Friday, June 3rd, 10.45 – 13.00, at Università di Verona, Room 1.3
Abstract:
We can read in philosophical and political texts of Czech theorists of democracy some non-violent thoughts and concepts of democracy. There will be mentioned Masaryk´s christian and social democratic concept, Rádl´s critique of nationalism and concept of contrarian democracy, Komárková´s concept of human rights and critique of non-democratic regimes, human rights as the leading concept of Charter 77 in philosophical and political work of Patočka, Hejdánek and Havel. The endeavour about civil democratic society and critical democratic discourse after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 is developed face to face neoliberal economic concept of strong free global market, thin state and thin civil society. Leading Czech democratical concepts are: Democracy as a discussion, democracy as a critique, democracy as a reform, egalitarian democracy as an everyday work, democracy as a space, where human rights are protected and people can participate in it. The questions of non-violent democratic concepts is searched in broader European and cosmopolitan philosophical and political context. Czech theorists were influenced by Locke, Kant, Mill and Tocqueville, newer questions are presented in comparison with concepts of Popper, Arendt, Sartori, Habermas and Ferrara. Paper is written in critical hermeneutical method.
