CONTENTS - VOL. 20, NUMBER 1,
MARCH 2010
INTIMACY AND THE CIVIC ARENA
GABRIEL BIANCHI: Intimacy: From
Transformation to Transmutation ... 1
IVAN LUKŠÍK - DAGMAR MARKOVÁ: Analysis of the Slovak Discourses of Sex
Education Inspired by Michel Foucault … 9
ŠTEFÁNIA KÖVÉROVÁ: Sexual Orientation as Symbolic Capital and as the "Object"
of Symbolic Violence … 23
PAUL REYNOLDS: Disentangling Privacy and Intimacy: Intimate Citizenship, Private
Boundaries and Public Transgressions … 33
MUNIR HOSSAIN TALUKDER: Intimacy, Admirability, and Virtue: An Examination of
Michael Slote's view …43
ARTICLES & ESSAYS
MILAN ZIGO: Slovak Academic
Philosophy: Its Origins, Development and Current State … 52
DUŠAN ONDRUŠEK: On-line Discussion and Public Deliberation … 66
BOOK REVIEW ESSAYS
ROMAN MADZIA : The Politics of
Agency … 77
DARINA MALOVÁ: On Social Trust and Transitions … 86
ABSTRACTS
INTIMACY: FROM TRANSFORMATION TO
TRANSMUTATION
GABRIEL BIANCHI
DOI: 10.2478/v10023-010-0001-4
E-mail: bianchi@savba.sk
Abstract: The paper reflects the historical and current dynamism of the concept
of intimacy. Besides differences between scientific disciplines in understanding
what the substance of intimacy is, the recent discourse on change in intimacy
has been dominated by the transformation theme introduced by Anthony Giddens
(1992). Led by reflections of Richard Sennett (1986) the author draws attention
to the opposite aspect of change in intimacy-the change in content, or the
"transmutation" of intimacy. Transmutation of intimacy-the
substitution of the satisfaction of intimate needs with identity creation-not
only contests the very essence of intimacy, but also constitutes a significant
challenge for the project of intimate citizenship (Plummer 2003).
Keywords: intimacy; transformation;
transmutation; intimate citizenship.
Pp. 1-8
ANALYSIS OF THE SLOVAK DISCOURSES
OF SEX EDUCATION INSPIRED BY MICHEL FOUCAULT
IVAN LUKŠÍK, DAGMAR MARKOVÁ
DOI: 10.2478/v10023-010-0002-3
E-mail: ivan.luksik@fedu.uniba.sk; dmarkova@mati.sk
Abstract: The aims, rules and topics
of sex education exist on paper, but have yet to be implemented in Slovakia.
Although the curriculum creates the illusion of openness in this field, the
silence on sex education in schools provides space for the alternative,
"more valuable" quiet discourses of religious education. Under these
conditions, it is silence that is proving to be an advantageous strategy for the
majority of those who should be voicing their opinions. Instead, they listen and
control. By contrast, those who do speak out, children and young people, do not
in fact, speak to them, but mainly among themselves. Those who are silent and
listen are not prepared for the younger generations confessions on sexuality,
which are mostly taken from the liberal area of media, especially the internet.
The silent frequently lack, at the very least, the basic ability to react and
debate in this changed situation. Those who are involved in the discussion on
sexuality in Slovakia are those who should listen and supervise.
Keywords: sexual education;
sexuality; confessions; power; discourses on sexuality.
Pp. 9-22
SEXUAL ORIENTATION AS SYMBOLIC
CAPITAL AND AS THE "OBJECT" OF SYMBOLIC VIOLENCE
ŠTEFÁNIA KÖVÉROVÁ
DOI: 10.2478/v10023-010-0003-2
E-mail: koverova@seznam.cz
Abstract: Sexual orientation is
currently understood to be an innate disposition. Heterosexually oriented people
are perceived to be in the majority and homosexually oriented people as the
minority. Using Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of symbolic power, symbolic violence
and symbolic capital, this paper aims to show how symbolic power and symbolic
violence contribute to determining which sexual orientation is associated with
the majority and minority populations, and establish what role is played by the
symbolic capital derived from sexual orientation.
Keywords: symbolic power; symbolic
violence; symbolic capital; reproduction strategies; sexual orientation.
Pp. 3-32
DISENTANGLING PRIVACY AND
INTIMACY: INTIMATE CITIZENSHIP, PRIVATE BOUNDARIES AND PUBLIC TRANSGRESSIONS
PAUL REYNOLDS
DOI: 10.2478/v10023-010-0004-1
E-mail: reynoldp@edgehill.ac.uk
Abstract: Recent theorisations of
transformations of intimacy-like Ken Plummer's (2003) Intimate Citizenship
project-concentrate on social and cultural transformations that erode the
containment of intimacy within the private sphere. They have less to say about
the character of and oppositions to that erosion, and specifically how far the
idea of the private stands in opposition to intimacy transgressing into the
public. In this essay, the private is explored through its constitutive
features-liberal codifications of rights, liberty and property, medico-moral
discourses and conservative values and legal and political regulation-to give a
more political and critical reading. This reading suggests that an explicit
disentangling of the private and the intimate is necessary if tendencies toward
public and emancipated intimacies are to become meaningful transformations, and
this involves a dissembling of and critical engagement with the powerful
historically entrenched idea of privacy in western societies.
Keywords: privacy; intimacy;
transgression; transformation; liberalism.
Pp. 33-42
INTIMACY, ADMIRABILITY, AND
VIRTUE: AN EXAMINATION OF MICHAEL SLOTE'S VIEW
MUNIR HOSSAIN TALUKDER
DOI: 10.2478/v10023-010-0005-0
E-mail: munirbioethics@gmail.com
Abstract: Virtues, according to
Michael Slote, are our inner traits or dispositions. Slote defends "balanced
caring" as an admirable character trait. He believes that caring more for
intimates than others is admirable. A virtuous person attains balanced caring
between intimates and others. This account of virtue conceived "balanced
caring" as "fundamentally admirable" and it is the basic virtue.
All other virtues, such as honesty, kindness, generosity, truthfulness, and so
forth, are "derivatively admirable". This paper examines Slote's view
and argues that Slote should explore the opposite situation because his idea of
"balanced caring" and "admirability" is so vague and
misleading. In contrast to his ideas, a reverse formulation that is caring for
others more than for intimates seems plausible.
Keywords: admirable; balanced caring;
character traits; intimate; others.
Pp. 43-51
SLOVAK ACADEMIC PHILOSOPHY: ITS
ORIGINS, DEVELOPMENT AND CURRENT STATE
MILAN ZIGO
DOI: 10.2478/v10023-010-0006-z
E-mail: milan.zigo@mail.t-com.sk
Abstract: The paper introduces the
foreign reader to the main factors associated with the emergence of Slovak
academic philosophy as well as to the ways in which it has developed, and also
to those factors that have complicated or delayed its progress since 1921 when
the Faculty of Philosophy, along with its Philosophical Seminars, began
functioning at the newly-founded University of Comenius (1919), up to the
present day.
Keywords: Slovak academic philosophy;
Czech philosophy; Catholicism; Marxism; Comenius University; Slovak Academy of
Sciences; philosophy journals; philosophy departments; philosophical society.
Pp. 52-65
ON-LINE DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC
DELIBERATION
Author: DUŠAN ONDRUŠEK
DOI: 10.2478/v10023-010-0007-y
E-mail: dusan@pdcs.sk
Abstract: This paper surveys how the
principles of the development of collective intelligence in on-line discussion
and the consequences of the open source movement can influence the shape and
recommended format of public deliberation processes. It raises the question of
the conditions and factors which explain the difference in the quality of
discussion results when technological issues are discussed and when values are
discussed. It also raises the question of the importance of formats and types of
facilitation which allow for deliberation to be structured towards achieving
better productivity and the more effective participation of discussion
participants.
Keywords: collective intelligence;
deliberation; public discourses.
Pp. 66-76
THE POLITICS OF AGENCY
ROMAN MADZIA
DOI: 10.2478/v10023-010-0008-x
E-mail: 260102@mail.muni.cz
Abstract: no abstract
Pp. 77-85
ON SOCIAL TRUST AND TRANSITIONS
DARINA MALOVÁ
DOI: 10.2478/v10023-010-0009-9
E-mail: malova@fphil.uniba.sk
Abstract: no abstract
Pp. 86-89
