This is the title of a lecture by Professor Jaroslav Panek, Vice President of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, to be delivered during International Conference Humanities and the Contemporary World. The symposium was hosted by the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts and was held from 7 to 9 June, 2012 at Podgorica, Montenegro. and Jaroslav Pánek.
Článek se zabývá vybranými aspekty dvou známých publikací o mnohosti světů a mimozemském životě, které vyšly na konci 17. století. Jedná se o Entretiens sur la pluralité des mondes (1686) Bernarda de Fontenelle a Cosmotheoros (1698) Christiaana Huygense. V první části se článek soustředí především na to, jak oba autoři chápou postavení člověka v obydleném a neohraničeném univerzu. Fontenelle a Huygens poskytují ve svých textech přesvědčivé vyvrácení často opakované představy, že idea neohraničeného vesmíru probouzela v novověkých lidech hrůzu a obavy. Ve skutečnosti pro ně neohraničený vesmír znamenal oslavu rozumu, který se dokáže vymanit z geocentrické pověry a antropocentrismu. Současně se v protoosvícenském duchu jednalo i o oslavu vesmírné všudypřítomnosti rozumu. Ve druhé části se článek zabývá tzv. kognitivními vášněmi: zejména strachem, úžasem a zvědavostí. Analýza děl Huygense a Fontenella potvrzuje některé poznatky Lorraine Dastonové a prohlubuje je. Ukazuje se, že na konci 17. století strach i obdiv byly již jednoznačně chápány jako projev nevědomosti a zaostalosti, ačkoliv dříve byly spojovány se zbožností a počátkem filosofování. Proti tomu dříve odsuzovaná zvědavost se stala legitimní, ba dokonce žádoucí vlastností opravdového badatele., The article deals with selected aspects of two well-known publications on the multiplicity of worlds and extraterrestrial life that emerged at the end of the 17th century. These are Entretiens sur la pluralité des mondes (1686) by Bernard de Fontenelle and Cosmotheoros (1698) by Christiaan Huygens. In the first part, the article focuses primarily on how both authors understand the position of man in an inhabited and unbounded universe. Fontenelle and Huygens provide in their texts a convincing refutation of the often repeated notion that the idea of the infinite universe awakened terror and fears in early modern intellectuals. Actually, for them, the unbounded universe meant a celebration of reason that is able to emancipate itself from a geocentric superstition and anthropocentrism. At the same time, in the spirit of the early Enlightenment, it was also a celebration of the cosmic universality of reason. In its second part, the article deals with so-called cognitive passions: especially with fear, amazement and curiosity. The analysis of Huygens’ and Fontenelles’ works confirms and deepens some points of Lorraine Daston’s research. It turns out that at the end of the 17th century, fear and admiration were clearly understood as manifestations of ignorance and backwardness, although in the previous philosophical tradition they were associated with piety and the beginning of philosophy. Compared to it, traditionally condemned curiosity has become a legitimate, even desirable, characteristics of a true scientist., Daniel Špelda., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Distinguished personalities presented guest lectures and led lively discussions with students and the public at CERGE-El (Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute) during May and June. Alan Krueger. Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors and the Bendheim Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University lectured on Reasons for Confidence in the U.S. Economy. Christopher Sims, the 2011 Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics (together with Thomas Sargant) gave a lecture on Current Macroeconomics and Reality, in which they discussed the current economic crisis and its impact on academic economy. Harvard Professor Philippe Alto discussed two of his recent papers, Cyclical Fiscal Policy, Credit Constraints and Industry Growth and Monetary Policy Liquidity and Growth. and Jan Straka.