The focus of this thesis lies on the outstanding Spanish realistic and naturalistic novel of the 19th century known as La Regenta by Leopoldo Alas "Clarin". The thesis is divided into two parts, the first is oriented towards historical and cultural context of the novel's origin, biography of the author and general introduction of the novel. The second part of the thesis concentrates on a main character Ana Ozores de Quintanar, mainly from psychological and sociological perspective. Sole chapter is then dedicated to comparison of novels La Regenta and Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert and its main heroines. The primary aim of the thesis is to study the main character Ana Ozores, her gradual formation and to analyze her relationship with other key characters of the novel and factors which brought heroine's demise in the end.

The epistemological problem of unity and its development in the philosophy of Bertrand Russell is the main subject of this essay. The first chapter is devoted to naïve realism developed by G. E. Moore and adopted by early Russell. I explain the notion of objective unity of proposition. The second chapter concerns Russell's departure from naïve realism and the multiple relation of judgment which Wittgenstein's criticism rendered as fatally unable to handle the problem of synthetic unity. The breakdown of this theory led Russell to naturalism, which is the topic of the last chapter. I pay special attention to the regressive argument proposed in slightly different versions by Moore, L. Wittgenstein and G. Ryle. Keywords realism, neutral monism, behaviorism, unity, consciousness

Irving Singer's theory of value declares itself a member of american naturalistic and pragmatic tradition. It refuses metaphysical speculation on behalf of empirism and stresses the processual character of every experience, focusing more on its imaginatively-affective rather than rational part. Singer distinguishes two basic types of valuation: appriciation of an object, seen as an instrument for a given function, and spontaneous bestowal of value, which values the object on the basis of its own qualities - generating an affective attachement in the process. In a healthy organism, both ought to cooperate to support the fullness of life-in-the-world. Their harmonization is a matter of aesthetics as recognized in the case of love or works of art. This thesis criticizes Singer's project from its own point of view - the american naturalism. In the first chapter, it describes closely Singer's point-of-departure and places it within historical tradition. The matter of the "intrinsic value controversy" is drawn here as well. Following two chapters probe into the pillars of Singer's systém - the conceptions of appriciation, bestowal, imagination and idealization. In comparison with the doctrines of John Dewey, George Santayana and christian situational ethics, fundamentally eclectical character of Singer's...

Zugl.: Düsseldorf, Univ., Diss., 2006

Zugl.: Innsbruck, Univ., Diplomarbeit, 2004

Zugl.: Halle (Saale), Univ., Diss., 2008

I will follow the theoretical and critical discourse, related to establishing of Czech literary naturalism. My sources will be both book editions (essays from the volumes "Lehký harcovník", or "O národní literaturu", made available by the Melantrich publishing company) and journalistic production. Among the personalities she will focus on F. Schulz and V. Mrštík, possibly on other authors according to the primary heuristics results. The idea about general extension of naturalism will be provided by relevant syntheses or partial monographs (ADČL III; Haman: Trvání v proměně; Janáčková: Česká literatura na přelomu století; Český román na sklonku 19. století).

This thesis analyses several plays of postmodern Czech naturalistic rural drama. By using comprehensive analysis and numerous examples, the work deals with the key question why traditional realistic dramas based on the mimetic principles are so attractive for the nonconformist and provocative authors, generally known as postmodernists.The work introduces the term postmodernism as a new philosophical way of seeing Euro-American civilization but also as an artistic style, which gives these thoughts an aesthetical basis in the context of Czech and also world history and culture. To get the essential knowledge of the topic, the main principles of realistic and naturalistic poetics are introduced. The work is trying to find an answer to the question ask above by analysing seven plays of postmodern Czech naturalistic rural drama. The analysis is based on experience of spectators and readers and also numerous examples from postmodern literature, film, fine art and music. The key factor of this analysis is the conflict of archetypal human essence and today often discussed absence of transpersonal order, which affects humans even against their will. The interpreted texts work with the topics of human struggle with love, faith, responsibility and compassion, which seem to be very attractive for the postmodern artists. These kinds of texts can give us an evidence of the epoch we live in. Whether the personal freedom ruined human faith in some greater sense or the sexual revolution actually buried the metaphysical essence of love. As an author, I came to the conclusion, that discussed plays demonstrates a postmodern human as a schizophrenic being, denying under the influence of general moral status existence of universally valid order, in spite of seeking this order in its soul desperately. Introducing my own concept of “the great second”, I try to defend my conviction, that in this exhausting struggle, the art can be for human desired, purifying and fulfilling power

The diploma thesis Josef Velenovský and František Mareš ? two personalities of the Czech scientific life (their biological and philosophical activities) deals with the philosophical theses of two notable Czech biologists ? philosophers ? in their biological research. The first part introduces the biological and philosophical activities of both personalities. It depicts in detail Mares' views of physiology and Velenovsky's take on natural philosophy. It further contains their critical views of contemporary trends in natural sciences and philosophy, especially the positivism and naturalism. The second part contains a comparative analysis of the fundamental ideas of both scientists, included in The natural philosophy (Volume I, Natural) and Physiology. The text attempts to analyze their theses (positivism, naturalism, vitalism, physiology, natural science) and to find similarities and differences in their points of view.

This essay is based on Robert Seethaler's novel A Whole Life (Ein ganzes Leben). At the centre of the novel is the main character Andreas Egger and the fictional story describes his long life in a village in the Austrian mountains in the twentieth century. The main character's relationship to, perception of, and interaction with nature is the basis of the thesis as well as how the natural world constituted a place for a variety of interests at the time. Close reading is the method used for the analysis. The aim of this work is to investigate, based on previous research, how the concept of Heimat is illustrated in the text and which characteristics from naturalistic literature are used to emphasise the text's ecocritical perspective.