The Heresies of Jan Patocka

A nuanced reflection on the meaning and resonance of Patocka's philosophy

Foregrounding the turbulent political and intellectual scene in Czechoslovakia following the Prague Spring in 1968, James Dodd explores the unity of philosophy, history, and politics in Jan Patocka's life and legacy. James Dodd presents Patocka as an essential philosopher of modern concepts-such as freedom, subjectivity, and history-and also as an interpreter of prominent thinkers such as Husserl and Heidegger.

Dodd outlines the phenomenology that Patocka, as a late pupil of Husserl and Heidegger, crafted in response to the classical model before turning to his philosophy of history, which was oriented around the problem of Europe and the care for the soul. Finally, Dodd examines Patocka's role as a dissident intellectual and one of the principal voices of the Charter 77 human rights movement before his death in March 1977. By situating Patocka's thought in relation to classical phenomenology and to the political and historical conditions of Central Europe, Dodd illuminates the enduring impact of this key thinker of the twentieth century.