Annales Scientia Politica

4

Authors: Peter Garbarčík - Anna Polačková

This article deals with a role of the welfare state as a middleman and a guarantor of basic social rights concerning socially disadvataged groups. The main objective is to open a discussion regarding the role of welfare state in the process of recognition and social valuation of people impacted by poverty or social exclusion. Recognition theory of Axel Honneth, representative of contemporary critical theory, has been used as a theoretical basis for this analysis.

5

Authors: Gita Geremešová

The study analyzes the philosophical and cultural atmosphere of Middle Europe as observed by the Czech philosopher Vaclav Belohradsky. Writers and philosophers such as Robert Musil, Joseph Roth, Franz Kafka, Stephan Zweig, Ludwig Wittgenstein and others identified their personal and literary (literary-philosophical) lives with the historically unique and unrepeatable concept of Middle Europe. The Habsburg Empire of the 19th century embodied the epicenter of such uniqueness. The above-named philosophizing authors recognized the future European crisis in the agony of the multi-national empire, and the collapse of the Habsburg Empire in their works reflects the crisis of the occidental rationality. The hypertrophy of science, scientific rationality and its significance to the detriment of human life and emotions signifies that the rational, the order, legality and law take precedence over the spiritual. The culmination of this hypertrophy is reflected in the loss of personal responsibility for one’s actions – Robert Musil’s “The Man Without Qualities“ is born; in the present it is a person who “did not break the law“.

8

Authors: Gilbert Futó

Referendum and initiative as integral parts of participatory democracy are key elements in preserving retained powers of the people. Diminishing the ability to guard their will by refusing to defend the outcomes of state popular vote in federal courts, leaves open question about interpretation of standing doctrines by United States Supreme Court. Samesex marriage cases present an example of different standards set by the highest court in this area. Hollingsworth v. Perry decision, stating that the official proponents of the initiative lack standing to appeal the judgement of the District Court undermines the principles of the initiative process, hence the whole concept of popular sovereignty.

9

Authors: Irina Dudinská - Vladislav Dudinský

The study deals with moral philosophy of V. Solovjov. The author s present the option of Vladimir Solovyov about the ethics as a separate science and analyze his view on the fundamental question of ethics. They underline the original approach of V. Solovjov in addressing the main ethical issues and the contribution of this philosopher to the critical analysis of ethical idealism of Immanuel Kant.