Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences

The Department offers a unique and modern philosophy study programme in the Czech context, in which the following suitably complement each other:

• Emphasis on the systematic approach to fundamental philosophical questions with teaching critical moments in the history of philosophy related to these questions.
• The study of philosophy including an acquisition of solid knowledge of particular sciences, especially the Social Sciences (Economics, Sociology, Social and Cultural Anthropology), as a basis for a fruitful dialogue between contemporary philosophical and scientific research.
• So-called analytic approaches (analytical philosophy) with continental philosophical approaches (especially phenomenology).

The Department provides the following studies at the Philosophical Faculty, UHK:

• Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Social Sciences.
• Follow-up Master's degree in Philosophy (Philosophy programme also in English).
• Doctoral programme in Philosophy (Philosophy programme also in English).

At the same time, the Department guarantees the following studies at the Faculty of Education, UHK:

• Three-year Bachelor's field of study of Introduction into Social Sciences Focused on Education.
• Five-year Master's field of study of Primary School Teacher Training - Citizenship Education.
• Follow-up Master's study fields: The 2^nd stage of Primary School Teacher Training - Civics and Secondary School Teacher Training - Introduction into Social Sciences.

The main objective of the study fields is:

• To provide students with general humanities education and a basis for understanding interdisciplinary relationships.
• To develop students' ability to analyse contemporary societal issues and problems, especially concerning the position of a human being in the contemporary world.
• To provide students with bases for the potential follow-up Master's study fields with a professional specialised in Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, etc.

The Language-Mind-Society Centre operates at the Department. We carry out a wide range of seminars and lectures for the professional as well as for the general public within this Centre. Furthermore, we publish the electronic magazine Filosofie dnes (Philosophy Nowadays) (in Open Access mode), which ranks among the peer-reviewed periodicals. Once every two years, we hold a professional conference Hradec Králové Philosophical Days.

We have been organizing a Summer School of Philosophy and Social Sciences for our students and for the general public, taking place in the historical premises of the Broumov Monastery since 2018.

The Department stresses the international cooperation in education and research. We develop close relationships mostly with our partner Department of Philosophy in Oslo, Norway and with the Norwegian Centre of Excellence Centre for the Study of Mind in Nature and with the Department of Philosophy of Emory University. Among national research institutes, which closely cooperate with us, is The Department of Logic of the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

About the Department

The Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences provides the studies of the Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Social Sciences, as well as the follow-up Master's and doctoral degrees in Philosophy. At the same time, it guarantees Teacher Training Studies in the fields of Social Sciences and Introduction into Citizenship Education at the Faculty of Education, UHK. At the level of the Bachelor's Teacher Training we guarantee the study programme of the Introduction into Social Sciences focused on Education, as well as at the level of the follow-up Master's studies in the fields of Teacher Training for the 2^nd Stage of Primary Schools - Civics and Teacher Training for Secondary Schools – Introduction into Social Sciences. Newly we also guarantee the five-year Master's studies in the Teacher Training for the 2^nd Stage of Primary Schools - Citizenship Education.

The objective of philosophy studies at the Department is to seek for methods, which have been applied within the course of philosophy development and could still be currently beneficial in order to reveal and justify their contribution for the beginning of the 21st century. Therefore, we lay the emphasis on the methodology of philosophy. However, the fact that we do not wish to reduce the philosophy teaching only to history of philosophy education does not mean we consider it unimportant. Teaching essential aspects of the history of philosophy constitutes together with the study of the philosophical methods, the second pillar of the study programme. The third pillar of the field of study is the application of philosophy. Within the studies, the teaching, in particular, focuses on the interaction between Philosophy and Social Sciences.

Concurrently the Department guarantees the study of a three-year Bachelor's degree at the Faculty of Education, UHK, which provides general humanities education, and at the same time prepares students for a follow-up Master's degree in teaching. The studies provide the basis for an understanding of interdisciplinary relationships, and develop the ability to thematise and analyse contemporary social issues and problems, especially concerning the position of a human being in the modern world. At the same time, the field of the Introduction into the Social Sciences, focused on education, is the starting point for possible follow-up Master's fields of study with a professional specialisation (Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, etc.) at national faculties, which due to the embodied subjects in the field, enable students to attend the admission procedures.

The Department is involved in both scientific activities in the field of philosophy and areas related to didactics of the teacher training study programmes. The Language-Mind-Society Centre operates at the Department. A wide range of seminars and lectures for the professional and also the general public is carried out within this Centre. The Department publishes the electronic magazine Filosofie dnes (Philosophy Nowadays), which is ranked among peer-reviewed periodicals. The Department organizes a professional conference the Hradec Králové Philosophical Days every two years.

The Department develops close relationships primarily with the partner Department of Philosophy in Oslo, Norway and with the Norwegian Centre for the Study of Mind in Nature. The Department of Logic of the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences belongs mainly among the national scientific institutes, which closely cooperate with the Department.

Contact

a: B building, room 22240

e: ff.kfsv@uhk.cz