Learning outcomes

introduction to the theme of the relationship between purpose and beauty: in the historical discussion between the Seventeenth century and the Eighteenth century and in the kantian reprocessing, through lecture of texts.

Program

Required in advance: none

Content of the lectures:
the treatise Universal Natural History and Theory of the Heavens, the essay The only Possible Argument in Support of a Demonstration of the Existence of God and the Critic of Judgement of Kant. I will consider parts of these three works, which are important for the kantian thought, for the history of philosophy, for natural philosophy and for Aesthetics. I will analyse the questions which are contained in them, starting from the historical point of view (paying attention to the scientific world of the age of Kant, and in particular to the importance of Newton’s philosophy for the formation of Kant’s thought). I will read and comment the main passages of the kantian works.

Reference Texts:
Immanuel Kant, Storia universale della natura e teoria del cielo, a cura di S. Velotti e G. Scarpelli, Teoria, Roma-Napoli 1987;
Immanuel Kant, L’unico argomento possibile per una dimostrazione dell’esistenza di Dio, in Scritti precritici, a cura di R. Assunto, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1990;
Immanuel Kant, Critica del giudizio, a cura di A. Gargiulo, Laterza, Bari 1997.
Augusto Guerra, Introduzione a Kant, Laterza, Bari 2005;
Massimo Mori, Storia della filosofia moderna, Laterza, Bari 2005, replaceable with the second volume of a book of History of Philosophy, used in the Italian Secondary School;
Lecture’s notes.

Teaching method: Traditional lectures with discussion. It is recommended the frequency to the lectures.

Examination Methods

The exam will be oral and it will based on a discussion and a comment to the books above quoted.