Jan Sokol (philosopher)

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Jan Sokol (born April 18, 1936) is a Czech philosopher, former dissident, politician and translator. In 1990-1992 he was MP, 1998 Minister of Education, 2003 coalition candidate to the office of President of the Czech Republic. In 2000-2007 he served as the first dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Charles University in Prague.

Contents 1 Life and work 2 Some publications 2.1 Books 2.2 Others 3 External links

[edit] Life and work

Born in Prague in a catholic family, he was not allowed to study, worked as goldsmith, precision mechanic and software developper. Studied mathematics in evening courses, translated numerous books on philosophy and religion, participated on the Czech Ecumenical Bible translation (1963-1979) and was one of the first signataries of the Charta 77 manifesto for Human rights.

In 1990 he was elected Member of the Czechoslovak Parliament, vice-chairman of the Chamber of Nations and spokesman of the strongest fraction Civic Forum (OF). In 1993 he obtained MA in Anthropology, 1996 Ph.D. in Philosophy, since 2000 full professor of philosophy.

He has been influenced mostly by his father-in-law Jan Patočka, Martin Heidegger, Emmanuel Lévinas and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Works in Phenomenology, Anthropology of Religion and of Law and in the theory of Human Rights. Published several books and articles in Czech and in other languages, delivered many guest lectures in various European countries and in the US, mostly on philosophy, religion, ethics and on European questions.

[edit] Some publications

[edit] Books

• Moc, peníze a právo (Power, money and law). Čeněk, Pilsen 2007. ISBN 978-80-7360-066-6
• Malá filosofie člověka (A Small Philosophy of Man). Vysehrad, Prague 2007, 5th. ed. ISBN: 978-80-7021-884-6
• Čas a rytmus (Time and Rhythm). Oikumene, Prague 2004, 2nd. ed. ISBN 80-7298-123-4
• Člověk a náboženství (Man and religion). Portal, Prague 2004. ISBN 80-7178-886-4
  • Mensch und Religion. Alber, Freiburg - München 2007. ISBN 978-3-495-48264-3
• Antropologie a etika (Anthropology and Ethics, with Z. Pinc). Triton, Prague 2003. ISBN 80-7254-372-5
• Filosofická antropologie (Philosophic Anthropology - Man as a Person). Portal, Prague 2002. ISBN 80-7178-627-6
• Mistr Eckhart a středověká mystika (Master Eckhart and the Medieval Mystic). Vysehrad, Prague 2008, 3rd. ed. ISBN: 978-80-7021-880-8

[edit] Others

In English:

• What does freedom look like? In: Int. J. Prenatal and perinatal psychology and medicine, Stockholm. Vol. 17, 1/2 (2005), p. 181-187. ISSN 0943-5417
• An Address from Elsewhere (The Message of Lévinas). In: Philosophy Today, Chicago, 43/2 (1999), p. 143-150, ISSN 0031-8256.
• The Two Faces of Time. In: European Review, Vol. 9, No. 1, p. 11-18 (2001). ISSN 1062-7987

In German:

• Nachbarschaft – Nähe und Abgrenzung aus anthropologischer Sicht. In: Theologie der Gegenwart, Erfurt, Vol. 50 (2007)/3, S. 162-171. ISSN 0342-1457
• Europa spricht. Sprachenvielfalt und Politik. In: Osteuropa 5-6/2004, Berlin, S. 276-283. ISSN 0030-6428.
• Was ist Geld? In: Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik 5/2 (2004), S. 176-185. ISSN 1439-880X
• Leben als Bewegung. Jan Patočka und die Philosophie der Erziehung. In: Jahrbuch fuer Bildungs- und Erziehungsphilosophie, 3 (2000), S. 223-229. Schneider Hohengehren, ISBN 3-89676-328-8.

[edit] External links

• Personal pages (cs, en, de, fr)