History of Sciences and Intellectual History
The group focuses on the history and philosophy of science in the Czech lands, with an emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. However, there are also areas of overlap with the early modern period and with thematically more general philosophical and theoretical problems. The group’s research activities are primarily focused on the life sciences. From a historical perspective, the group aims to trace the natural sciences and their interactions with the humanities, philosophy, culture and modern society in general. The research activities range from archival research, follow-up editorial projects and studies to methodological, theoretical and philosophical reflections.
With regard to grant and dissertation projects, the current prevailing topics include the historical topography of scientific knowledge in the Czech lands, animals and plants in the history of human knowledge, modern genetics in the relationship between science and ideology, the relationship between psychology and philosophy, the role of women in Czech philosophy and science, German-language science in the Czech lands, or unofficial philosophy in the period preceding 1989. Members of the group participate in the activities of the Faculty Historical Committee, the Society for the History of Science and Technology, and in the editorial boards of the journal Dějiny věd a techniky – History of Science and Technology and the Yearbook for Philosophy and Phenomenological Research.
The group's work is centred in the Seminar for Modern and Contemporary Philosophy and Science (MS107027), whose specific focus is continually updated.
Topics of interest for grant or dissertation projects related to the focus of the group may be consulted individually.
Members of the group
Mgr. Tomáš Hermann, Ph.D. - history of biological knowledge and philosophy in the Czech lands, relations between science and ideologies, thought and work of E. Rádl (group leader)
Prof. RNDr. Stanislav Komárek, Dr. - biological knowledge and culture, transformations of scientific paradigms, anthropology and social psychology, science and contemporary society
Mgr. Lucie Strnadová, Ph.D. - older and modern history of natural history (historia naturalis) in the development of knowledge, classification and visual representation of plants; institutional formation of botany in the Czech lands
Mgr. Robert Kanócz, Ph.D. - modern and contemporary philosophy, ontology and the problem of knowledge in the phenomenological tradition and postmodern thought; conditions and limits of rationality; relations between philosophy, poetry and science
Mgr. Zuzana Vařáková - formation of zoological knowledge in the Czech lands in the encyclopaedic and related literary tradition, animal studies, corpus linguistics
Mgr. Pavlína Tomášová - women in modern Czech philosophy and science, life and work of A. Dratvová, relations between psychology and philosophy (K. Jaspers and others)
Mgr. Ivan Loginov - the theoretical-biological work of Bohumil Němec; cultural dissent, independent and unofficial science, philosophy and education in the era of normalization
Mgr. Adéla Lábusová - history and scientific reflection of the Roma population in Czechoslovakia in the 20th century; ethnicity, anthropology and racial theories
Mgr. et Mgr. Simona Slezáková, Ph.D. - history of genetics and molecular biology in Czechoslovakia (currently on parental leave)
Prof. RNDr. Vladimír Karpenko, CSc. (emeritus professor) - history of chemistry and alchemy
Selected other collaborators (participation in projects and activities):
Mgr. Robert Krumphanzl; Mgr. Lucie Nováková, Ph.D.; Mgr. Michaela Nohejlová Zemková, Ph.D.; Mgr. et MUDr. Petr Hampl, Ph.D.; Mgr. Robin Pech, Ph.D.; Mgr. Marcela Suchomelová, Ph.D.
Selected projects and activities
Horizons Beyond Borders: Legacy of Phenomenology in Central and Eastern Europe in 1945-89; book project ("Contributions to Phenomenology" book series by Springer; ed. dr. W. Plotka, CSWU Warsaw)
Land Use - Cultivation - Devastation: Landscape versus Household in the Past; interdisciplinary workshop 9 October 2024, Institute of History of the CAS
Visuality - Science - Perception: Last Interdisciplinary Colloquium 22 February 2024, UMPRUM, https://www.vizualita-veda-vnimani.cz
GAUK 46424: The Relationship between Psychology, Philosophy and Sciences in the work of Albína Dratvová
GAUK 389521: Bohumil Němec in the context of theoretical biology at the beginning of the 20th century
Botanist and politician Bohumil Němec in context: conference 8-9 June 2023 (see) and monothematic English-language issue of DV in preparation
NAKI II DG18P02OVV065: Living Map. Topography of the History of Natural Sciences in the Czech Lands (five-year sustainability)
Selected domestic collaborations
Institute of the History of Charles University and Archive of Charles University
University of West Bohemia (Pilsen), Faculty of Arts, Dpt of Philosophy
Institute of Philosophy, CAS (Centre for Theoretical Study, The Jan Patočka Archive, Dpt for the Study of Modern Czech Philosophy)
Institute for Contemporary History, CAS (Dpt of Science, Culture, Thought)
Institute of History, CAS (Centre for Research on Courts and Residences)
Selected international cooperation
Oxford Centre for History of Science, Medicine and Technology, University of Oxford
Prof. Michael D. Gordin, Princeton University, Dpt of History
Prof. Gregory Radick, University of Leeds, School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science
Prof. E. Fudge, University of Strathclyde, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Glasgow
Die Ignaz-Lieben-Gesellschaft - Verein zur Förderung der Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Wien
Dr. habil W. Plotka, Institute of Philosophy, CSWU Warsaw
Selected publications
Komárek, S. (2024) Stíny v našich duších – Kronika virového šílení, Praha, Academia (in print).
Kanócz, R. (2024): Immanuel Kant: Mechanism, Teleology, Organism, and the Powers of Our Mind. In: Jana Švorcová, ed. Organismal Agency. Biological Concepts and Their Philosophical Foundations. Cham: Springer, 55–75.
Tomášová, P. (2023) Biografie Albíny Dratvové (1891–1969), první docentky Přírodovědecké fakulty Univerzity Karlovy, in: Dějiny věd a techniky 56(3), 136–156.
Skružná, J., Pokorná, A., Dobalová, S., & Strnadová, L. (2022). Hortus siccus (1595) of Johann Brehe of Überlingen from the Broumov Benedictine monastery, Czech Republic, re-discovered. Archives of Natural History, 49(2), 319-340.
Slezáková, S.; Hermann, T. (2022) G. Mendel Memorial Symposium 1965 ‒ celebrating Mendel's legacy and international cooperation, Mendel Genetics Conference. Book of Abstracts. Brno: Masaryk University, s. 178, poster.
Hermann, T. (2022) Karel Kosík and His 'Radical Democrats'. The Janus Face of Dialectics of the Concrete. In: Karel Kosík and the Dialectics of the Concrete, Leiden, Brill, 39-54.
Nohejlová Zemková, M.; Pauknerová, K., eds (2022) Cesty české vědy, katalog výstavy, Červený Kostelec, Pavel Mervart (travelling exhibition so far).
Komárek, S. (2022) Jungovské eseje z devadesátých let, I.–II., Praha, Academia.