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Kancionál český [The Czech Hymnal] – collected and edited by a literarily versatile Jesuit Matěj Václav Šteyer (1630–1692) – is one of the most extensive and also most published Czech hymnals. It was published six times (1683, 1687, 1697, 1712, 1727, 1764) and as records show, it has been used at least until the beginning of the 20th century. It contains nearly 1000 Czech sacred song texts and more than 800 song tunes of different origins from different eras, including the early medieval vernacular chant Hospodine pomilůj ny [Lord, Have Mercy on Us] as well as sacred songs from the second half of the 17th century. Despite the impressive coverage of Kancionál český, the content was carefully selected and the selection was based on various criteria. The first criterion was undoubtedly the linguistic one: only sacred songs in Czech were to appear (Latin and German hymns appear only as Czech translations, paraphrases or adaptations). Another criterion was the popularity of the sacred song: three quarters of the songs found in Šteyer's Kancionál český have been printed before. Hence, the hymnal can be perceived as an obliging response of the clergy to lay piety. Furthermore, to be selected for Kancionál český, the sacred song must comply with the Catholic doctrine. This criterion, however, was taken with a grain of salt: Šteyer included a number of non‑Catholic hymns provided they did not openly contradict the Catholic doctrine. Finally, an important criterion for selecting sacred songs for Kancionál český was that the song must be understandable to ‘common people'. There are a few hints indicating this: first, Šteyer deliberately left aside lyrics with a higher artistic ambition. Second, the musical form of the collected repertoire is rather simple (there is no polyphonic music and/or instrumental accompaniment). Thirdly, the consistent use of vernacular indicates the attempt to reach a larger audience rather clearly. Given its form and content, Kancionál český presented a respectable repertoire of Czech sacred songs in their basic form – form that could be used for further arrangements (e.g. for polyphony). Šteyer's collection of Czech sacred songs is thus an interesting testimony to the literary life of its time and the times of its reception; it reflects the functions of a sung word at those times, it demonstrates the role played by hymnography in the vernacular on the formation of lay piety and confessional identity. Kancionál český can be seen as a medium forming the ‘correct'confessional identity of the common Czech people after the battle at Bílá hora in 1620. This role is detectable in various ways; most notably the way Šteyer included the existing sacred songs into his Kancionál český and through the types of adaptations the hymn texts had to undergo before they could be included in Kancionál český. Most importantly, Šteyer presents the collected sacred songs as evidence of the immemorial ‘catholic'piety of the Czechs and in this way, Kancionál český is one of the most successful attempts of the Czech Catholics to ‘appropriate'non‑Catholic hymns and re‑code them to the ‘right'confession. In the wider context, Šteyer's work on Kancionál český can be interpreted as an effort (typical of a few generations of Czech Catholic intellectuals after the battle at Bílá hora) to interpret Czech history from a strictly Catholic perspective and, in this way, to shape the Czech collective memory in a Catholic mold. The present work, then, encourages a more focused study on the memorial function of hymnography. It aims to stimulate researchers to study Czech hymnography, the rivalry and conflicts of various hymnals – but also to study the parts shared by them. It encourages studying the role of Czech hymnography (and hymnbook production) in the formation of confessional and national identity in the Czech society and, in general, in the reflection of the Czech past. Kancionál český reveals a nontrivial amount of information about its

“Writing Minervas” – that is how Libuše Heczková refers to Czech women literary critics at the turn of the 20th century. She focuses especially on the critic and feminist Eliška Krásnohorská and on those who followed in her steps – Teréza Nováková, Žofie Pohorecká, Pavla Buzková, and other literary personalities like Anna Pammrová or Artuš Drtil. She also traces the destinies of Czech emancipation magazines in which such literary critique flourished: Ženské listy, Ženský svět, Ženská revue, Ženský obzor and Ženské směry. She attempts to clarify the circumstances under which women entered this – as certain period statements called it – “unfeminine” literary discipline. The activities of the “Writing Minervas” thus radically cast in to doubt the “physiological feeble-mindedness” attributed to women at that time.

Around a century has passed since the political events of the post-World War I period took place and a wealth of publications has been issued on the topic. However, we can firmly state that this subject is still open to further research. This volume offers a multitude of perspectives on Europe's political establishments in the early 1920s. It offers new insights into this crucial point in twentieth-century history from the perspectives of the Great Powers, the small countries, the winners, the losers and the neutral parties. Many of the studies contained within are on topics that are completely new to the field and will have a profound impact on the historical literature.

This book is a study of the growth of human society from the perspective of language. It argues that when humans begin to use language for communication, they develop and use media. Media extend the distance of communication, allowing humans to interact with one another on a large scale and form a large society. Language leads to the dissolution of primitive society and the formation of civilized society. From the formation of civilisation, humans began to group themselves by way of ethnicity or nationality. They have made themselves a people, a community, a nation and a state. They then govern their state through various types of linguistic presentations: appellation, constitution, election, and representation – all linguistic mechanisms that contribute to the building of the state and its system of governance. The spirit of the state is then built through the development of history, philosophy, literature and art, religion and law. Language has preset the whole process of the growth of the state. This book can be a reference book of political science, political linguistics or political philosophy, to be read by university students and professors.

Kniha Josefa Vojvodíka přináší nový a originální pohled na českou poezii především druhé poloviny 20. století, zvláště na poezii několika básníků, kterou čte a interpretuje jako poezii „výjimečného stavu“. S tímto pojmem, známým z „politické teologie“ Carla Schmitta, však autor pracuje v širším kontextu jako s metaforou tvůrčího aktu a samotného básnictví. Autor zároveň ukazuje, že poezie je také jedinečným zdrojem a médiem poznání. Básníci, jejichž poezií se Josef Vojvodík zabývá, takovou extrémní zkušeností různými způsoby prošli: ať již šlo o setkání se schizofrenním symptomem (v případě Zbyňka Havlíčka, klinického psychologa v psychiatrických léčebnách), o zkušenost z odboje a věznění za německé okupace (Robert Konečný), traumatizující zkušenost dlouholetých politických vězňů komunistického režimu (Josef Kostohryz a Václav Renč) nebo o politickou situaci vynuceného exilu (Ivan Diviš). Prostřednictvím podrobných, do hloubky jdoucích analýz autor ukazuje, že „výjimečný stav“ jako literární fenomén zahrnuje celé spektrum topoi a myšlenkových figur, spojených s dialektikou výjimky a normality. Velkým přínosem je autorova rekonstrukce kulturně filozofických, mytologických a poetologických kontextů jednotlivých básní. Tím zároveň dokládá, že skutečné básnické umění, velká a silná poezie, není ničím životu odvráceným, ale přesně naopak, že je mimořádným pojítkem mezi člověkem a skutečností světa.

Migrant Emotions explores the interrelationships and tensions between mobility and immobility, emotions, affects and experiences, inclusion and exclusion, as well as narratives and representations in both local and global discourses. The overall objective of the volume is to underscore the significance of emotions in the analysis of mobile lives in the past and the current socio-political climate. The book provides a new framework that brings together the study of emotions and migration by focusing on the feelings or emotions of exclusion and inclusion through a range of theoretical lenses. Specifically, it offers a series of complex, interconnected studies on diverse experiences, responses, and voices of migrants (including, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented, and others on the move) both in the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries, and across the continents, including Europe (Molesini, Daniel, Stock, Castillo Goncalves, Cancian, Leese), Africa (Cancian, Kilpeläinen and Zechner), Asia (Mutiara, Paul, Ridgway), and Oceania (Heckenberg). Integral to the volume's original objective is an emphasis on the global diversity of contributors and studies and the global reach of readership for purposes of comparison.

Monografie přináší třináct studií Alenky Jensterle Doležalové zaměřených na slovinskou literaturu a slovinsko české vztahy. Příspěvky v první části zkoumají různé oblasti mezikulturní komunikace mezi dvěma malými slovanskými národy v kontextu středoevropského prostoru a zaměřují se na působení slovinských intelektuálů v českém prostředí. Studie v druhé části monografie ukazují prolínání kulturního a literárního kontextu Slovinců a Čechů v rozmanitém období na pozadí středoevropských procesů. Obrací pozornost více na slovinskou stranu a zaměřují se na obraz slovinské literatury ve slovinském, českém a obecně středoevropském kontextu na přelomu 19. a 20. století a v první polovině 20. století. Monografie zachycuje jevy mezi centrem a periferií tehdejšího Rakouska Uherska a přináší sondu do života slovinské i české literatury v rámci kulturní interakce malých slovanských literatur a kultur v prostoru střední Evropy první poloviny 20. století.

Stunningly illustrated biographies of the world's greatest cities, packed with paintings, photographs, maps, and artifactsDelve into the social and cultural history of over 75 of the world's most important cities.From the first towns in Mesopotamia to today's global metropolises, cities have marked the progress of civilization. Written in the form of illustrated'biographies,'Great Cities offers a rich historical overview of each featured city, brought to vivid life with maps, paintings, photographs, and artifacts.The latest title in the series style of Artists, Writers, Philosophers, and Composers, this lavish ebook goes under the skin of cities both ancient and modern--from Babylon and Tikal, Paris, and Palermo to Prague, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and São Paulo. Which ancient civilization founded the precursor to Mexico City? Why was Venice the gateway to the East? What was the Belle Epoque? Which was the first city to build sewers? Great Cities takes you there. Stunning images of city life and key moments in history are complemented by close-ups of revealing details and feature panels that provide additional context.An ebook not just about history but also about art, architecture, commerce, and politics, Great Cities provides a fascinating insight into what has shaped where we live. Perfect for history, geography, and cartography enthusiasts and a stunning gift for armchair explorers of all ages, it is your window into the world's most fascinating cities.

The anti-liberal turn in Central Europe aroused a lively scholarly discussion to which this book wishes to contribute by providing a novel perspective. The recent illiberal upsurge is often ascribed to weakly rooted liberalism in the context of an unfinished transition, or, conversely, to the completion of the transition process in which populists turn against their erstwhile mentors from the West. Without separating Central Europe from global trends, the authors of this book look at a change in the political dynamics of post-accession Central Europe through the prism of the culture wars. Conflicts over values, symbols and social norms have marked the 2010s in strikingly similar ways across Central Europe. To some extent they replace the older, socioeconomic right versus left cleavage, and, at the same time, they highlight topics like gender, identity, sovereignty and globalization. Every Central European country has undergone deeply polarizing episodes in the aftermath of the 2015 refugee crisis, and some even before. In certain nations, these are linked to a strong national-conservative project, to religion or to traumas of the past, but there is no simple pattern. The book studies culturalized politics in a broadly conceived Central Europe - Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Croatia - and shows the various forms that culture wars have taken in the 2010s as well as their underlying logic.

Čeština jako cizí jazyk na Dálném východě je kolektivním dílem řady lingvistů, jejichž společným zájmem je rozvoj bohemistiky (a také slovakistiky) v zemích Dálného východu. Jde o oblast, kde můžeme v posledních desetiletích zaznamenávat velmi dynamický růst zájmu o studium češtiny a která je i z hlediska badatelského mimořádně zajímavá a jen velmi málo zpracovaná. Monografie přináší řadu zajímavých podnětů jak pro badatele a didaktiky v oboru, tak pro širokou oblast zájemců o problematiku osvojování a vyučování češtiny jako cizího jazyka obecně a na Dálném východě zvlášť.

The essays collected in this volume form a multifaceted discourse on religious, philosophical, historical, ethnocultural and sociocultural, literary and linguistic issues. A multicultural approach to the problem of the soul allows the presentation of it on a microscale, focused on national and regional specificity, as well as on the macroscale, oriented toward universal values which can be observed in the cultures of peoples distant from each other in both time and space. The book consists of 28 chapters, addressing the fundamental themes of human existence, which find expression in cultural texts in both colloquial and artistic language, and which have a prominent place in anthropological, psychological, metaphysical and theological debates.

Even though the cult of patron saints is still viewed as an integral part – or even a distinctive feature – of Catholicism, it is not defined by any of the Christian dogmas. Since this is the case, what has made patron saints so constantly popular? The interdisciplinary edited volume Patron Saints and Saintly Patronage in Early Modern Central Europe wants to contribute to the searching for answers to this question. The introductory chapter aims to present the early modern Central European sources as a valuable material for the research of the phenomenon of saintly patronage. Especially within this period, the newly established Christian churches offered various new conceptualisations of sanctity, particularly in Central Europe, which was a meeting place for many Christian confessions. The concept of saintly patronage as a Christian religious practice allowing for the appealing image of centuries-long stability comes under criticism in the first part of the book, entitled “Dynamics of Saintly Patronage”. On examples particularly from Central Europe it analyses the intricacy of the process of establishing saintly patronage, the strategies for popularising the cults of patron saints, and the modifications of the patronages of a particular saint. While the concept of a patron saint has always been primarily connected with sacrum, it also allowed for the creation of meanings that go beyond this sphere. This makes it possible to study saintly patronages as models of organising society; to study the role saintly patronages played in creating various types of collective identity or sense of belonging; to study saintly patronages as sources of conflicts and also as a tool of discipline used to establish social norms; and last but not least, to study the processes of secularisation of saintly patronage. It is particularly the second part of this publication, “Functions of Saintly Patronage”, which deals with these issues.

The Political Handbook of the World provides timely, thorough, and accurate political information, with more in-depth coverage of current political controversies than any other reference guide. The updated 2018-2019 edition will continue to be the most authoritative source for finding complete facts and analysis on each country's governmental and political makeup. Compiling in one place more than 200 entries on countries and territories throughout the world, this volume is renowned for its extensive coverage of all major and minor political parties and groups in each political system. It also provides names of key ambassadors and international memberships of each country, plus detailed profiles of more than 30 intergovernmental organizations and UN agencies. This comprehensive update will include coverage of current events, issues, crises, and controversies from the course of the last two years, including: Elections across Europe Referendum in Ireland Rohingya genocide in Myanmar The Venezuelan dictatorship The renaming of Swaziland to eSwatini Qatar diplomacy changes Historic meeting between the United States and North Korea Establishment of a new governing coalition in Liberia

On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia was divided into two entities: the Czech Republic and the Republic of Slovakia. The Czech Republic now occupies about two-thirds of the area that once was Czechoslovakia, and consists of the Bohemian plateau in the east and the Moravian lowlands to the west. Mountains form most of the republic's northern border with Germany and Poland. Czechoslovakia was occupied by Germany during World War II, but the Communists emerged as the strongest party in 1946 and by 1948 their grip on the country had tightened. The country remained under the Communists until 1989 when the “Velvet Revolution” ensured a relatively painless transition towards a non-Communist government. In 1992 the government agreed to the partition of Czechoslovakia, and the Czech and Slovak Republics were born the following year. Since Communism, private ownership of land has increased, and crops including hops, grains, and fruits are grown. The Czech Republic has mineral reserves, and machinery and vehicles are produced for export. The European Countries Today series provides information on 15 of the most important countries in Europe. Each book in the series describes the history, geography, economy, culture, and relationship each country has with its neighbors. There is also a separate title, European Union Facts & Figures, which provides statistical and factual information about the European Union. Each title in this series includes color photos throughout, and back matter including: an index and further reading lists for books and internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions--building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos are offered in chapters through the use of a QR code, that, when scanned, takes the student to an online video showing a moment in history, a speech, or an instructional video. This gives the readers additional content to supplement the text. Text-Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader's comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis.

The content of the publication is focused around the analysis of social protection within the territory of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia during the National Socialist rule. The collection therefore strives to overcome the limits of current historical research. Instead of the present emphasis on “social demagogy” when conceptualizing a social policy whose goal was to maximize the exploitation of the Protectorate's human resources to the advantage of Germany's military objectives, the collection's concept confronts this one ‑sided (but not incorrect) perspective, which demonstrates the long ‑term continuities of wartime social policy with the previous era (before the year 1938) and the subsequent period of people's democracy after the year 1945. The studies within the collection represent an empirical approach towards gleaning factual data on the individual social policies (insurance, housing policy, labour regulation, etc.).

History and politics are interlinked with unbreakable bonds, as is manifested primarily in the use of historical arguments in political disputes. Regardless of the ideological views represented, time period, and geographical location, politicians consistently and frequently use such arguments with a high degree of effectiveness. Driven by a variety of motives, they use the category of the past, (re)interpret it, and decide what should be remembered and what should be removed from the so-called collective memory. In practice, this means that a properly prepared and delivered narrative of the past can become a powerful instrument in the hands of the ruling class, influencing the social and political reality of the country concerned. Control of the past and its “correct” reconstruction can thus effectively contribute to gaining, boosting, and consolidating power by a political entity. An appropriately shaped awareness of the past thus serves an only ancillary role to politics, satisfying social expectations and ideological visions. Thus, the past, or rather the memory of it, when becoming a topic of interest in the domain of politics, forces the creators of the politics of history to improve the tools and mechanisms they wield to ensure its more efficient use.

This concise history gives an account of the political, cultural and social trends in Czechoslovakia from 1945 to 1989. With a focus on ordinary citizens, it is an essential contribution to the modern history of a country that is sure to play a key role in the'new Europe'.

In Wealth, Poverty, and Politics, Thomas Sowell, one of the foremost conservative public intellectuals in this country, argues that political and ideological struggles have led to dangerous confusion about income inequality in America. Pundits and politically motivated economists trumpet ambiguous statistics and sensational theories while ignoring the true determinant of income inequality: the production of wealth. We cannot properly understand inequality if we focus exclusively on the distribution of wealth and ignore wealth production factors such as geography, demography, and culture.Sowell contends that liberals have a particular interest in misreading the data and chastises them for using income inequality as an argument for the welfare state. Refuting Thomas Piketty, Paul Krugman, and others on the left, Sowell draws on accurate empirical data to show that the inequality is not nearly as extreme or sensational as we have been led to believe.Transcending partisanship through a careful examination of data, Wealth, Poverty, and Politics reveals the truth about the most explosive political issue of our time.

Das Jahrbuch der Internationalen Gesellschaft für Theologische Mediävistik »Archa Verbi« bietet einen Publikationsort für Artikel aus allen Teilbereichen der Theologischen Mediävistik, also nicht allein der theologischen Systematik, sondern ebenso der Kanonistik, der Liturgiewissenschaft, der Spiritualitäts- und Frömmigkeitsgeschichte, der Kirchen-, wie der Kunstgeschichte und weiterer Disziplinen und ist bewußt interdisziplinär ausgerichtet. Veröffentlicht werden Artikel in Deutsch, Englisch, Französisch, Italienisch und Spanisch. Auch kürzere Texteditionen, Handschriftenrepertorien und andere Quellenuntersuchungen werden publiziert. Aufgrund der Verfaßtheit der mittelalterlichen Gesellschaften sind Fragen der Theologiegeschichte zentral für jedes Bemühen um ein vertieftes Verständnis dieser Epoche und ihres Selbst-, Welt- und Gottesverständnisses. Ein breit angelegter und chronologisch geordneter Rezensionsteil stellt wichtige Veröffentlichungen vor, die für die Forschung im Bereich der theologischen Mediävistik von Bedeutung ist. - The yearbook Archa Verbi as well as the book series Archa Verbi. Subsidia are published by the International Society for the Study of Medieval Theology (IGTM). Languages of publications are English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Archa Verbi accepts articles and text editions which fall within the scope of the Society's objectives and thematic purpose. The Archa Verbi. Subsidia book series publishes monographs and conference proceedings originating from the wider area of the study of medieval theology. Manuscripts submitted to Archa Verbi undergo a double-blind peer review. Two senior scholars selected by the „scriptores“ evaluate the quality of the research and make recommendations concerning the study's suitability for publication. On the basis of the peer reviews the „scriptores“, together with the „coetus editionis“, render a decision concerning the publication of the manuscript. Authors will be notified of the decision and – where applicable – of the evaluator's recommendations and criticisms. If a manuscript is rejected, we strongly encourage resubmission of the article after careful revision, since each resubmission will be examined independent of the original review process. The review section of the yearbook discusses new books from the field of medieval theology and from those associated fields of study relevant to medieval theology. These associated disciplines are, in particular, Church History, History of Exegesis, History of Theology, History of Philosophy, History of Canon Law, and Art History, that are considered relevant insofar as they advance the study and knowledge of medieval theology.

This double volume contains two masterpieces of the Czech composer Leoš Janáček. Jenufa was the opera which finally brought him international recognition – and, with it, fame at home. Based on Ostrovsky's The Storm, Katya Kabanova contains wonderful music inspired by the composer's love for a much younger woman. The scores are discussed by Arnold Whittall, and the background sources are variously introduced by social and literary historians. John Tyrell comments on an important letter about the genesis of Katya; Sir Charles Mackerras describes his work as an interpreter and advocate of this brilliantly original and dramatic music. Contents: A National Composer Jaroslav Krejči; Drama into Libretto, Karel Brusak; The Challenge from Within: Janáček's Musico-dramatic Mastery, Arnold Whittall; Janáček and Czech Realism, Jan Smaczny; Jenůfa: Libretto by Leoš Janáček; Jenůfa: English translation by Otakar Kraus and Edward Downes; A Russian Heart of Darkness, Alex de Jonge; Janáček's forgotten commentary on ‘Katya Kabanova', John Tyrrell; Katya Kabanova: Libretto by Leoš Janáček; Katya Kabanova: English translation by Norman Tucker; Janáček's Operas – Preparation and Performance, Charles Mackerras

A “gripping” account of the killing of the high-level Nazi widely considered Hitler's likely successor (The New York Times). On June 4, 1942, one of the most powerful figures of the Nazi regime died in agony from wounds sustained during an assassination attempt in Prague. This is the story of the killing of Reinhard Heydrich, a man of extraordinary intelligence, ruthlessness, and ambition who had risen from obscurity to become head of the Nazi security police and Governor of Bohemia-Moravia. Regarded by many as Hitler's most likely successor, he was feared and hated even by other high-ranking Nazi officials. Heydrich's death caused shockwaves throughout the Nazi leadership, provoking ferocious reprisals against Czechs and Jews. Those who carried out the assassination were hunted down, and, trapped like rats in the cellar of a Prague church, they committed suicide rather than face the certainty of torture and execution at the hands of the S.S. Based on original archive material, interviews with surviving members of the Special Operations Executive who trained the Czech assassins in the United Kingdom, and Czech military intelligence, Callum MacDonald's book is a well-researched and gripping account of one of the most audacious assassinations of the Second World War. “Aided by previously unpublished files of the British Foreign Office, English author MacDonald provides the most complete account yet of the assassination of Heydrich.” —Kirkus Reviews

The Historical Dictionary of Slovakia offers in its second edition an up to date series of cross-referenced dictionary entries on Slovak political, social, and economic development since the creation of the second Slovak Republic in 1993 until its admission into the European Union in 2004. It includes all of the political actors: the presidents, prime ministers, and party leaders, and many leading academics and cultural personalities, including those from the national minorities. It also contains entries on the various institutions of the Slovak Republic like the judiciary, the armed forces, the media, and parliamentary committees as well as entries that explain Slovakia's position and role in international organizations like NATO and the European Union. The historical survey explains how Slovakia, in its post-Communist transformation, was almost excluded, but in the end became a full member of these two institutions. To the entries on Slovak history of the first edition, the second edition adds personalities, concepts, and events that marked this nation's struggle for survival over the centuries. The bibliography is expanded and contains the most recent works in Western languages on Slovakia as well as the most recent seminal publications in the Slovak language on various aspects of Slovakia's history. This second edition enables the scholar and the researcher to have easy access to the background and to the role of most of the institutions and personalities of contemporary Slovakia.

The most complete and up-to-date philosophy reference for a new generation, with entries ranging from Abstract Objects to Wisdom, Socrates to Jean-Paul Sartre, Ancient Egyptian Philosophy to Yoruba Epistemology.The Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy includes:• More than 2000 alphabetically arranged, accessible entries• Contributors from more than 1200 of the world's leading thinkers• Comprehensive coverage of the classic philosophical themes, such as Plato, Arguments for the Existence of God and Metaphysics• Up-to-date coverage of contemporary philosophers, ideas, schools and recent developments, including Jacques Derrida, Poststructuralism and Ecological Philosophy• Unrivalled international and multicultural scope with entries such as Modern Islamic Philosophy, Marxist Thought in Latin America and Chinese Buddhist Thought• An exhaustive index for ease of use• Extensive cross-referencing• Suggestions for further reading at the end of each entry

Description based on print version record.

Emphasizing the development of class structure, this book is the first in English to describe the historical and social development of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania from medieval feudalism to modern capitalism. Historically these countries have maintained mostly peaceful relations among themselves in the past and now share the common characteristic of being Soviet “satellites.” The author has devoted particular attention to Poland because of its unique political system, as well as its greater size, population, and cultural influence. The book is divided into three sections: part one reviews the early history and social structure of each country; part two provides a sociological analysis of social classes and their evolution over centuries; and part three examines the effect that World War II has had on these social classes.Aleksander Gella is Professor of Sociology at State University of New York, Buffalo.