Teaching code

4S007313

Credits

12

Coordinatore

Gianluca Solla

Language

Italian

Moodle Seminars

The teaching is organized as follows:

Learning outcomes

Fundaments of Philosophy
The course aims to provide students with the basic knowledge of the main theoretical lines of Western philosophical tradition.
At the end of the course, students will be able: to comprehend the texts in the programme, so that they may improve their overall analytic, contextualization and interpretation skills; to critically revise the contents of the course, in order to make autonomous assessments on specific topics; to use properly a basic philosophical terminology; to argument correctly on the main topics of Western theoretical philosophy; to communicate philosophical topics correctly.
MODULE 1
The module aims to provide students with the knowledge of the principles that, according to Western philosophical tradition, have shaped human experience. In particular, it will provide them with the knowledge of the reflections on the origin and structure of philosophical concepts, by means of highlighting the convergence between theoretical philosophy and other disciplines, both in the field of humanities (literature, figurative arts, cinema, theatre) and science (psychology, biology etc.)


Students will learn the specific terminology and the main conceptual and methodological research skills that may provide helpful insight in the main topics of contemporary theoretical philosophy. They will also acquire the ability to autonomously make critical assessments on the specific topics dealt with in the module, and to use properly the given bibliographical and multimedia research tools.
MODULE 2
The module aims to provide the conceptual, methodological and cultural foundations to promote a survey on the meaning of philosophy as an exercise of maieutic transformation. This objective will also be achieved by enhancing the knowledge of the points of convergence of theoretical philosophy with some other disciplines (in particular, anthropology, sociology and theology).

Students will learn the specific terminology and the main conceptual and methodological research skills that may provide helpful insight in the main topics of theoretical philosophy. They will also acquire the ability to autonomously make critical assessments on the specific topics dealt with in the module, and to use properly the given bibliographical and multimedia research tools.

Program

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MM: MODULO I
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What does it mean to think? The experience of doing philosophy is inseparable from the ability to think. But what does it really mean to be able to think? Is it a capacity that is assumed subjectively or impersonally? Do you take it individually or collectively? How do these determinations change our own approach to thinking? The course aims to analyze and discuss the implications of thought in the contemporary era and to reformulate also the question of the philosophical discipline as an overcoming of the disciplinary nature of knowledge. Bibliography: 1. Immanuel Kant, Risposta alla domanda: Che cos’è l’Illuminismo?, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2021. 2. Michel Foucault, Che cos’è l’Illuminismo? (contained as afterword to the book in point 1). 3. Martin Heidegger, L'abbandono, Il nuovo Melangolo, Genova 1995. 4. Martin Heidegger, Che cosa significa pensare?, Sugarco, Milano 1996. clear volume_up 873 / 5000 Risultati della traduzione The lessons will focus on a critical examination that will proceed from the bibliography of texts in the form of comments, re-elaboration, extension and discussion of the texts examined. Individual study of the texts in the bibliography will be an integral part of the lectures. An individual reception service is provided at the times indicated on the teacher's web page. Any changes to the calendar of lessons and reception will be communicated on the web page of each teacher. There will be recordings of the lessons and streaming. Any additional teaching material will be reported by the end of the course and, where possible, made available on the online teaching platform. Students not attending the classroom can contact the teacher to discuss doubts and questions concerning their preparation for the exam upon receipt.

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MM: MODULO II
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The topic of the module: Philosophy as an exercise in transformation and Descartes’s dream
The first part of the course discusses philosophy as an exercise in transformation. In the second part, this question will be tackled, referring to one of the most prominent classic philosophers, René Descartes, who, according to Foucault, deviated philosophy into the “philosophical discourse”. This course will seek to develop a different view on how, instead of letting the epistemological dimension (know thyself) prevail over the dimension of transformation (cura sui), Descartes interweaved both in his “Discourse on the Method”. After all, the “Discourse” entails various autobiographical mentions that can be pieced together to depict how Descartes himself performed the philosophical exercise in transformation. By also drawing on other texts, the course will attempt to retrace this pathway of transformation till Descartes’s three famous dreams burst in and announced him a “new science”.

References:
Cartesio, Discorso sul metodo, (any integral edition will do)
Cusinato, Periagoge, Verona 2017 (except Chapter 3 and 8)

The recorded lectures are an integral part of the examination.
Students are invited to contact the lecturer to discuss any doubts, queries or questions concerning their preparation for the examination.

Bibliography

Examination Methods

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MM: MODULO I
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Oral examination. In order to pass the exam, students will show that: - they possess a deep knowledge of the main specific issues developed during the course; - they possess also the capacity to make an independent reflection on theoretical implications of such issues, using a pertinent and appropriate language. The competence of all students, either those who attended the course or those who didn’t, will be valued through an oral examination about the specific topics and questions discussed during the classes. The final score will be expressed in /30s.
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MM: MODULO II
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The exam will assess whether students possess 1) deep knowledge of the main specific issues dealt with during the course and 2) the capacity to give an independent reflection on theoretical implications of those issues, using a language pertinent and appropriate to them.

There will be an oral examination. The examination is based on the recorded lectures and two texts of the student’s choice. The student can also take the examination by discussing a written paper as a writing exercise, especially if there is a specific interest or motivation. The topic of the paper must be agreed upon in advance with the lecturer during his office hours. The paper (about 20,000 characters long) must be delivered by e-mail seven days before the examination date. The file, in Word format, should be titled with the student’s SURNAME, NAME, TITLE OF THE COURSE. The paper should be thought of as a logically ordered list of the passages from the reference texts which impressed mostly or aroused interest. The own comments and the quotations should not be confused, so the latter should be placed in quotation marks along with the page numbers. The final part of the paper should be devoted to a short chapter on “Personal Reflection” (a couple of pages) in which the student can refer to her/his own experience or other texts.