Obsah / Content

EDITORIAL

Vladimí Naxera & Petr Bláha: Vzpoura proti „globalizovanému liberalismu„? Úvodem k Drulákově kritice „západního monoteismu„ [A revolt against „globalised liberalism“? An Introduction to Drulák’s Critique of „Western Monotheism“]

Abstract: When we talk about Czech political thought, we almost exclusively reflect the tradition of Western political philosophy, which has been a key source of inspiration for many years. In his new book, Petr Drulák opens up a completely new perspective and seeks new inspiration in the Eastern tradition of thought. He offers starting points for it that are not burdened by the globalised liberalism and monotheism typical of the West. These are the biggest targets of Drulák’s critique and the need to formulate a new direction in political thought. Such a fundamental attempt could not remain without a response from the relevant authors of Czech social sciences. The paper provides the basic framework for the polemic over Drulák’s book, which was attended by experts in the field of international relations, political philosophy or political science.

Keywords: Monotheism, duality, liberalism, globalization, Christianity, Chinese philosophy, Central Europe

How to cite: Naxera, V. and Bláha, P. “Vzpoura proti globalizovanému liberalismu? Úvodem k Drulákově kritice západního monoteismu.” Central European Journal of Politics 8 (2): 1–5. DOI: 10.24132/cejop_2022_4

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24132/cejop_2022_4

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ČLÁNKY / ARTICLES

Jiří Baroš: Křesťanský monoteismus a jednota respektující různost [Christian monotheism and a diversity-respecting unity]

Abstract: The article critically discusses Petr Drulák’s ambitious, provocative, and thought-provoking book Podvojný svět [The Dual World], which, despite its undeniable strengths, faces major theoretical challenges arising from its stark and simplifying contrast between monotheism and polytheism. In the opening part, I argue that the opposition between (essentially problematic) monotheism and (benign) polytheism cannot withstand critical scrutiny. First, the polytheistic idea that there are many Gods is metaphysically dubious. The reflection on the contingency of being cannot but lead us to the idea of the existence of one, transcendent and personal, God; there cannot be multiple Gods as particular instances of the species called “God”. Second, Drulák’s defence of polytheism needs to tackle the seminal work of the French anthropologist René Girard, who showed the link between polytheism and (sacrificial) acts of collective violence. The article maintains that historical examples of monotheistic intolerance are only contingently linked to monotheism, rather than expressing its essence, as Drulák controversially claims. Nevertheless, in the second part of the article, I explore the possible common ground between Drulák’s myth of “linked duality” and the Christian tradition by analysing how the problem of polar opposites has been dealt with by the brilliant German theologian Erich Przywara and by Jorge Maria Bergoglio, the current pope Francis.

Keywords: Christianity, God, Metaphysics, Monotheism, Polar opposition, Polytheism, Pope Francis

How to cite: Baroš, J. 2022. “Křesťanský monoteismus a jednota respektující různost.” Central European Journal of Politics 8 (2): 6–15. DOI: 10.24132/cejop_2022_5

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24132/cejop_2022_5

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Aleš Karmazin: Různé tváře podvojnosti: O hledání a definování rozdílností a plurality od tradičního čínského myšlení až po současnost [Different faces of duality: On searching and defining differences and plurality from ancient Chinese philosophy to present]

Abstract: This essay discusses Petr Drulák’s book titled Podvojný svět [The Dual World]. The book’s main ambition lies in countering what it perceives as homogenising and unifying tendencies rooted in Western monotheism and its religious and secular forms. Hence, one of the primary topics of the book is the question of difference and plurality. One of the sources used by Petr Drulák for thinking about the duality-based (non-monotheist) world is the Book of Changes, one of the key Chinese philosophical classics. In this paper, I consider which politico-philosophical implications the Book of Changes may have and how to read those in relation to Drulák’s work. There can be a wide range of duality-based worlds, which is implied even by the existence of diverse interpretations of ancient Chinese philosophy. I argue that in his vision of the duality-based world, Drulák’s acknowledgement of differences and plurality is limited and entails the stabilisation of differences into predefined or expectable categories and boundaries.

Keywords: Chinese philosophy, Book of Changes, Confucianism, plurality, difference, social identities

How to cite: Karmazin, A. 2022. “Různé tváře podvojnosti: O hledání a definování rozdílností a plurality od tradičního čínského myšlení až po současnost.” Central European Journal of Politics 8 (2): 16–27. DOI: 10.24132/cejop_2022_6

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24132/cejop_2022_6

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Ondřej Slačálek: Megalomanské proroctví Petra Druláka [Petr Drulák’s megalomaniac prophecy]

Abstract: In the introduction, the paper identifies three main formal problems of Petr Drulák as a political thinker: (1) excessive thematic ambition, (2) contradiction of content and form, and (3) a tendency to schematism and essentialism. Then the paper illustrates these formal shortcomings by pointing to six contentious moments in his book Podvojný svět [The Dual World]: (1) an overly polarizing depiction of the contradiction between polytheism and monotheism, (2) an emphasis on naturalism in his own solution, (3) a one-sided conception of Central Europe, (4) an overly schematizing depiction of Czech history, and (5) a problematic substitution of “democracy without adjectives” for a liberal democracy that fails to address guarantees of freedoms as its necessary preconditions. In the sixth section, the paper discusses the similarities and differences between Drulák’s position and fascism. It concludes that Drulák has more in common with the Czech “monotheistic prophets” Masaryk and Havel than he would admit.

Keywords: Petr Drulák, monotheism, prophecy, Central Europe, T. G. Masaryk, illiberalism, New Right

How to cite: Slačálek, O. 2022. “Megalomanské proroctví Petra Druláka.” Central European Journal of Politics 8 (2): 28–41. DOI: 10.24132/cejop_2022_7

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24132/cejop_2022_7

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Petr Drulák: Obrana podvojnosti [In defence of duality]

Abstract: The author of the book Podvojný svět [Two-principle world] reacts to the critical reflections devoted to the book. He engages in dialogue with the Catholic worldview, explains his reservations about post-colonial approaches, and responds to criticism formulated from the position of liberal progressivism.

Keywords: Duality, liberalism, Thomism, postcolonialism, monotheism

How to cite: Drulák, P. 2022. “Obrana podvojnosti.” Central European Journal of Politics 8 (2): 42–50. DOI: 10.24132/cejop_2022_8

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24132/cejop_2022_8

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