CEFRES Team

Dominik Kulcsár – Research & CV

“The Philosophical Concept of Revolt”

Contact: dominik.kulcsar[@]cefres.cz

Research area 2: Norms and Transgressions

Dominik Kulcsár is a Research fellow at the Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava. He has completed his PhD dissertation “Albert Camus and the Spirit of Anarchy: The Philosophical Concept of Revolt” and presently continues his research into the concept of revolt, which contributes to CEFRES research area 2.

My research is motivated by a prevalent contemporary problem – a dangerously misconceived notion of individual freedom, which sees the individual’s sphere of autonomy as unlimited and impervious to outside interference or restraint. This leads to all kinds of irrational rebellions, most recently witnessed in the protests against public health measures during the pandemic, where certain groups rebelled against these measures in the name of individual freedom. I specialize in the field of history of philosophy, namely in the works of the Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin and the French existential writer and philosopher Albert Camus, both of whom consider revolt as originating in human nature, which denies the absolute authority of any given system or figure of power. In my dissertation, I have uncovered a rich but yet underdeveloped connection between Bakunin and Camus, one which reevaluates the anarchist strands of Camus’ thought, and his effort to revitalize anarchism for the post-war and totalitarian world. To further develop my research, currently I am exploring the concept of revolt and nihilism in the work of G.W.F. Hegel, as it was in a dialogue with and opposition to Hegel that Bakunin and Camus developed their ideas major ideas on revolt.

Overall, my research looks for the ideas of the aforementioned thinkers, which could be critically translated into a viable philosophical concept of rational revolt, one that could be of use today. And this in order to contribute to the discussions about social and cultural criticism of our own times, where the very fabric of society, our institutions, and our values are under threat.

CV

Education

  • 2022-2025 : PhD, Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences & Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Bratislava/Košice
  • 2017-2019: MA, Philosophy at Comenius University, Bratislava
  • 2013-2017: BA, Philosophy at Comenius University, Bratislava

Teaching Experience

  • 2022-2023: Teacher of text seminars at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice

Recent Academic Activities

  • May 2025: “Controlled Irony and Measured Anarchy – Thinking Kierkegaard and Camus in the Time of Democratic Decline,” paper presented at the Anxiety and Trauma with and Beyond Kierkegaard Conference, held at the Krakow University of Economics, Poland.
  • February 2025: “Revisiting ‘La pensée de midi’. Albert Camus & Mikhail Bakunin” paper presented at CEFRES Research Seminar, held in Prague, Czech Republic.
  • November 2024: “The Bakuninism of Camus’ Révolté – Revolt as an Aspect of Human Nature,” paper presented at the Albert Camus Society UK/USA/Poland 2024 Conference held in London, United Kingdom.
  • August 2024: “Rebellion and Mutual Aid: The Spirit of Solidarity in the Thought of Albert Camus and Pyotr Kropotkin” paper presented at the World Congress of Philosophy 2024, held at the Sapienza University in Rome, Italy.
  • June 2024: “Revisiting Bakunin: Reflections About the Pandemic,” paper presented as a part of the doctoral seminar, held for the winners of the competition for PhD students of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (recipient of honorable mention). Bratislava, Slovakia.
  • June 2024: “The Environmental Philosophy Summer School,” participant as a part of a Blended Intensive Programme, organized by University of Pardubice and Center for Environmental and Technology Ethics – Prague (CETE-P). Hejnice, Czech Republic.
  • January – April 2024: “Between Revolt and Revolution: Camus and the Russian Anarchists,” internship at the Krakow University of Economics, with the founder of the polish Albert Camus Society, dr. Maciej Kałuża, as a part of the Erasmus+ PhD mobility programme. Kraków, Poland.
  • December 2023: co-editor of the conference proceedings “Young Philosophy 2023” based on the conference Young Philosophy 2023 held in Bratislava in May 2023.
  • November 2023: “My research project from an intercultural perspective. Presentation and exchange“ paper presented at the EIFI, Network Young Researchers Meeting in Vienna. Austria.
  • November 2023: “Albert Camus and Peter Kropotkin: An Unexplored Connection“ paper presented at the Albert Camus Society UK/USA 2023 Conference, held at the Krakow University of Economics. Kraków, Poland.
  • November 2023: “Perpetual Tension: Rebellion and its Limits“ paper presented at the Re-Designing Peace/Re-Imagining the Political conference, held at the University of Jan Evangelista in Ústí nad Labem. Czech Republic.

Recent Publications

  • “Albert Camus and Peter Kropotkin: Beyond Masters and Slaves,” book chapter. In: Dominik Kulcsár, Dmytro Tomakh, Jon Stewart (eds.): On Revolt, Rebellion, and Revolution: Navigating the Challenges of Human Conflict. Leiden – Boston: De Gruyter BRILL (to be published in October 2025).
  • “Dan Swain – Petr Urban: Social Cohesion Contested,” book review. In: Filosofický časopis, vol. 73 (1).
  • “The Poverty of Our Freedom,” book review. In: Filozofia, vol. 79 (6).
  • “Cesta k inteligencii: nadmerné zjednodušenie a samokontrola,” article translation. In: Filozofia, vol. 79 (5).
  • “Revisiting Bakunin: Reflections about the Pandemic,” research article. In: Filozofia, vol. 78 (9).

Books

  • On Revolt, Rebellion, and Revolution: Navigating the Challenges of Human Conflict. Kulcsár, D., Tomakh, D., Stewart, J. (editors): Leiden & Boston: De Gruyter BRILL (to be published in October 2025).