Hegel v kontextoch Heideggerovej a Patočkovej filozofie

E-book

Dušan Šlosár - Vladimír Lichner

This university textbook aims to provide readers with knowledge of the philosophical foundations, meaning, and purpose of mediation, based on research and analysis of mediators' activities. In countries where mediation services operate, their staff often include graduates of social work departments.

An individual approach to both the perpetrator and victim of a criminal offense requires knowledge and skills from social work, psychology, sociology, communication, and related fields tied to social work. The principles of social work apply not only in social policy and social care but also in justice. A mediator’s mission is to facilitate alternative resolutions to unlawful acts while preserving the purpose of legal proceedings as defined by valid legal norms. They fulfill this mission through specific methods of individual social work applied in the justice sector. The mediator’s focus extends beyond the current conflict to uncover related issues, activate parties to resolve disputes, and prevent new conflicts.

Special attention is devoted to the philosophical foundations of mediation in Slovakia. We provide an overview of mediators’ core activities and mediation types used to uphold justice in Slovakia. We analyze mediation goals, the roles of parties involved, and procedural steps. In applying mediation, we explore its potential and implementation in both legal and social work contexts.

As indicated, mediation cannot be understood solely as a specialized activity in criminal justice, as it has broader applications in non-judicial dispute resolution, such as family or community work, which are often overlooked by the public. The mediator’s approach to diverse target groups is grounded in theoretical frameworks. From this foundation, we derive activities expected of mediators in the future. Expanded activities arise from concrete situations encountered during mediation.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Pavol Kačmár

Overview of the Issue and Meta-Analysis of Conducted Research.

The publication focuses on two key constructs – time perspective and goal achievement. After describing both constructs, the authors focused on potential connections that can be found at multiple levels of analysis. For the purpose of empirical verification, they conducted a small-scale meta-analysis synthesizing results across eleven studies. The obtained results highlighted the role of time perspective in selected aspects of goal achievement. The publication is intended to serve as a catalyst for further consideration of the issue, thereby encouraging research aimed at verifying how the acquired knowledge can be expanded to improve the quality of our daily lives in the context of cultivating our approach to time.

Download e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Michaela Ružičková - Patrik Furik - Lukáš Jakabovič (eds.)

The collection of articles from the XI. International Scientific Conference for Students and Young Scientists, organized by the Department of Political Science of the Faculty of Arts of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, in cooperation with the Res Publica Civic Association, the Department of Security Studies of the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations of the Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Institute of Political Sciences and Administration, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Marie Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Institute of Social Studies, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Mendel University in Brno, and the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts, University of Miskolc, held on 20 May 2022 in Košice.

The aim of this publication, entitled Truth vs. Post-Truth. „It is not true, but it could be.”, is to highlight the threats arising from the issue of the spread of disinformation, conspiracies and hoaxes today, reflecting not only on the national context, but also on the impact of these elements in the international environment.

The proceedings consist of 12 articles written in Slovak and English. The individual contributions deal with selected topics and aspects of the spread of disinformation, conspiracy theories or hoaxes, among others in the context of elections, media landscape and politics.

The topics of the contributions are the limits of freedom of expression, media freedom and regulation in the media space, the issue of propaganda or information warfare. The present volume also includes papers focusing on issues in the field of political ideologies or the issue of false narratives about the COVID-19 disease.

Download the e-book for free  (pdf)

E-book

Zuzana Kolaříková - Helena Petruňová - Renáta Timková

The publication contributes to an active acquisition and development of language skills in the area of academic English.

Individual lessons include tasks in which the user will find a lot of useful vocabulary in the form of collocations, phrases and sentences which can be applied in practice. The tasks are focused on the area of English pronunciation, grammar, word formation, vocabulary, improving communicative competence in written and verbal communication, improvement of professional skills of presentation, academic writing, etc.

The publication provides space for complementing and creating own database of vocabulary (topic pages).

Download the e-book for free  (pdf)

E-book

Vladimír Lichner - Dušan Šlosár et al.

It is very difficult to refer to any act of extremism or action having extremist characteristics, or to exclude it unambiguously. The boundary between extremism and accepted, conformal behavior is very broad and vaguely worded. Each company tends to set certain criteria to determine what can be considered as unwanted, violent, radical or extreme, or what signs of such a manifestation do not have. Therefore, when comparing the individual countries of the European Union in this area, we come across a different definition of what is or is not considered to be radical or extremist. In essence, the level of tolerance to some of the manifestations and the setting of indicators for the evaluation of the proceedings as extremist.

The presented monograph aims to present the basic social contexts of extremism and radicalization in the form of their philosophical and theoretical backgrounds, influencing the factors, the basic directions. In the author's work, the authors focus on the target group of adolescents, which they consider to be one of the most endangered groups in society in terms of development of the radicalization process. At the conclusion of the monograph is also offered the criminal level of these phenomena, which is not unavoidable in terms of complex analysis.

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

Margita Mesárošová

Giftedness and creativity represent closely interconnected phenomena that attract attention in various contexts from the perspectives of different scientific disciplines. Psychologists have long been engaged in understanding giftedness and creativity, as well as in developing them through scientific methods, in order to provide valuable insights to educators, parents, students, and even policymakers, with the aim of fostering the potential of gifted and creative individuals.

This textbook offers information about the essence of giftedness and creativity, about model approaches used for their identification, development, and support, with an emphasis on psychological aspects. In addition to theoretical knowledge, the text also includes various types of exercises—self-discovery activities, activities focused on development, case study solutions, as well as questions and tasks for problem-solving.

The textbook is intended for psychology students and anyone interested in the issues of giftedness and creativity.

Download e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Katarína Šiňanská, Lucia Tóthová, Tomáš Šeďo

Každý človek má potreby – od tých najzákladnejších, ako je jedlo a bezpečie, až po potrebu lásky, uznania a sebarealizácie, teda rozvoja svojho potenciálu. Tieto potreby boli zoradené do tzv. Maslowovej pyramídy, kde na seba nadväzujú podľa toho, ako veľmi sú pre náš život nevyhnutné. Ak máme uspokojené základné potreby, začneme túžiť po tých vyšších – napríklad po blízkych vzťahoch, spolupatričnosti, rešpekte a možnosti rozvíjať sa.

Ľudia so zdravotným znevýhodnením majú rovnaké potreby ako ktokoľvek iný. Rozdiel je často len v tom, že ich naplnenie je pre nich náročnejšie – nie preto, že by ich menej chceli, ale preto, že im v tom často bránia vonkajšie prekážky. Chýbajúca podpora, bariéry v prostredí, nedostatok informácií či predsudky spoločnosti spôsobujú, že sa na ich potreby zabúda. Niektoré potreby sa potom stávajú „neviditeľné“ – nie preto, že by neexistovali, ale preto, že ich okolie nevníma.

Sociálne potreby, ako je láska, priateľské vzťahy, pocit spolupatričnosti, možnosť komunikovať a byť súčasťou komunity, sú pre ľudí kľúčové. Ak nie sú naplnené, vznikajú pocity samoty, smútku, bezmocnosti či frustrácie. Z výskumov vieme, že osamelosť alebo pocit odmietnutia môže bolieť rovnako ako fyzická bolesť. O to dôležitejšie je vnímať, že každý z nás túži po tom istom – po prijatí, rešpekte, priateľstve, láske.

Download the e-book for free (pdf.)

Lukáš Šutor

Currently, the eighth issue of the Doctoral Miscellanea consists of thirteen contributions from four study programs. The publication of these contributions is traditionally associated with the Autumn School for Doctoral Students at the Faculty of Arts of UPJŠ in Košice, where third-cycle students have the opportunity to first try out the conference format of presenting their research results and subsequently expand them into full studies.

Unlike last year, when the proceedings were non-conference due to the pandemic situation, we consider the return to plenary dialogue beneficial. A distinctive feature of our proceedings is its multidisciplinary nature, encompassing humanities and social science fields. Despite this diversity, interesting connections often emerge among the topics, relating to generational reassessments of regularly recurring issues as well as research on highly current phenomena.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Lucia Tóthová

Social work with a group, along with social work with individuals, social work with the community and social work with society, is one of the basic methods used in the field of social work, but also in other helping professions. The work of a social worker requires knowledge of these methods but also of the techniques through which these methods are implemented and fulfilled. Understanding and acquiring individual methods for the needs of social practice requires the theoretical mastery of those institutes that are the basis of the method and the interrelationships between these institutes. Therefore, the author proceeded to elaborate a university textbook in which she focuses on one of the basic methods of social work, namely social work with a group.

The university textbook is designed for university students who are focused on social work studies, but also psychology, ethics and other disciplines using the method of working with a group, as it aims to present some facts about social groups and behaviour in them.

The author offers an insight into social work with the group from its historical foundations to today's latest knowledge of this method in accordance with the latest research of work with the group.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Dušan Šlosár

The monograph Social Institutions and Social Organizations analyzes the issues of society, spheres of society, models of social coexistence, social system, social institutions and social organizations that arise within individual social institutions. From social institutions, the monograph focuses on culture, religion, education, politics, health and economics.Individual social institutions are analyzed from several sociological perspectives, which allows the creation of a broader view of the analyzed issues.

Download 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

Adriana Jesenková

The ethics of care offers inspiring ways to think about the relationships and connections we are part of. It provides a new and unconventional reading and understanding of human relationships, thereby enabling us to respond in new and appropriate ways to certain empirical challenges (Pettersen 2011, p. 51).

Just twenty-five years ago, thinking about care was associated with women’s decisions in the private sphere concerning their personal dilemmas and problems. Over the last two decades, advocates of the ethics of care have demonstrated that the ideal of care has the potential to regulate not only private behavior but also human interactions in general.

Today, ideas about care have the power to change how we evaluate personal relationships, professional conduct, public policy, international relations, and global issues. The relevance of the ethics of care in such a wide range of areas of life, many of which are characterized by mutual incompatibilities and conflicting interests, is conditioned by several factors. However, one of the most significant is the creativity and fruitfulness of the thinking of the representatives of the ethics of care, who develop ethical concepts, models, and methods capable of grasping and analyzing human relationships in all their diversity (Pettersen 2011, p. 52).

Compared to traditional ethical concepts and theories in moral philosophy, the ethics of care introduces radically different sets of models and normative concepts. Today, it is precisely feminist ethics of care that offers a critical reflection on care within the realm of moral philosophy, ethics, and social philosophy. The aim of this publication is to identify the concept, subject, approach, philosophical foundations and starting points, as well as the possibilities for applying the ethics of care as a specific moral approach and, at the same time, as a specific moral theory in the field of social science and humanities research.

Download the 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

Lukáš Šutor

Proceedings from the International Scientific Colloquium "The Folk Tale in Contexts" (December 12, 2022, in Košice)

We present the proceedings "The Folk Tale in Contexts" to the professional public as the outcome of the eponymous international scientific colloquium, which took place on December 12, 2022. Our aim was, among other things, to open a discussion on verbal folklore in broader interpretative, transcultural, and ultimately also interdisciplinary contexts—a goal that was achieved especially in the latter respect. Although the contributors primarily work in the fields of folklore studies and literary science, their methodological approaches from other—sometimes even more distant—disciplines expand the current discourse to a remarkable breadth. This is proof that research on the folk tale remains vibrant and open to new challenges.

Download e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Marián Bednár

University textbook Selected Chapters from Managerial Ethics presents selected topics from the current issue of Managerial Ethics.

The historical context of Managerial Ethics and its formation on the background of business ethics, up to the form of independent inter and trans discipline, is presented at the introduction. Being one of the subdisciplines of applied ethics, it is inherently normative and interdisciplinary. It represents an overlapping institutional aspect - management ethics and individual aspect - manager ethics. The issue of social responsibility in economics and business, or the moral profile of a manager as a key player of this applied ethics is mentioned.

Institutionalization and implementation of ethics in corporate culture and the tools that are used in this so complex and interdisciplinary process are also a necessary step. Established ethical management systems, which complement the modularity of institutionalization, are also important. The main question is, of course, ethics in decision-making and management of people, as it is where ethical dilemmas and tensions are born. Also, the issue of ethics in leadership, as another qualitative and developmental stage in Managerial Ethics, is the contribution.

The attached moral dilemmas are meant to reflect, self-test moral intelligence and to be resolved.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)