Jan Hojda
Service as a Way
The study introduces the scope of this issue of Revue Salve: areflectiononanthropologicalbases ofservice. The author refersalsoto theplurality of approaches in individual articlesand justifiesit bymultidimensionalityof acts ofservice. He also emphasizes thatthereflectionofimportance of the service for human beingsin itselfclearly connects theanthropologicalperspective with thetheological one.In this context authorpoints outthatserviceas a pathfromperson to personhas itsunconditionalhorizonandthus isspecifiedby theinternal dynamicsof love. Service focuses human existence to its fulfilment, and at the same time appears to be a vocation to participate in the infinite love of God.
Tomáš Machula
The Importance of Mercy for Concept of Human Person
The philosopher and theologian in his text shows the different historical approaches towards the concept of “mercy”. The content of this notion in our culture was significantly shaped by the Judeo-Christian view of God and man. Therefore the author also focuses on mercy as biblical and Christian-theological concept. Finally he discusses the importance of Christian thoughts not only for theoretical reflection of human being and society but also for practical questions about form of society and relationship among people.
Michal Opatrný
Vocation of a Social Worker and His/Her Client to be Human
The present study is based on the theological concept of human life as a task. It tries to reflect this task of “being human” in the context of social work. The study shows that the use of theological anthropology in the context of social work can be inspiring in terms of the genesis of one of the possible theories of social work.
Ctirad V. Pospíšil
Coinciding of Christian and Humane Motivations to Social and Charitable Activities
Search for New Ways of “Theology of Ministry”
In this contribution the author reflects critically the origin and the development of the subject “Theology of Ministry” and its specific formative features. Due to the changing structure of participants of these courses, it appears necessary to modify the subject matter of each course. The core of this contribution is endeavour to explain the key issue of the subject “Theology of Ministry”, which is found in the question of Christian and humane motivation for such an activity. In the third point of the study the author on the very bases of primordial human experience with transcendence, present in every human being, sustains that the aforementioned Christian and humane inspiration, despite considerable differences, significantly coincide with each other. From a certain perspective, Christian motivation can be seen as a specific interpretation of that humane one, and, of course, vice versa. This awareness should support mutual understanding and cooperation between believers and non-believers in the field of social and charitable work.
Jakub Sirovátka
The Service in Response to the Ethical Demands of Other Human Being
The author distinguishes public service of social and charitable character on one side and a service as a help to specific person on the other side. Both of these types of service occur in the social space, and yet they differ from each other. Relationship to the client in the range of public services is a relationship mediated by institution. The relationship to the neighbour is, however, an immediate relationship which is deprived of all functionality. Both forms of service are mutually dependent and conditional. The author states that behind the phenomenon of service – both public and private – stands an ethical demand of other person. He interprets this thesis primarily by philosophical thoughts of Emmanuel Levinas. Emerging of ethical claim is shown in three steps. The first step is to describe the arising and maintenance of identity of the subject “I”, the second step focuses on ways of “asymmetrical” presence of another person. The last step examines the role of the third in relation to the other – the third human being as well as God who is according to Levinas inseparably connected with ethical events.
František Burda
Meta-Social Background of Cultural Phenomenon of Service
The following text considering the phenomenon of service is based on cultural-social and theological-anthropological approach to culture. We assume that the phenomenon of service can be identified as a part of certain cultural unit in whose context were and are formed its contextual conglomerations. Although this phenomenon in certain inklings and undeveloped forms can be found in different cultures, one cannot overlook that in the specific way it have developed only on the platform of European and Euro-Atlantic culture. The phenomenon of service however is not identical with the phenomenon of solidarity, which is found in differing extent and likeness in all cultures, even though these two are to some degree related. Given that the phenomenon of service is primarily related to the human person, we need to seek roots and sources establishing this phenomenon at the basis of anthropological fundaments.
Lucie Kolářová
“From Sinner to Sinner”
Image of Human Person in Relation to the Praxis
The starting point of the study is the thesis that for practical human activity is absolutely essential theoretical background. Epistemological aspect of the text then lies in theological or religious significance of human being (aspect of theological anthropology). The first two parts attempt to explicate the given concepts on the acknowledged epistemological background and their goal is to express and precise what connects theories about human person with his/her life. The third part is an illustrative attempt to apply a selected picture of a person (“person as a sinner”) on anthropological constants (selected representative sample), and seek some of the consequences arising from them for practical attitude to another person (the service).
Jana Karlová
Service as an Archetypal Touch of Symbolic World
The study scrutinizes the phenomenon of service on the bases of free elaboration of ideas of Susanne Katherine Langer about symbolic nature of human life formulated in the book Philosophy in a New Key. There is introduced not only the issue of service, but also – at least marginally – there is included wider anthropological question of the essence and freedom of the human person. The first section summarizes the main ideas and topics of the study Philosophy in a New Key. In the second part there are briefly formulated the key characteristics – and from perspective of this study the significant ones – of the Euro-American modern (and postmodern) society. The third section focuses on the symbol of service – referring in particular to the work of Emmanuel Levinas – and in the final synthesis connects with previous themes and ideas.
Jan Bierhanzl
Thinking for the Other
Yves Aulas and Emmanuel Levinas
In the presented article I try to aim my thinking on the bases of meeting and collaboration with a self-taught philosopher Yves Aulas. Considering that we have in our common writing experienced a kind of thinking that is not possible but in a relationship with each other, I develop in the text a Levinas’ idea according to which there is not possible philosophical thinking without interrupting of my thoughts by the presence of the other.
Petr Mikoška
Freud, Rogers and the Unfree Client
In this paper we consider the problem of “neighbour aid” from a psychological perspective. More specifically, in the text we deliberate which personality characteristics or “attitudinal qualities” may play a key-role in contact with a neighbour including the intent to promote the improvement of his or her inner freedom. In the presented contribution there is dealt with issues of autonomy and personality of an individual, specifically on the background of two both important and very different psychological theories: classical psychoanalysis, and conception of C. R. Rogers.
Helena Tampierová
Literature as a Service
The Anglicist and literary historian shows on some examples from the Old English literature the way literature can be understood as a kind of service to human society. She points how during the reception of a literary work arises a specific type of intercultural communication, which widens and enriches the human horizons.