Czech philosopher Kohak receives Science Academy medal

The honorary medal, which was precented to Kohak by AV President Jiri Drahos, is the Academy's highest decoration in the Czech Republic.

Kohak, 76, told CTK that after ten years in the United States, he had been trying to return home for 20 years. First he obtained a public transport pass, then his personal number and then an identity card, he recalled.

Kohak, a significant Czech philosopher who is preoccupied with environmental issues as well, lived in exile in 1948-1989. He was lecturing at the Boston University for years.

Following the collapse of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia in November 1989, Kohak returned to the Czech Republic to help build up a new democratic society. He considerably contributed to the restoration of the Czech philosophical school.

In 1990-1995 he was lecturing at Prague's Charles University and Boston University alternately. In 1995 he settled down in the Czech Republic permanently.

Kohak works mainly at the AV's Philosophy Institute and Charles University's Faculty of Arts where he is dealing with phenomenology and with moral and political aspects of philosophy.

Kohak is a convinced Social Democrat. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (CSSD) leadership in exile. Later he became an adviser to former CSSD chairman Vladimir Spidla, current outgoing Czech EU commissioner.

Kohak also unsuccessfully ran for the Senate, upper house of parliament, in Prague.

Kohak told CTK that the idea of Social Democracy had never disappointed him, unlike many people who posed as Social Democrats.

He praised Spidla, CSSD MEP Libor Roucek and Senate deputy chairwoman Alena Gajduskova (CSSD) as genuine Social Democrats .

Asked about current party leader Jiri Paroubek Kohak only said "he is a regularly elected CSSD chairman."

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz