SubjectsSubjects(version: 978)
Course, academic year 2025/2026
  
Water Between Myth and Molecule - V832015
Title: Voda mezi mýtem a molekulou
Guaranteed by: Department of Chemical Education and Humanities (832)
Faculty: Central University Departments of UCT Prague
Actual: from 2025
Semester: summer
Points: summer s.:2
E-Credits: summer s.:2
Examination process: summer s.:
Hours per week, examination: summer s.:2/0, C [HT]
Capacity: unknown / unknown (unknown)
Min. number of students: 5
Qualifications:  
State of the course: taught
Language: Czech
Teaching methods: full-time
Level:  
Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan
enabled for web enrollment
Guarantor: Světlík Martin Karel Mgr.
Examination dates   Schedule   
Annotation -
The course explores what it means to know "water" — from a mythical element to a molecular object—as a way of addressing broader questions in the philosophy of science. Water serves as a concrete and multifaceted case through which students examine key issues of scientific epistemology, ontology, methodology, and the social responsibility of science. The course integrates historical and contemporary perspectives, fostering critical reflection on how science operates, what constitutes a “scientific fact,” and what role science plays in society.
Last update: Světlík Martin Karel (25.08.2025)
Course completion requirements -

1. Attendance and Participation

Students are required to attend at least 70% of class sessions and actively contribute to discussions.

2. Final Test

A short test (10–15 questions, multiple choice and short answer) will assess knowledge of key concepts, authors, and ideas covered in the course.

3. Position Paper and Presentation

Each student will select one of the assigned topics, which is accompanied by 1–2 required readings.

Paper: A short argumentative paper (approx. 2 pages), submitted in advance, clearly articulating a position and engaging with at least one source.

Presentation: A 10-minute presentation summarizing the paper’s main arguments, followed by class discussion.

Alternative: Students who cannot present will submit a longer essay (4–5 pages).

Last update: Světlík Martin Karel (22.08.2025)
Literature -

Z: Anderson-Chavarria, M. (2022). The autism predicament: models of autism and their impact on autistic identity. Disability & Society, 37(8), 1321-1341. doi:10.1080/09687599.2021.1877117

Z: Birk, R. H. (2020). On stress and subjectivity. Theory & Psychology, 31(2), 254-272. doi:10.1177/0959354320953904

Z: Cascio, M. A. (2020). Neurodiversity as a Conceptual Lens and Topic of Cross-Cultural Study. In C. A. Cummings, L. J. Kirmayer, S. Kitayama, R. Lemelson, & C. M. Worthman (Eds.), Culture, Mind, and Brain: Emerging Concepts, Models, and Applications (pp. 477-493). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Z: Clarke, J. M., & Waring, J. (2018). The transformative role of interaction rituals within therapeutic communities. Sociology of Health & Illness, 40(8), 1277-1293.

Z: Collura, G. L., & Lende, D. H. (2012). Post-traumatic stress disorder and neuroanthropology: Stopping PTSD before it begins. Annals of Anthropological Practice, 36(1), 131-148. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2153-9588.2012.01096.x

Z: de Oliveira, J. (2023). Neuroanthropology applied to eating disorders: A field of study for eating practices. Neuropsychiatrie de l'Enfance et de l'Adolescence. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurenf.2023.11.007

Z: Decety, J., Pape, R., & Workman, C. I. (2018). A multilevel social neuroscience perspective on radicalization and terrorism. Social Neuroscience, 13(5), 511-529. doi:10.1080/17470919.2017.1400462

Z: Deeley, Q. (2018). Neuroanthropology: Exploring Relations between Brain, Cognition, and Culture. In (pp. 380-396). Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.

Z: Downey, G. (2015). The Importance of Repetition: Ritual as a Support to Mind. In M. Bull & J. P. Mitchell (Eds.), Ritual, Performance and the Senses (pp. 45-61). London: Routledge.

Z: Downey, G., & Lende, D. H. (2020). Neuroanthropological Perspectives on Culture, Mind, and Brain. In C. A. Cummings, L. J. Kirmayer, S. Kitayama, R. Lemelson, & C. M. Worthman (Eds.), Culture, Mind, and Brain: Emerging Concepts, Models, and Applications (pp. 277-299). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Z: Dwyer, P. (2022). The Neurodiversity Approach(es): What Are They and What Do They Mean for Researchers? Human Development, 66(2), 73-92. doi:10.1159/000523723

Z: Finley, E. P. (2012). War and Dislocation: A Neuroanthropological Model of Trauma among American Veterans with Combat PTSD. In The Encultured Brain: An Introduction to Neuroanthropology (pp. 0). doi:10.7551/mitpress/9219.003.0014

Z: Grinker, R. R. (2019). Autism, “Stigma,” Disability: A Shifting Historical Terrain. Current Anthropology, 61(S21), S55-S67. doi:10.1086/705748

Z: Hobson, N. M., Schroeder, J., Risen, J. L., Xygalatas, D., & Inzlicht, M. (2017). The Psychology of Rituals: An Integrative Review and Process-Based Framework. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 22(3), 260-284. doi:10.1177/1088868317734944

Z: Koob, G. F., Powell, P., & White, A. (2020). Addiction as a Coping Response: Hyperkatifeia, Deaths of Despair, and COVID-19. American Journal of Psychiatry, 177(11), 1031-1037. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20091375

Z: Lende, D. H. (2012). Addiction and Neuroanthropology. In The Encultured Brain: An Introduction to Neuroanthropology (pp. 0). doi:10.7551/mitpress/9219.003.0017

Z: Lende, D. H., Casper, B. I., Hoyt, K. B., & Collura, G. L. (2021). Elements of Neuroanthropology. Front Psychol, 12, 509611. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.509611

Z: Lewis-Fernández, R., & Kirmayer, L. J. (2019). Cultural concepts of distress and psychiatric disorders: Understanding symptom experience and expression in context. Transcultural Psychiatry, 56(4), 786-803. doi:10.1177/1363461519861795

Z: Reichert, R. A., & Zaluar, A. (2021). Neuroanthropology of Drugs: Relations Between the Brain, Social Context, and Use of Psychoactive Substances. In D. De Micheli, A. L. M. Andrade, R. A. Reichert, E. A. d. Silva, B. d. O. Pinheiro, & F. M. Lopes (Eds.), Drugs and Human Behavior: Biopsychosocial Aspects of Psychotropic Substances Use (pp. 51-70). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Z: Rodríguez Arce, J. M., & Winkelman, M. J. (2021). Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.729425

Z: Roepstorff, A., & Frith, C. (2012). Neuroanthropology or simply anthropology? Going experimental as method, as object of study, and as research aesthetic. Anthropological Theory, 12(1), 101-111. doi:10.1177/1463499612436467

Z: Sterling, P., & Platt, M. L. (2022). Why Deaths of Despair Are Increasing in the US and Not Other Industrial Nations—Insights From Neuroscience and Anthropology. JAMA Psychiatry, 79(4), 368-374. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.4209

Z: Syme, K. L., & Hagen, E. H. (2020). Mental health is biological health: Why tackling "diseases of the mind" is an imperative for biological anthropology in the 21st century. Am J Phys Anthropol, 171 Suppl 70, 87-117. doi:10.1002/ajpa.23965

Z: Turner, R. (2015). Ritual Action Shapes Our Brains: An Essay in Neuroanthropology. In M. Bull & J. P. Mitchell (Eds.), Ritual, Performance and the Senses (pp. 31-44). London: Routledge.

Z: Turner, R. (2019). Finding likeness: Neural plasticity and ritual experience. Anthropology Today, 35(3), 3-6. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8322.12503

Last update: Cibulková Jana (06.06.2025)
Teaching methods -

Teaching methods:

The course combines introductory lectures with discussion of selected texts. Emphasis is placed on active student engagement through presentations, argumentative papers, and subsequent debate. Independent preparation based on assigned readings is an integral part of the course.

Last update: Světlík Martin Karel (25.08.2025)
Requirements to the exam -

The course is completed with a pass/fail credit. To receive credit, students must attend at least 70% of classes, successfully complete a short final test, and submit an argumentative paper linked to a presentation (or a longer essay if presentation is not possible).

Last update: Světlík Martin Karel (25.08.2025)
Syllabus -

1. What is water? What is science? Distinguishing thing/concept/method; science vs. pseudoscience; water as an object of knowledge.

2. Water as symbol and element. Water in antiquity and myths; cultural meanings of water; the elements.

3. Water in alchemy and pre-modern chemistry. Alchemical visions of water; phlogiston, pneuma, living water.

4. The Scientific Revolution and the transformation of substance. Newton, Boyle, Lavoisier – water as a chemical component.

5. Water as a molecule. Development of the H₂O formula; emergence of the scientific object; molecular models.

6. Measuring water. Inaccuracy, uncertainty, and the creation of quantities such as “temperature.”

7. The scientific method – myth and reality. Falsification, verification, contextuality of experiments.

8. Causality and water. Causality in scientific thought and measurement.

9. Facts in the making. Stabilization of knowledge and the sociology of the laboratory.

10. Scientific argumentation and consensus. Scientific explanation and expert consensus; peer review; the role of competition and funding.

11. Ethics and responsibility in science. Ethical issues in chemistry; scientific fraud; trust.

12. Water as a public issue. Water quality; water and political decision-making; environmental justice.

13. The plurality of waters. Multiple “waters” – different ways of knowing water.

14. Summary and reflection.

Last update: Světlík Martin Karel (25.08.2025)
Learning resources -

moodle...

Last update: Cibulková Jana (06.06.2025)
Learning outcomes -

After completing the course, the student will be able to:

  • distinguish different ways of understanding water (from mythical element to molecular object) and place them in historical and cultural context,

  • explain key epistemological, ontological, and methodological issues related to scientific knowledge,

  • describe how a “scientific fact” is established and understand its social and institutional conditions,

  • critically reflect on ideas of scientific method, causality, and objectivity,

  • identify the ethical and social dimensions of science and scientific knowledge, especially in relation to water and environmental issues,

  • formulate and defend their own well-argued position in both written and oral form,

  • participate in informed debate about the role of science in society.
Last update: Světlík Martin Karel (25.08.2025)
Entry requirements - Czech

Kurz je otevřen studentům všech oborů, předchozí znalosti z filosofie se nepředpokládají.

Požaduje se ochota číst a diskutovat odborné texty v češtině i angličtině.

Last update: Světlík Martin Karel (25.08.2025)
Registration requirements -

There are no formal prerequisites for this course.

Last update: Světlík Martin Karel (25.08.2025)
 
VŠCHT Praha