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Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Czech Republic took part in the launching of the monograph "Bezvarīgo vara: Masariks, Patočka, Havels" ("The Power of the Powerless: Masaryk, Patočka, Havel").

31.01.2019 / 10:25 | Aktualizováno: 24.02.2020 / 08:36

On 24 January 2019, the launching of the monograph "Bezvarīgo vara: Masariks, Patočka, Havels" (2018) took place at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the University of Latvia. The monograph also summed up the lectures included into the conference of the same name that took place in Riga on October 24 and 25, 2017.
 

The patron of the conference was prof. Dr. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, ex-President of the Republic of Latvia (1999-2007). The reference to Vaclav Havel's essay "The Power of the Powerless" (1978) in its title represents a thematic circle of thoughts, the focus of the relationship between power and individual in democratic and undemocratic regimes. One of the authors of the monograph prof. Igors Šuvajevs read the letter of the former President of the Republic of Latvia, prof. Dr. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, addressed to the publication of the monograph.

Deputy Ambassador Ing. Vitezslav Schwarz, Ph.D, expressed in his speech the pleasure that the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Riga could participate in the organization of this conference and the publication of the same name monograph.

A collection of works by Latvian and Czech authors and philosophers also includes the translations of Latvian texts, which were published for the first time in Latvian. These are the essays "The World Revolution. Democracy" by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, "Europe and the Time After Europe" by Jan Patočka and "The Power of the Powerless" by Václav Havel. The publication of a monograph in Latvia proves the interest of Latvian professional public towards the leading Czech philosophers.

The former Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the Czech Republic Mr. Alberts Sarkanis underlined the significance of Václav Havel and his work for Latvian researchers and Latvian society. The author of the Latvian translation Mr. Jānis Krastiņš shared his memories about the interpretation of Václav Havel's visit to Latvia. Latvian University Professor Mrs. Maija Kūle summed up the cooperation of Latvian and Czech philosophers and the Academies of Sciences of the Czech and Latvian Republics.