Karel Kosík
Encyclopedia
Karel Kosík was a Czech Neomarxist philosopher. In his most famous philosophical work Dialectics of the Concrete (1963) Kosík presents an original synthesis of Martin Heidegger
's version of phenomenology and the ideas of Young Marx
. His later essays can be called a sharp critique of the modern society from the leftist conservative
position.
.
From September 1, 1943 until his arrest by the Gestapo
on November 17, 1944, he was a member of an illegal anti-nazi communist resistance group Předvoj (The Vanguard) and a chief editor of an illegal journal Boj mladých (The Fight of Youth). After his seizure Kosík was accused of high treason
and repeatedly questioned. From January 30 to May 5, 1945 he was imprisoned in Theresienstadt concentration camp
.
From 1945 to 1947 Kosík studied philosophy and sociology at the Charles University in Prague. In the years 1947-1949 he also attended courses at the Leningrad University and the Moscow State University
in the USSR. In 1963 he published his opus Dialectics of the Concrete, a re-working of Marxian categories in terms of humanist phenomenology, which earned him an international reputation as a leading philosopher of humanist Marxism
. During the "Prague Spring
" of 1968, Kosík became a leading voice for democratic socialism
(a distinction he shared with Ivan Sviták
, Czechoslovakia's other prominent Marxist humanist). This political engagement led to Kosík's dismissal from university work in 1970, after the period of democratization had ended. He remained unemployed until 1990, when he returned to public intellectual life as one of Central Europe's few prominent leftist social critics.
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological explorations of the "question of Being."...
's version of phenomenology and the ideas of Young Marx
Young Marx
Some theorists consider Karl Marx's thought to be divided into a "young" period and a "mature" one. There is disagreement to when Marx's thought began to mature, and the problem of the idea of a "Young Marx" is the problem of tracking the development of Marx's works and of its possible unity...
. His later essays can be called a sharp critique of the modern society from the leftist conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
position.
Biography
Karel Kosík was born on June 26, 1926 in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
From September 1, 1943 until his arrest by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
on November 17, 1944, he was a member of an illegal anti-nazi communist resistance group Předvoj (The Vanguard) and a chief editor of an illegal journal Boj mladých (The Fight of Youth). After his seizure Kosík was accused of high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
and repeatedly questioned. From January 30 to May 5, 1945 he was imprisoned in Theresienstadt concentration camp
Theresienstadt concentration camp
Theresienstadt concentration camp was a Nazi German ghetto during World War II. It was established by the Gestapo in the fortress and garrison city of Terezín , located in what is now the Czech Republic.-History:The fortress of Terezín was constructed between the years 1780 and 1790 by the orders...
.
From 1945 to 1947 Kosík studied philosophy and sociology at the Charles University in Prague. In the years 1947-1949 he also attended courses at the Leningrad University and the Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
in the USSR. In 1963 he published his opus Dialectics of the Concrete, a re-working of Marxian categories in terms of humanist phenomenology, which earned him an international reputation as a leading philosopher of humanist Marxism
Marxist humanism
Marxist humanism is a branch of Marxism that primarily focuses on Marx's earlier writings, especially the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 in which Marx espoused his theory of alienation, as opposed to his later works, which are considered to be concerned more with his structural...
. During the "Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
" of 1968, Kosík became a leading voice for democratic socialism
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
(a distinction he shared with Ivan Sviták
Ivan Sviták
Ivan Sviták was a Czech philosopher, critic, and poet who ranked among Europe's most prominent proponents of Marxist humanism. In a vast oeuvre of essays, Sviták addressed questions of democracy and socialism, of art in bureaucratic and consumer societies, and of the "unbearable burden" of...
, Czechoslovakia's other prominent Marxist humanist). This political engagement led to Kosík's dismissal from university work in 1970, after the period of democratization had ended. He remained unemployed until 1990, when he returned to public intellectual life as one of Central Europe's few prominent leftist social critics.
Work
- Česká radikální demokracie, Praha 1958
- Dialektika konkrétního (Dialectics of the Concrete), Praha 1963, 1965, 1966
- Moral und Gesellschaft, Frankfurt am Mein 1968, 1970
- La nostra crisi attuale, Roma 1969, Barcelona 1971
- Století Markéty Samsové, 1993, 1995
- Jinoch a smrt, Praha 1995
- Předpotopní úvahy, Praha 1997
- Poslední eseje, Praha 2004