The Institute of Philosophy is a non-university research institution whose primary mission is to contribute to the advancement of international research in philosophy and related academic fields, including classical and medieval studies, Comenius studies, intellectual history, the philosophy of science, and environmental and technological ethics.
At the Institute of Philosophy, these disciplines are not pursued in isolation from the contemporary world. Instead, fundamental research is connected with questions of cultural and broader societal importance, helping to deepen our understanding of historical experience, cultural memory, and social change. The Institute conducts cutting-edge fundamental research that expands the boundaries of knowledge and contributes to shaping international scholarship. This includes long-term, time-intensive projects that take into account the needs of Czech society and culture. At the same time, the Institute actively promotes the transfer of knowledge to the wider public through academic and public-engagement activities, public lectures and debates, and cooperation with cultural, heritage, and educational institutions.
The principal research outputs of our scholars include academic books and scientific articles, as well as conferences, colloquia, and lectures. In this way, we connect long-term research projects with societal relevance and contribute to public understanding of the issues shaping contemporary culture and society.
We are the largest institution in the humanities and social sciences within the Czech Academy of Sciences. Our research is organized into four research clusters, currently comprising thirteen research departments (see organisational chart).
Research Areas
- Logic, Language and Mind
This cluster focuses on the systematic study of the fundamental structures of thought, language and mental processes. It brings together logical, analytical and cognitive approaches to philosophical questions concerning rationality, meaning, consciousness and artificial intelligence. - Contemporary Society: Politics, Ethics, Science and Technology
This cluster focuses on the critical reflection of contemporary society and its political, ethical and technological transformations. Primary methodological research, drawing above all on political philosophy, applied ethics and the study of globalisation, enables a better understanding of how science intersects in today’s world with art, technology, politics and everyday life. The research directly responds to the pressing issues of the present day: it addresses, for example, the impacts of the environmental crisis, transformations of democracy, the influence of rapid technological development, and the expectations we now have of science itself and its role in society. - Genealogies of European Thought
This cluster is dedicated to the historical and systematic study of the European history of thought from antiquity to the present, with a focus both on the history of philosophy and on intellectual history, including the formation and transformation of key notions, concepts and conceptions, as well as their later reception. The research is conducted, among other means, using modern digital methods and tools (digital humanities) and with attention to the regional specificities of Central Europe in a broader context. - Premodern Worlds: Classical and Medieval Studies in an Interdisciplinary Perspective
This cluster represents interdisciplinary research into the ancient, medieval and early modern worlds, their languages, texts and cultures, as well as the study of the reception of classical traditions in later historical periods. It brings together philosophy, philology, history and other humanities disciplines, and is conducted, among other means, using modern digital methods and tools (digital humanities).
History
The Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences was established in 1990 as a reinstatement of the original Institute of Philosophy of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, which was founded on January 1, 1953 but was dissolved in 1970 for political reasons. On January 1, 2007, the institute transitioned from a state-funded organization to a public research institution.
Annual reports, founding documents, and further details about the institute can be found in the Documents section.
The history of the Jilská–Husova complex, which houses the Institute of Philosophy along with the Institute of Sociology and the Institute of Art History, is vividly depicted in the freely accessible e-book "House and Time" by František Pospíšil (Prague, 2016).
Library Services
Our publicly accessible libraries hold specialized collections comprising more than 110,000 volumes.
