Recalling Masaryk's The Czech Question: Humanity and Politics on the Threshold of the Twenty-First Century (Value Inquiry Book / Central European Value Studies, 381)

In the late 19th century, T. G. Masaryk presented his national programme. This vision of modern Czech society rested on the ideals of humanity, thus infusing the national ethos with a universal dimension. The significance of T. G. Masaryk's thought is investigated by current Czech thinkers in this volume. Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Contents Notes on Contributors Introduction Part 1 The Historical Context of Masaryk’s Czech Question Chapter 1 Understanding the Debate around the ‘Czech Question’ in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 2 Modern Czech State-Formation Chapter 3 The Czech Question in Its Time Bibliography Part 2 Ethics as the Heart of Philosophy Chapter 4 Modernism and Transcendence from the Perspective of Masaryk’s Realism Bibliography Chapter 5 Masaryk’s Ethics 1 Ethics as the Heart of Masaryk’s Philosophy 2 Masaryk’s University Lectures 3 Masaryk’s Ideals of Humanity Bibliography Chapter 6 T. G. Masaryk’s Thoughts on Ján Kollár’s Idea of Humanity 1 Introduction 2 Masaryk on Ján Kollár in the Czech Question 3 Conclusion Bibliography Part 3 The Pro-Masaryk View of the Czech Question Chapter 7 The Legacy of Masaryk’s Idea of Enlightened Humanism Bibliography Chapter 8 The Czech Question and the Principle of Federalism 1 Palacký as a Safe Guideline cum grano salis 2 Federation as an Internal Precondition for National Self-Rule (the Dichotomy of the Internal and External) 3 Federation as a Democratic Demand Made by a Small Nation (the Dichotomy of Small and Large) 4 The Principle of a Federation within a Federation in New Geopolitical Constellations Bibliography Chapter 9 Masaryk’s Czech Question and the Idea of the Czech State Bibliography Chapter 10 The Czech Question as the Task of a Humanist Education 1 Education as a Political Matter 2 The Reciprocity of Transcendence and the Everyday as the Cornerstone of Humanity Bibliography Part 4 The Anti-Masaryk View of the Czech Question Chapter 11 Masaryk’s Philosophy of Czech History from the Perspective of Popper’s Critique of Historicism 1 The Intentional Continuity in Masaryk’s Meaning of Czech History 2 Patočka’s Criticism of Masaryk’s Philosophy of the Meaning of Czech History 3 Popper’s Criticism of Historicism and Messianism 4 Allow Me to Say Something on My Own Behalf Bibliography Chapter 12 Criticism of the Czech Question 1 Introduction 2 Liberal Criticism 3 National-Conservative Criticism 4 Religious and Christian Criticism 5 Marxist Criticism 6 Criticism of Nationalism 7 Criticism of Critics and the Experience of History Bibliography Chapter 13 The Anti-political Nation in Bohemia and Moravia Bibliography Part 5 The Word of a Politician in Exile Chapter 14 Humanism as the Motivation of Politics or Masaryk’s Czech Question Today 1 The Crisis of Politics 2 Society on the Rise 3 Humanism as a Cornerstone 4 Critical Acceptance 5 The Revival of Society and National Independence 6 Humanism in Masaryk’s Political Platform 7 Evil against Humanity 8 In Conclusion Bibliography Part 6 The Word of a Pastor Chapter 15 T. G. Masaryk and Our Times 1 TGM and My Present Day 2 TGM and the Problems of Our Society Bibliography Epilogue: the Return of the Czech Question Index This book presents T. G. Masaryk's efforts to shape the identity of a small nation in late the 19th and early 20th century. It features contributions from leading Czech scholars who analyse Masaryk's efforts 120 years later. Masaryk is considered the most important figure in modern Czech history. Drawing on the ideas of his ideological predecessors and humanists, he wanted to integrate the Czech nation into the family of advanced world nations in line with international intellectual trends. Masaryk was the first in world history to fulfil the Platonic ideal of a philosopher who founded a state.