Among the notable figures respected for great versatility in the life of 20th-century České Budějovice, one can hardly overlook Václav Piloušek. Consistently successful in affecting the town's political as well as social and cultural, and especially its sports life, his activities often extended beyond the regional bounds and after the war it is not surprising to come across his name in the renewed Czech radio journalism, in particular related to Czech ice-hockey. In relative obscurity then remains Piloušek's resistance engagement during World War II when he unflaggingly supported Czech patriotic initiatives and so his share in the formation of the Regional National Council in the last days of war was just logical delivery of his conviction and endeavour to recover freedom. He joined in the postwar reconstruction in several spheres without leaving his position in health insurance company. Specifically, Václav Piloušek worked in the municipal authority of České Budějovice; moderated the local broadcasting of the Czechoslovak Radio; organised ice-hockey matches; trained the AC Stadion České Budějovice team and spared no effort to provide his players with synthetic ice rink; the latter efforts mounted by him and other enthusiasts were crowned with success in 1945-1946 Piloušek never abandoned his activities, especially his sport pursuits, despite the negative impact exerted on his professional career by the social and political changes of the 1950s.

The aim of this paper is to analyse the ideas and principles that stimulated the thinking of Miroslav Tyrš, one of the most popular public figures in the Czech national and social life in the 1860s who endeavoured to devevelop the awareness of unity and mutuality motivated by the physical perfection and fitness of Ancient Greeks. His whole life and thought was inspired by the skills of his admired Olympic champions and by ancient civilisation. Not only did he author the Czech gymnastics terminology, but he also became the chief promoter of the Sokol, a sports club which helped to enhance the nation's physical fitness. A patriot and experienced instructor, Tyrš was above all a scholar -philosopher, later on, mainly aesthetician and art critic who formulated his ideas under the strong influence of the 19th-century positivism and irrationalism, which had to respond to such landmarks in sciences as Darwin's startling teaching about evolution based on natural selection and struggle for existence and J. G. Mendel's lectures on trait heredity or the formulation of the theory of unity between plant and animal cells. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer's ideas about the blind unconscious will were in Tyrš's thought coupled with the willpower of a strong able-bodied individual to exist, the will to live and survive. In Tyrš, Darwin's theory as applied to society never assumed the extreme socially Darwinist character, but employed competitiveness to defend the optimistic vision of progress and development.

Accidentally, Josef Velenovský and František Mareš were both natives of South Bohemia and both carved their careers in science moving from physiology to philosophy as evident from conclusions drawn from their scientifi c research. Th us by the same token but each in his own way, they refl ected on man’s limited capacity for gaining knowledge and, by contrast, on the special signifi cance of technology which could not exist without thorough human understanding. On that account technology, which had made man’s work easier or helped him travel vast distances, at the same rate became a phenomenon that enabled man to force his will upon his surroundings. Th e inevitable eff ect of such conduct was the confl ict between man -created technology and man’s existential dependence on Nature. In view of the fact that the two scientists published their observations about the eventuality of technology being turned against man no later than the turn of the twentieth century, the topicality of their ken is even more surprising.

The paradox about the Reformation is that, rather than consolidating European Christendom, it contributed to deepening the rifts between Catholics and Protestants as well as Lutherans and Calvinists, bringing about religious and civil strife. Comenius got involved in the antagonistic circumstances through his political philosophy, aspiring to weeding out the causes of hatred and mutual disagreement. This abiding endeavour of his achieved prominence in Panorthosia (Universal Improvement), which renders his best vision of permanent reconciliation resting upon educational, religious and civil reforms. Comenius' ethical pursuit of improving human matters is rooted in his philosophical thought regarding man as an individual whose purpose in this world is to be humane: wise, moral and pious.