Learning outcomes

The course aims to present the lines of development and the main currents of contemporary philosophy. The most general study is accompanied by the appropriate insights of the major figures of contemporary thought, also through the analysis of one or more of their fundamental works. At the end of the course, students will be requested to show knowledge and understanding of the presented authors and texts.

Program

The imaginary
Our philosophic tradition questioned a lot about the imagination’s statute, seen as an intermediate ability between perception and concept. In contemporary philosophy, the word “imaginary” is more common, as it implies a deeper awareness of the images, myths, symbols and poetic creations that imagination creates. The exploration of the imaginary is crucial in our era, firstly because today we are constantly threatened by a sense of unreality, but even because it is important to acknowledge the relevance of those representations that express our deeper desires, even though they are not part of pure rationality. The course will consist of an exploration of some conceptions of the imaginary in the history of contemporary philosophy.
In summary, the course will deal with:
1. Analysis of Sartre’s conception of the imaginary
2. Theme of reverie according to Bachelard
3. Conception of the imaginary linked to the literary writing’s question according to Blanchot
4. The relationship between the real and the unreal in our time, with the contribution of some scholars from the female philosophic community “Diotima”.

Sartre, Jean-Paul, L’immaginario, Einaudi, Torino 2007
Bachelard, Gaston, La poetica della rêverie, Dedalo, Bari 1999
Blanchot, Maurice, Le due versioni dell’immaginario, in Lo spazio letterario, Einaudi, Torino 1975, pp. 222-231
Diotima, Immaginazione e politica, Liguori, Napoli 2009

Examination Methods

oral exam