Palacký University Olomouc
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for academic year 2026/2027
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Course: Critical Theory as a Key to Cultural Contents 1

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Course title Critical Theory as a Key to Cultural Contents 1
Course code KZU/KTK1N
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminar
Level of course Master
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter
Number of ECTS credits 6
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course unspecified
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Course availability The course is available to visiting students
Lecturer(s)
  • Foret Martin, Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Libicher Miroslav, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
1) Critical theory in the context of contemporary social sciences and humanities 2) Marxism I - Marx, Engels and the basic concepts of orthodox Marxism 3) Marxism II - Lukács, reification and pious fetishism 4) Critique and Revision of Marxism, Neo-Marxism 5) Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School and the Emancipation of Man 6) Horkheimer, Adorno and the Dialectic of Enlightenment I 7) Horkheimer, Adorno and Dialectic of Enlightenment II - standardization, pseudo-individuation, cultural industry 8) Gramsci, Althusser and the development of the concepts of ideology and hegemony I 9) Gramsci, Althusser and the development of concepts of ideology and hegemony II 10) Marcuse and the radical politics of the New Left 11) Habermas and the second generation of the Frankfurt School 12) (Neo)Marxist concepts in works of popular culture

Learning activities and teaching methods
Lecture, Work with Text (with Book, Textbook)
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course is to introduce critical theory (and the currents of thought closely related to it) as one of the influential approaches to the analysis of cultural phenomena. In the first part of the two-semester course, the focus is mainly on classical concepts and theories based on orthodox Marxism and its later revisions.
Students will become familiar with historical materialism as one of the current approaches to cultural phenomena. Students are familiar with the major terms and concepts of critical theory.
Prerequisites
unspecified

Assessment methods and criteria
Oral exam, Seminar Work

Successful completion of the course will require regular attendance (2 absences are tolerated), preparation for class (study of the assigned texts), and active participation in seminar discussions. To receive credit, students will take a credit test with a passing score of at least 70%. The colloquium will be conducted in the form of a critical discussion of an essay on a pre-consulted topic (5-10 standard pages). The essay must be submitted at least 7 days before the colloquium.
Recommended literature
  • Bachtin, Michal Michajlovič. Francois Rabelais a lidová kultura středověku a renesance, přel. Jaroslav Kolár, Argo, Praha 2007.
  • Bělohradský, Václav. Proletáři všech spektáklů, spojte se!", in: Foret, Martin - Lapčík, Marek - Orság, Petr, eds., Média dnes. Reflexe mediality, médií a mediálních obsahů, Univerzita Palackého, Olomouc 2008, s. 11 - 39.
  • Benjamin, Walter. Dílo a jeho zdroj, přel. Věra Saudková, Odeon, Praha 1979.
  • Ginzburg, Carlo. Sýr a červi. Svět jednoho mlynáře kolem roku 1600, přel. Jiří Špaček, Argo, Praha 2000.
  • Jameson, Fredric. Postmodernism, or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, Duke University Press, Durham 2005.
  • Kundera, Milan. Zneuznávané dědictví Cervantesovo, Atlantis, Brno 2005.
  • Marx, Karel. Kapitál. Kritika politické ekonomie. Díl první. Kniha první. Výrobní proces kapitálu, Nakladatelství Svoboda, Praha 1978.
  • Williams, Raymond. Culture and Materialism, Verso, New York 2006.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Palacký University Olomouc, date of update: 02.05.2026 23:52. Data created for academic year 2026/2027