Scientific review of a scholarly monograph Dagmar Marková: Ethics in Adlerian theory. Nitra: Garmond, 2012, pp. 128. ISBN 978-80-89148-77-6.
Adlerian ethics is so far an underdeveloped area in Slovakia. It is this gap that the new scientific monograph by Dagmar Marková fills, in which the author in an innovative way combines theoretical concepts of the individual-psychological approach that allow her to focus on the area of ethics. As the author herself notes, the development of Adlerian theory in Slovakia is still viewed with suspicion compared to other psychological approaches despite the enormous contribution of Alfred Adler's theory and his followers, and although Alfred Adler is named as one of the three “fathers” of depth psychology. In spite of this, in our Slovak context there is no publication focused on ethical aspects in the field of Adlerian theory.
In the book, the author points out that Alfred Adler's theory is permeated with ethical implications and starts from the fact that Adler was not only a physician, psychologist, and scientist but also an ethicist. She analyzes and critically reevaluates aspects that, in a coherent form, have not been examined at a scientific level in Slovakia. At the level of basic philosophical research, the author uses an interpretive method to examine fundamental ethical problems in Adlerian theory and thus brings new impulses for ethical theory and research in the monograph.
The monograph is structured into six chapters, and in her publication the author draws on many original works of Alfred Adler that have not been translated into Slovak (or Czech) from German or English. In the first chapter, individual psychology is presented as an ethical concept, whose core is a sense of belonging (which is referred to in the second chapter). The other chapters focus on analyses and interpretations of Adler's conception of the human being and the philosophy of lifestyle, while specific insights on conscience and feelings of guilt in Adler's teleological understanding are also outlined, along with many other topics.
Dagmar Marková, however, in the monograph does not remain only at the levels of description, analysis, and interpretation, but also thematizes and critically reevaluates problematic aspects of Adlerian theory. She takes into account the development of Adlerian theory and places it in current conditions and scientific discourse.
In present-day society, which is characterized by increased problematic behavior, one can find many answers in the monograph for addressing it while respecting a human approach and equality as the basic Adlerian ethical requirement.
Monograph author: Doc. PhDr. Dagmar Marková, PhD. Pôsobí na Filozofickej fakulte Univerzity Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre, where she teaches sex education, social psychology, and is a lecturer for socio-psychological trainings. She has completed long-term experiential training in psychodynamic psychotherapy. She takes part in the preparation and implementation of workshops for teachers of sex education. She is the scientific and organizational guarantor of the international scientific conference Sexualities. She has published the scientific monograph Predmanželská sexualita v kontextoch sexuálnej diverzity a variability and is the author of many other international and domestic scientific publications. In research she has long been concerned with the social aspects of sexuality, sexual education, and gender. She is a grantee of international and domestic scientific projects and focuses on the research of sexual biographies, sexual lifestyles, discourses in the field of sexuality, and sexual education.
Reviewer: PaedDr. Stanislava Lištiak Mandzáková, PhD. Pôsobí na Katedre špeciálnej pedagogiky Pedagogickej fakulty Prešovskej univerzity v Prešove. In her scientific-research, publication, and lecturing activities, she deals with the issue of teacher communication with students with intellectual disabilities, issues of sexual and partnership relationships of persons with intellectual disabilities, and integrated education of persons with disabilities. She is the author of international and domestic scholarly monographs, university textbooks, university teaching text, and many scientific and professional studies published by domestic and foreign publishers. She is an editor of proceedings from international scientific conferences and a manager of scientific projects.