Školský systém na Slovensku v medzivojnovej Československej republike (1918 - 1938)

E-bool

Peter Fedorčák

When studying the Renaissance, researchers utilize various critical and core terms and concepts which it is necessary to characterize.

However, many such points, notably the following, are problematic: The relationship between the Renaissance and the antiquity; The connection with the Middle Ages; The transformation to Mannerism and Baroque; Realism and Secularism in Renaissance art; The individualism of the Renaissance artist; The reasons for the creation of Renaissance art in Italy, its determinants and stimulators; Distinguishing between the analysis of the genesis of the Renaissance and the analysis of the creation of the period’s art generally; Regional differences in Italy and their impact on the art; Chronological limits of the Renaissance and its milestones; The terms “Medieval Ages” and “Early Modern Period”; The impact, and its extent, of the artistic influences of the Byzantine, Gothic and Romanesque arts on the Renaissance. The term “Renaissance” itself, its content and existence, are also the subject of the discussion with students, alongside learning how such terms and definitions came about and continue to evolve, how they attain their content, how this content morphs in the historical discourse, what academical pluralism and freedom of thinking look like in the discourse led by historians, what the differences are between scientists and schools of thought on the same subject and how it is possible that they are so numerous.

The students will come to recognize the leading scholars in the field, and follow their arguments and methodological approaches. They shall be invited to closely trace and scrutinize the logic which those historians use in building their argumentation. It shall be seen that the freedom to create terms, concepts and new definitions cannot stand on an ignorance of the (historical) facts, as becomes clear with expanding knowledge of those historical facts, the variability of their interpretation growing in tandem. This approach, actually used across the whole range of seminars and lectures, shall drive discussion on the topics covered, students being invited to formulate their own theses and antitheses.

Download the e-book for free  (pdf)

E-book

Daniel Dobiaš

The work deals with the evolution in theory and practice of democracy, open society and humanism which is marked by dichotomy of its own progressive and regressive features. Civilization trajectory of human reality, the implementation strategy thought overlaps through a reality in the form of freedom, solidarity and human rights, formulation of normative ideas of man and his/her nature, rationalistic universalism and voluntaristic individualism created preconditions for the political background of modern societies which established democratic order with rules allowing to dispose with freedom to which the individual, as a rational being, is authorized. Moreover, the perspective of awareness of ambiguity and paradoxical content of individual parameters of democracy, open society and humanism, ideologically shaped and fixed by worldviews of economic and political elites, from our point of view, is a mirror image of how those conditions differ from the standard assumptions formulated in theory. 

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Štefan Jusko

The goal of the monograph is to highlight the significant problem of interpreting the Socratic question, as its approach represents a method of interpreting the history of philosophy, specifically in our case, the interpretation of Socrates and Plato. The Socratic question can be grasped in diametrically different ways, as shown by Patočka and Nietzsche, among others. The former aligns with Socrates and innovatively updates his question for the present. The latter is ambivalent towards Socrates but ultimately labels him a decadent.

In the first part of the monograph, Patočka's characterization of human existence is presented, which he formulates as unified and morally firm. Patočka interprets the Socratic question as care for the soul, for its well-being, without deriving the concept of good from something positively defined but from the whole world, which can only be defined negatively due to its constant openness. This sphere of negativity is for Patočka something immensely positive because transcendence lifts humans from relative goods to the overall meaning, making them morally capable in the true sense. The good, i.e., the requirement for a surge, for a turn of humans from the world of things to the whole world, is for him a program that Socrates first formulated through his knowing ignorance.

The second part of the work is dedicated to Nietzsche's concept based on the non-unified nature of human existence, which is not derived from the whole world or overall meaning but from situational meaning. Nietzsche strives to prove that in every situation, human existence is exposed to two opposing perspectives, between which it is impossible to decide which is correct. He concludes that both perspectives are equally valid and mutually conditioned, meaning that the opposite of good, what threatens meaning, is a beneficial condition for situational meaning. He labels this level as immoral, as a sphere where human existence creates meaning outside the thinking of good and evil in opposition.

The conclusion of the work is open because, as it turns out, we do not have a common denominator that could decide on the correctness of one or the other concept. Precisely in this lies the fact that the Socratic question remains a serious philosophical problem even today.

Download the e-book for free  (pdf)

E-book

Lívia Barnišinová

The scientific monograph "Spirituality in Slovak Realist and Modernist Literature" reevaluates interpretative approaches to the spiritual dimension in prose texts of Slovak literature from the realist and modernist periods. The author transcends stereotypical views on spirituality, often confined to religious themes, and advocates for an interdisciplinary approach and new methodological approaches in literary-critical research. The monograph focuses on literary characters and their spiritual dimension in connection with other compositional and semantic elements of literary texts. It does not offer a definitive view on the topic but aims to open discussion and highlight the need for a reassessment of the literary canon and the openness of artistic literature to multiple interpretations. The analysis of texts from Slovak realism and literary modernism demonstrated a differentiated spirituality and its artistic portrayal. The phenomenon of spirituality is present in the texts along the axis of explicitness - implicitness - latency and has its specific manifestation in shaping literary characters through psychologization, introspection, and spiritual depth.

Download e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Renáta Panocová

The university textbook "Theories of Intercultural Communication" is primarily intended for master's degree students of translation and interpreting, as well as doctoral students of British and American Studies.

The goal of the textbook is to familiarize students with key theories in the field of intercultural communication. Eight chapters cover a selection of current theories focused on defining cultural dimensions, identity management and negotiation, accommodation and adaptation, anxiety and uncertainty management, and current research on the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

The final chapter provides a historical overview of intercultural communication theories and outlines key research questions for the future.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Mária Mičaninová - Ivica Hajdučeková (eds.)

In the framework of the project VEGA of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic 1/0330/12 The Function of Metaphor in the Philosophy of Shlomo ben Yehuda ibn Gabirol and Shihab al-Din Yahya al-Suhrawardi, project leader Assoc. Prof. Mária Mičaninová, CSc., under the patronage of the rector of Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, The Slovak Republic, Prof. MUDr. Ladislav Mirossay, DrSc., and of The Department of Philosophy and History of Philosophy of the Faculty of Arts of the same University, took place on 4th – 5th October 2013 an International conference on The Function of Metaphor in Medieval Neoplatonism. Two days´conference was opened by Dean of the Faculty of Arts of P. J. Šafárik University, Prof. PhDr. Ján Gbúr, CSc.,in the presence of Prof. PhDr. Vladimír Leško, CSc., Head of The Department of Philosophy and History of Philosophy, and of foreign guests and students of the University.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Alexander Onufrák, Peter Dubóczi, Lukáš Jakabovič

The submitted publication entitled Voľby 2023/2024: výsledky – hodnotenia – dôsledky reflects a wide range of topics related to the electoral processes that took place in 2023 and 2024 in Slovakia and abroad. The publication deals with both the evaluation of the currently valid electoral legislation, including proposals for its further improvement, and the broader socio-political consequences of the elections in connection with democratization and integration processes. The submitted publication is published as an output of the VEGA project No. 1/0474/24 Audit of Slovak electoral and referendum legislation, the project leader of which is prof. JUDr. Ladislav Orosz, CSc. from the Faculty of Law of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice and in which the Department of Political Science of the Faculty of Arts of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice also participates. The authors of the individual contributions analyze all types of elections, from municipal and regional, through parliamentary and presidential, to elections to the European Parliament. While some authors focused primarily on the local or regional level, others chose an approach focused on the national or supranational level, and the geographical scope of the cases examined was extremely diverse. 

Download the e-book for free (pdf.)

E-book

Martina Hurčalová - Sergej Sinicyn - Maroš Čupka (eds.)

Proceedings from the 13th International Scientific Conference of Students and Young Researchers, organized on May 16, 2024, by the Department of Political Science of the Faculty of Arts at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, the Institute of Political Science and Public Administration of the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, the Department of Political Science of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Miskolc, the Institute of Social Studies of the Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies at Mendel University in Brno, the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, and the civic association Respublica.

The aim of the translated publication NEW EUROPE: Back to the Future is to reflect on the challenges in the fields of international security, the fight against climate change, and environmental protection, and to highlight selected global phenomena.

The proceedings consist of 12 contributions in Slovak, English, and Czech. The authors primarily addressed selected current issues from the international environment in the context of deteriorating international relations and global security.

The topics of the contributions mainly include questions of international security (for example, in Germany or Hungary), environmental issues and the fight against the climate crisis. Furthermore, the proceedings include topics such as the European Parliament elections, selected narratives related to the war in Ukraine, migration to Europe and its security aspects, self-reflection of the European political system, and public space and public discourse. The proceedings also include a part of an upcoming utopian novel.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Renáta Panocová

The textbook Basic Concepts of Morphology is an introduction to morphology intended for undergraduate students of British and American Studies and students of English (and French/German) for European Institutions and Economy and other philology studies in Slovakia. The textbook gradually guides students from key terms to concepts and from there to theoretically more challenging phenomena. The textbook is primarily for Slovak students of English, which explains that the majority of the examples presented are English. As the textbook progresses, data from Slovak, German, French, Hungarian and sometimes from slightly more exotic languages are given. It is expected that such an approach will prepare students for carrying out morphological analysis independently.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Jana Balegová

The university textbook Lingua Latina – cursus communis is designed for students of all study programs at the Faculty of Arts, where Latin is included as a subject related to the main field of study or specialization (history, philosophy, philological specializations, etc.).

The textbook contains Latin grammar, exercise sentences intended for practicing the grammatical phenomena covered in seminars under the guidance of an instructor, and a Latin-Slovak dictionary. To practice Latin grammar at home, parallel workbooks are available, which are tailored to meet the needs of students from specific study fields and specializations (e.g., Lingua Latina – workbook for historians, Lingua Latina – workbook for philosophers, Lingua Latina – workbook for philologists).

The textbook Lingua Latina – cursus communis is accessible electronically in PDF format. As part of the educational program, online tests available on the KKF FF UPJŠ website serve to reinforce the learned material. This textbook is a product of the grant project KEGA 010UPJŠ-4/2017.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Magdaléna Hovanová

The university textbook offers a view of the family in social contexts. It deals with the basic characteristics of the family, the life cycle of the family from the choice of partner, through the arrival of children in the family to the end of the family. During its duration, the family performs various functions. A functional family is ideal for a harmonious relationship between partners and a suitable environment for raising children.

However, a number of factors enter the life of the family, which directly or indirectly affect the performance of these functions and can cause various disorders. It is here that the task of social work is to offer help to families to cope with their big and small problems. A specific feature of social work is the focus on the whole and a comprehensive assessment of the family, where it is necessary to take into account both the client's point of view and the aspect of the environment in which he lives and which constantly affects him. Therefore, the university textbook offers procedures for social work with the family, from the assessment of the life situation, through the plan of work with the family to social intervention.

The university textbook is intended for students of social work, who have the opportunity to practice complex issues within the assessment of the case through the enclosed case studies.

Download e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Marián Andričík

The basis for the creation of this publication was both our many years of translation activities in the field of Anglophone poetry and a consistent interest in theoretical questions in the area of versology. Years of collecting and compiling material ultimately culminated in this dictionary, which we present to the professional public with the awareness of its incompleteness and occasional terminological uncertainty in finding equivalents, since a more comprehensive comparative study in this field has not yet been published.

For this reason, alongside established terminological equivalents, we decided to offer our own proposals for those terms that so far have had no Slovak equivalents – these are graphically marked in italics. Given the narrowly defined target group of users, we have dispensed with the grammatical classification of individual headwords and, except for a few exceptions, also with their phonetic transcription, phenomena common in general dictionaries. In addition to individual headwords, the dictionary also contains established collocations used in versological literature. Since we expect the dictionary to serve as study material for students of English and Slovak philology, we have added a closer characterization or explanation of many equivalents in parentheses.

We believe that this dictionary, the first of its kind in our literary-scientific context, will become a solid foundation for further, more extensive, and more comprehensive handbooks.

Download e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

René Šebeňa

The main goal of this textbook is to introduce selected experimental methods that have been developed to study various psychological processes.

Traditional textbooks on cognitive psychology usually offer a comprehensive system of theoretical knowledge and descriptions of experiments. However, we believe that for a deeper understanding, students need to have their own experience.

This textbook provides instructions on how to demonstrate, visually verify, and thereby better understand selected theories and phenomena through practical exercises. Such direct experience can help in the realization of their own projects.

Download the e-book for free  (pdf)

E-book

Tomáš Dvorský

The attention devoted to the issue of Chinese activity is highly relevant. Creating a positive reputation abroad is a legitimate tool of every state in its effort to generate influence. The People's Republic of China has been very successful in this regard since the beginning of the millennium, which has allowed it to start occupying positions in the international system that it legitimately claims based on its own history, size, and potential.

Examples from abroad also highlight the fact that Chinese foreign policy should not be accepted uncritically and deserves a cautious approach and thoughtful discussion. All of this must be done while respecting not only China's particularity but also taking into account the realities of the great power rivalry visible at the beginning of the 21st century.

In this context, one cannot abstract from a detailed look at Chinese soft power as one of the key tools for generating influence in the world. Understanding it is an essential prerequisite for a relevant evaluation of the practices and motivations of China's foreign policy, while it can also serve as a guideline in the effort to create an adequate approach toward this resurgent global great power.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Marián Bednár

The scientific monograph The Value of Human Life in the Connotations of Postmodernism presents a current issue of reflections on the value of human life. It sees in the broader connotations of postmodern society, where the approaches of applied ethics (bioethics), philosophy and Christian theology intersect. This issue is embedded in the historical, philosophical, sociological and cultural-social Postmodernism.

The monograph analyses the postmodern value system, the dominant postmodern anthropological concept, secular bioethics and civil law in relation to human life and its value. The key is the confrontation of the postmodern anti-life mentality and life in the most discussed bioethical issues: contraception, artificial insemination techniques, genetic manipulation, abortion, sterilization, (bio) technology, euthanasia. An alternative approach is offered by the theological vision of human and life presented in the Judeo-Christian context. In the light of modern theological disciplines, the personnel concept is enriched by theological anthropology culminating in an eschatological vision.

In this sense, the issue of the value of human life culminates, which is also inspired by one of the most important encyclicals of Pope John Paul II. Evangelium vitae (25th anniversary of its writing). It is she who calls for the acceptance and respect of every human life and for the practical development of a new culture of life.

Stiahnite si e-knihu zadarmo (pdf)

E-book

Iveta Bónová - Marián Gladiš (eds.)

The Foundation of the Faculty is a major “thing” created and developed by many personalities. The collected information, opinions, and critical judgements have led me to the conclusion that there exist among us plenty of narratives on the formation of this Faculty.

What is appealing about this fact is that from each party concerned, specifically teachers of Philosophy, Psychology and Education at the UPJŠ Faculty of Science, teachers of Psychology at the UPJŠ Faculty of Public Administration in Košice, teachers of the Department of Foreign Languages at UPJŠ, teachers at Prešov University who were approached with a bid to create the conditions of and opportunities for the development of their study branches at the new UPJŠ Faculty of Arts in Košice, there is a significant clue reflected in the inception of the new Faculty of this University.

It is necessary to say that it is a justifiable reflection, because without this, it would not be possible to develop exploration and offer the students courses in the field of Humanities, in social and behavioural sciences, educational sciences, and in the field of History and Ethnology.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)