PV26EP004 Filozofie a etika v sociální pedagogice a sociální práci

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Winter 2026
Extent and Intensity
2/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Petr Slováček, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Institute of Pedagogical and Psychological Sciences – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Contact Person: PhDr. Edita Ondřejová, Ph.D.
Timetable
Thu 9:45–11:20 C309
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
PV26EP004/A: Thu 11:25–12:10 C309, P. Slováček
PV26EP004/B: Thu 12:15–13:00 C309, except Thu 12. 11. ; and Thu 12. 11. 12:15–13:00 C206, P. Slováček
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course "Philosophy and Ethics in Social Pedagogy and Social Work" integrates three areas of ethical inquiry: ethics as a philosophical discipline; ethics from the perspective of relevant human sciences (the ethics of new humanism); and ethics as an applied discipline within the practice of social pedagogy and social work. The course structure reflects this objective: a) in the theoretical section, students are introduced to the fundamental concepts of ethics as a philosophical discipline, focusing particularly on the issue of value judgments (the possibilities and forms of their justification, etc.); b) building on this foundation, students are introduced to relevant insights from the human sciences (anthropology, evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, etc.) to an extent that expands upon the perspectives offered by philosophical ethics; and c) finally, students are introduced to ethics within the fields of social pedagogy and social work, specifically addressing the issue of codes of ethics. This tripartite structure is based on the premise that for an ethically informed social worker, it is essential not only to know various value systems—including the value system of social work itself—but also to experience and acknowledge the actual plurality of these systems; in our view, this can contribute to alleviating tensions within social work practice.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will:
‒    understand the complexity of ethical issues,
‒    understand the nature of value judgments,
‒    be familiar with the Code of Ethics for Social Educators and the Code of Ethics for Social Workers.
Syllabus
1.    Ethics – ethics and philosophy; practical philosophy as a traditional component of philosophy.
2.    The subject matter of ethics as a philosophical discipline = the issue of value judgments.
3.    Alternatives: cognitivist vs. non-cognitivist (emotivism, decisionism) responses regarding the nature of value judgments.
4.    Ethics and the new humanism: the sciences of man and the ethics of the new humanism.
5.    Philosophical presuppositions of the so-called Standard Social Science Model.
6.    Anthropology and its view of the condition of contemporary man – the normatively relevant debate regarding the natural state of man: the "noble savage" (Rousseau) vs. *homo homini lupus* (Hobbes) from the perspective of modern anthropologists.
7.    Sociology and its view of the condition of contemporary man – Norbert Elias and the influence of ethical doctrines on human behavior.
8.    Biology and morality – the biological perspective on the origins of morality, specifically the biological roots of cooperation and their various levels (nepotistic altruism, reciprocal altruism, etc.), and the evolutionary significance of empathy.
9.    Psychology and morality: the "peacock’s tail" of moralizing and the so-called "ordinary man" – the natural conviction of one's own moral superiority; morality as a means of building social status; dangerous "ordinary people."
10.    Pitfalls in the history of 20th-century philosophy – the values ​​of classical liberalism vs. the Marxist legacy; the nature of the so-called "Great Escape" (i.e., modern humanity's escape from poverty, disease, high infant mortality, and short life expectancy). 11.    Professional ethics and codes of ethics – the significance of professional ethics, the varying relevance of codes of ethics depending on the type of profession, the inherent link between social work and professional ethics.
12.    Codes of ethics for social pedagogues and social workers – values ​​and pragmatic significance, their grounding/basis.
13.    Dilemmas in socio-pedagogical work and social work – challenging situations in social work from the perspective of practice and experience.
Literature
    required literature
  • AADLAND, E., MATULAYOVÁ, T. Ethical Reflexion in the Helping Professions. Vydavatelství Prešovskej univerzity, 2011.
  • FISCHER, O., MILFAIT, R. Etika pro sociální práci. Praha: JABOK, 2008.
  • NEČASOVÁ, M. et al. Výzkum etických dilemat hodnot a principů sociální práce. VÚPSV, v.v.i. Praha výzkumné centrum Brno, 2020.
  • SAPOLSKY, R. Chování. Biologie člověka v dobrém i ve zlém. Praha: Argo/Dokořán, 2019.
  • SLOVÁČEK, P. Etika v sociální práci (studijní opora). Opava, 2025.
  • SLOVÁČEK, P. Filozofie (studijní opora). Opava, 2025.
    recommended literature
  • DAWKINS, R. Největší show pod sluncem: důkazy evoluce. Praha: Argo/Dokořán, 2011.
  • GAT, A. The Human Motivational Complex: Evolutionary Theory and the Causes of Hunter-Gatherer Fighting. Part I: Primary Somatic and Reproductive Causes. Anthropological Quarterly. 2000, 73 (č. 1), s. 20–34.
  • GAT, A. The Human Motivational Complex: Evolutionary Theory and the Causes of Hunter-Gatherer Fighting. Part II: Proximate, Subordinate, and Derivative Causes. Anthropological Quarterly. 2000, 73 (č. 2), s. 74–88.
  • PINKER, S. The Better Angels of Our Nature. London: Penguin Books, 2011.
Teaching methods
Lecture and active work in seminar.
Assessment methods
The oral exam will assess knowledge acquired from both lectures and seminars.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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