated in this process, particularly in the early Middle Ages.
HUMAN AFFAIRS, 10, 2000, 1, 68–75
Kousaka Naoki
Shimo-cho 12-13, Isogo-ku, Yokohama, 235-0004 Japan
The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of the First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938, hereafter, the CSR) on the formation of ”Slovakia” as an administrative unit.
HUMAN AFFAIRS, 10, 2000, 1, 76–86
Mikuláš Nevrlý
Dankovského 2, 811 03 Bratislava, Slovakia
July 1999 marked the 290th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava in Ukraine. The victory of the Russian tsar Peter I over the Swedish King Carl XII brought the end of the Swedish military hegemony on the European continent, and lifted Russia up among the decisive European powers. The defeat of the Swedes at Poltava marked the beginning of the rise and expansion of the Russian empire not only westward but also toward the East. The Slovak Evangelical Bishop Daniel Krman, Jr. was a witness to and a participant in this war. He was known in the Kingdom of Hungary as a persevering adherent of Luther’s teaching. His travel book Itinerarium was written on the basis of the notes he had made during his journey with a religious mission to the Swedish King Carl XII 1708–1709. D. Krman understood the essence of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and joined the Ukrainian hetman Ivan Mazepa who had parted with Moscow. The itinerary was evidently written by a humanist, a good observer, and an erudite writer. The 1999 Ukrainian edition of the top work of the Slovak baroque contains a map of Krman’s journey. The most valuable feature of the book is signum temporis necessary for this kind of literary genre.
HUMAN AFFAIRS, 10, 2000, 1, 87–97
BOOK REVIEWS
CRIVELLER, G.: Preaching Christ in Late Ming China. The Jesuits’ Presentation of Christ from Matteo Ricci to Giulio Aleni. Taipei – Brescia, Ricci Institute for Chinese Studies and Fondazione Civiltŕ Bresciana 1997. 479 pp.