![Recenze: Mareš, M., Výborný, J.: Militantní demokracie ve střední Evropě](/api/image/getissuecoverimage?id=picture_2014_16352.jpg)
Recenze: Mareš, M., Výborný, J.: Militantní demokracie ve střední Evropě
This is a book review of a monography about militant democracy in Central Europe.
More...We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.
This is a book review of a monography about militant democracy in Central Europe.
More...
This is a book review of a monography about Iranian state terrorism.
More...
The main concern of the essay is the concept of subjectivity in the context of its relation to the social structure in the process of social becoming. The paper argues that, if we accept the analytical dualism of subjectivity and structure, “the last instance”, both ontological and epistemological, are the actors – persons/subjects – equipped with reason and free will, endowed with individual identity built on their refl ections concerning their experience of life. Subjectivity is considered in both the subjective and the objective approach, the legitimacy of ascribing the status of subjectivity or agency to collectivities is also analyzed. Since we assume that the natural and the social world really exists, we also accept the view of methodological individualism “in the last instance”, as it is supported by the analysis of subjectivity. The view does not question the real existence of the social structures and mechanisms, namely their independence from individual capability to perceive them or to refl ect on their qualities. The real existence of social structures does not, however, mean that they are independent from individual actors, i.e. that they can exist, last or change without the involvement of people. The essay also presents signifi cant relations between subjectivity/agency and achievement motivation, and therefore, also the issue of entrepreneurship, which opens new research perspectives.
More...
It is hard to imagine an academic debate on subjects and subjectivity in which there was no question of the legal meaning of these concepts. Subjectivity is a central notion in the civil law, but it is also important for other branches of law: criminal, administrative, and international. When and how does a being become a subject of law? Does he or she do it by acquiring rights, or perhaps the other way round: there is no right on its own, without its subject. These theoretical questions have very practical implications, e.g. in rights of succession. But they will become more and more important when it comes to subjectivity of human clones and the development of artificial intelligence. Once futurist illusions of fi ction writers have become a reality that calls for regulation. Another important thread of thought presented in the paper is how and on what ground global entities (corporations, organizations) become legal subjects with “global” rights.
More...
The purpose of this paper is to present the results of analyses of the methodological approaches which consider organization as an entity. The author discusses the limitations of such a procedure, but also presents arguments that confirm the thesis formulated in the title. In the conclusion of the paper, the author offers a critical discussion and a list of statements justifying the treatment of an organization as a subject.
More...
The main objective of the paper is to address the problem of responsibility of a collective being. This task has proven to be very complex due to the conviction which is currently dominant (in legal, political and economic consciousness): that of absolutely fundamental individual responsibility that closes any eflection on the responsibility of a collective being which could destroy one of the undoubtedly most valuable achievements of human thought: the idea of moral responsibility of a human being. However, the increasingly rapid changes both in the nature and structure of societies, and in social relations, which are its new face, show that with the increasing impact and power of large organizations (public and private alike), one has to refl ect on a new dimension of responsibility, i.e. the responsibility of a collective being. The paper is therefore an attempt to show research directions of the new phenomenon, without questioning the inviolability of individual responsibility.
More...
This paper analyzes the relationship between the concept of the individual and their ability to make free and rational choices, both individual and collective. The problem has been discussed in the works of many contemporary liberal philosophers and economists: Arrow, Buchanan, Rawls, and Sen. The latter focuses mainly on an acting person and on the concept of capabilities which stem from freedom of the individual, and create the basis for the theory of justice. These studies show that liberal political philosophy and economics can no longer be considered a value-free domain
More...
The concept of subjectivity can help in the refl ection on the ontological status of the human being and his or her community, and on the relations between people and communities, as well as the importance of a human being within the communities. This concept can and should be the outset of a refl ection on society, the state, politics, humanity, mental health, and identity. This paper drafts a theory of subjectivity at a time of the contemporary civilizational crisis, when humans and values often get lost in the liquid reality.
More...
The aim of this paper is to draw attention to a long tradition of understanding the sources and limitations of subjectivity and to discuss the rich legacy of philosophical thought on the subject.
More...
This paper examines the concept of shared social responsibility. The author provides significant theoretical insights on shared social responsibility and its place in democratic theory, especially the liberal theory of justice. This article further explores ways of implementing practically the notion of shared social responsibility into socio-economic policy in order to address the democratic defi cit within modern states.
More...
This article contains a summary of the discussions conducted by the Cracow Circle during several semesters. The author comes to the conclusion that the concept of subjectivity can explain why, even if we are against a certain rule, we do not have to settle for a world without rules, but favour a set of rules which is gradually reinterpreted and modified. It can be represented schematically by the following formula: subjectivity = to want (to know why) + to be able to (act and have appropriate tools) + not to have to (infl uence rules and the way they are modified).
More...
The transition from communism to democracy is followed by the transformation of main political institutions. Postcommunist democratization means, among others, the metamorphosis of a “rubber stamp” parliament into a real political actor. It requires the professionalization of MPs (reduction of the number of novices), changes in internal organization, and strengthening of political parliamentary groups, as well as the limitation of the power of the executive. This paper shows that in the initial period of political transformation, the autonomy of the parliament was expanded so that it became a real decision maker, creating the framework of the new political system. In time, the level of autonomy and of political capacity has decreased. The dependence on the executive and on political parties has grown. The Europeanization of the politics has also been the factor limiting its freedom to act independently. As a result, the parliament has returned to the role of the body that ratifi es the decisions made by other actors.
More...
The term “society” is usually used as the subject of various statements: “society tends to…”, “society does not trust politicians”, etc. Th eoretically, however, individualism prevails both ontologically (“society” is a complex of individual actions) and methodologically. However, there exists a theoretical stance that considers society as an intention-driven agent, a self-refl ective subject able to build the structures of self-knowledge. The paper discusses the consequences of adapting the “intentional stance” in the study of society.
More...
In the Cracow Circle, we have dealt with the links between self, cognition, and action. It seems to me that the issue of subjectivity is key for the understanding of interactions between these categories. Knowledge and action should not be divorced from the subject. Th ere is no subject without knowledge. Th ere is no subject without action. However, the relationships between the subject, knowledge and action are neither linear nor simple. Th ere is no place for a causeeff ect sequence or determinism. The author discusses subjectivity in the context of social relationships and interactions. From this point of view, subjectivity is a component of the social order and without subjectivity, or more accurately, without the existence of a number of social subjects, social order cannot emerge or last and evolve.
More...
The aim of the paper is to critically review previous considerations concerning subjectivity. The author argues that subjectivity is both unnecessary and biased as an analytical category applied in order to understand the social reality. At the same time, however, the concept is indispensable as a normative reference.
More...
This paper explores the impact of the ICTY on shifts in media frames about the historical narrative of the Homeland war in Croatia. Using critical discourse analysis and frame analysis, we follow the changes in representations of the wars of the 90s in the period before, during and after the Gotovina et al. case. Even though high sentence delivered in the first instance judgement challenged dominant framework for interpreting the past, the acquittal of all three indictees in the appeals judgement reaffirmed the official master narrative about the Homeland war.
More...
This essay argues that, although for an important part of the “second world”, Islam is a key paradigm both historically and currently, Islamic Public Administration studies have been neglected in the region. This is highly problematic if there are, as is proposed, (at least) three paradigms of governance and especially public administration: Chinese, Western and Islamic, and if we arrive more easily at good public administration if we realize that there are different contexts and thus, potentially at least, different ways thither, as well as legitimately different goals. After the development of a model, the essay deals with Islamic Public Administration and then specifically with that of the Ottoman Empire, as this had both a highly sophisticated administrative system that is often underrated and forms the main legacy of most “second-world” Islamic countries. In conclusion, pros and cons of such a perspective are discussed, and a research program is suggested.
More...
Centuries of dominance of Islam in the political systems of countries where Muslims make up a majority, as well as political, economic and cultural exchanges that were fostered by Islam, lead us to suggest the existence of Islamic legacy in public administration (PA). This article examines Ideology of National Independence in Uzbekistan and identifies several mental models rooted in the Islamic legacy. The deficit of legitimacy experienced by the Uzbek government after the collapse of the Soviet Union has created conditions for explicit use of the Islamic legacy to address the legitimacy problem. The internalization on the part of Uzbek civil servants of the mental models rooted in the Islamic legacy has also affected its sense of purpose and coherence as well as Uzbekistan’s response to the outside pressure for reforms.
More...
This paper explores the approach, structure and content of a graduate Public Administration curriculum suitable for an Islamic Arab state, focussing on the United Arab Emirates, but which may have broader implications for other Islamic states as well as for international dimensions of multicultural non-Islamic states. The approach draws on Weberian comparative historical sociology, Habermasian concepts of legitimacy, domination and colonisation, comparative management, post-colonial critiques and Islamic administrative scholarship. There are three main sections to this paper: 1) the nature of the problem including a discussion of globalisation, a critique of international, comparative, development, internationalised and indigenous public administration, and expatriate academic labour and their recolonising effects; 2) general curricular principles upon which an appropriate curriculum can be built, including internationalisation and programme criteria that include indigenous content; and 3) a course level discussion that includes course criteria and examples of more appropriate content.
More...