Books published by Karolinum,Nakladatelstvi Univerzity Karlovy,Czech Republic

Traces the history of visual representations of anti-Jewish hatred in Czech Bohemia. The vicious scourges of religion-based anti-Judaism and ethnically-rooted anti-Semitism are tragically deep-seated aspects of Czech Bohemian history. Images of Malice--copublished with Artefactum--examines visual instances from the well-known low points of historic Bohemian anti-Semitic resentment, while also recasting common views of eras not typically associated with rises in virulent anti-Jewish sentiment. This mapping of the visual signs of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism is also an account of their broader meaning, as the processes of stereotyping, delegitimization, dehumanization, and exclusion from society represent a more dire and universal problem. As Images of Malice makes bracingly clear, the danger of anti-Jewish visuals is still an urgent problem today, in Europe and beyond.

From his panoramic views of Prague to his enigmatic still lifes, photographer Josef Sudek (1896-1976) captured the unique spirit of the Czech capital during a wide swath of the twentieth century. Sudek enjoyed worldwide fame during his lifetime, yet a substantial part of his practice--photographing works of art--has remained largely unexplored. This book shines a light on Sudek's most beloved pictorial subject, sculpture, which acted as a bridge between his fine art photography and his commercial work. Sumptuous full-page reproductions of Sud'ks black-and-white photographs illustrate a series of thematic essays, focusing on the scope and legacy of his work, while cameos from the key people and institutions who supported his career reveal Sudek's rich connection to the artistic circles and movements of his day. Together, they uncover the shifting tension between the ability of photographs to bring art closer to the people and their potential as works of art in their own right.

The first publication of a charming fieldwork memoir by a giant of legal anthropology.

A richly illustrated reconsideration of the life and work of painter Bohumil Kubista.

This book focuses on the typological differences among the four most widely spoken Romance languages--French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish--and Czech.

CZ;SK

Spanning his entire career, this selection of texts by influential philosopher Jan Patočka illustrates his thoughts on the appropriate manner of being and engagement in the world. The writings assembled in Living in Problematicity examine the role of the philosopher in the world, how the world constrains us through ideology, and how freedom is possible through the recognition of our human condition in the problems of the world. These views outline Patočka's political philosophy and how his later engagement in the political sphere with the human rights initiative Charter 77 corresponds with the ideas he maintained throughout his life. This short and engaging book--published in conjunction with the prestigious philosophy press OIKOYMENH--is an ideal English-language introduction to the most significant Czech philosopher in recent history.

Jan Patočka was a Czech philosopher who not only lived through the turbulent politics of twentieth-century Central Europe, but he shaped his intellectual contributions in response to that tumult. One of the last students of Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger, he was a philosophical inspiration to Václav Havel and other dissidents who confronted the Soviet regimes before 1989, as well as being actively involved in authoring and enacting Charter 77 in Czechoslovakia. He died in 1977 from medical complications resulting from interrogations of the secret police, his political involvement cut short by an untimely death. Confronting Totalitarian Minds examines his legacy along with several contemporary applications of his ideas about dissidence, solidarity, and the human being's existential confrontation with unjust politics. Aspen Briton puts Patočka's ideas about dissidence, citizen mobilization, and civic responsibility in conversation with those of notable world historical figures like Mohandas Gandhi, expanding the current possibilities of comparative political theory. In adding a fresh voice to contemporary conversations on transcending injustice, Confronting Totalitarian Minds seeks to educate a wider audience about this philosopher's continued relevance to political dissidents across the world.

Being located between the Black and Caspian seas, Azerbaijan has always been the juncture of Eurasia‿with a traditional reputation as a crossroads between the north-south and east-west transport corridors‿and the traditional ground for competition between numerous regional and global players, using both soft and hard power. With its vast hydrocarbon energy reserves, Azerbaijan is a country of particular importance in the South Caucasus. The region‿s complex geopolitics have immensely influenced Azerbaijan‿s foreign policy strategy. With the dissolution of the USSR, Azerbaijan, as a new state with fragile security, found itself in a complicated situation surrounded by regional powers like Iran, Russia, and Turkey. This book focuses on several major foreign policy issues faced by the Republic of Azerbaijan since it regained its independence in 1991. These major issues include the conflict with Armenia and related matters, the relationship with the West, as well as the complexities arising from its relationship with Russia and its ties to Muslim countries, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia.

By examining the myriad myths surrounding Central European universities, Czech historians Lukás Fasora and Jiří Hanus take a diachronic approach to investigating the issues facing higher learning in the region. Using careful historical research, the authors point out vast discontinuities, comparing how the philosophy of education from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century has changed and how this evolution relates to the current administrative goals of higher education. As they confront the history and myths of university education, the authors do not shy away from exploring difficult questions, such as whether political and economic influences have completely transformed the goals and structure of today's universities in Central Europe. Though focused on university systems in a specific geographic region, the findings have wide-ranging implications for higher education the world over.

Josef Safařík's Seven Letters to Melin is an exploration of man's alienation from nature--and from himself--in the modern technological age. Conceived as a series of letters to Melin, an engineer who believes in the value of science and technical progress, the book grows skeptical of such endeavors, while also examining mankind's search for meaning in life. To help uncover this meaning, Safařík posits a dichotomy between spectator and participant. The role of participant is played by Robert, an artist who has committed suicide. The spectator, embodied by the scientist Melin, views the world from a distance and searches for explanations, while the artist-participant creates the world through his own active engagement. Through these exchanges, Safařík argues for the primacy of artistic creativity over scientific explanation, of truth over accuracy, of internal moral agency over an externally imposed social morality, and of personal religious belief over organized church-going. Safařík is neither anti-scientific nor anti-rational; however, he argues that science has limited power, and he rejects the idea of science that denies meaning and value to what cannot be measured or calculated. Safařík's critiques of technology, the wage economy, and increased professionalization make him an important precursor to the philosophy of deep ecology. This book was also a major influence on the Czech president Václav Havel; in this new translation it will find a fresh cohort of readers interested in what makes us human.

Sherabad Oasis: Tracing Historical Landscape in Southern Uzbekistan is the second volume of the series examining the Czech-Uzbek archaeological expedition in southern Uzbekistan. While the first book was devoted to the excavations at the central site of the Sherabad Oasis called Jandavlattepa, this volume analyzes the development of the settlement throughout this oasis based on important new data gained in the recent expedition. The methodology used includes extensive and intensive archaeological surveys, revisions of previously published archaeological data, historical maps, and innovative satellite images. Apart from the dynamics of the settlement of the research area, spanning from prehistoric to modern time, the development of the irrigation systems in the lowland steppe is also assessed. Edited by Ladislav Stančo and Petra Tuslová, this volume continues the significant work of Czech researchers in Uzbekistan, a key Central Asian republic at the crossroads of history and culture.

Thought necessarily reflects the times. Following the tragedy of the Holocaust, this fact became ever more clear. And it may be the reason postwar philosophical texts are so difficult to understand, since they confront incomprehensibly traumatic experiences. In this first English-language translation of any of his books, Miroslav Petříček--one of the most influential and erudite Czech philosophers, and a student of Jan Patočka--argues that to exist in the second half of the twentieth century and beyond, Western philosophy has had to rewrite its tradition and its discourse, radically transforming itself. Should philosophy be capable of bearing witness to the time, Petříček contends, this metamorphosis in philosophy is necessary. Offering an original Central European perspective on postwar philosophical discourse that reflects upon the historical underpinnings of pop culture phenomena and complex philosophical schools--including Adorno, Agamben, Benjamin, Derrida, Husserl, Kracauer, and many others--Philosophy en noir is a record of this transformation.

In honor of the 2018 centennial of Czech independence, philosopher of law Jiří Přibán and award-winning Czech journalist Karel Hvízďala took the opportunity to examine key moments in Czech history from the ninth century to the twenty-first. Covering such a broad span of time allowed them to look into the past and question how Czechs have viewed their history at different points--and what that means for the Czech present and future. As contemporary politics drift closer towards totalitarianism, historiography from scholars and thinkers who experienced twentieth-century totalitarian regimes is more important than ever. In their spirited dialogue, Hvízďala and Přibán raise and explore these crucial issues, sharing subjects normally reserved for university seminars with the broader public.