To show the organization of the course that includes this module, follow this link:  Course organization

Learning outcomes

Beyond offering a general picture of authors and schools within the ancient and mediaeval philosophy, the course aims at teaching to use the proper philosophical terminology. Also it aims at teaching the critical use of an original philosophical text, for acquiring basic philosophical matters and concepts.
Surely a previous knowledge of the history of the ancient and mediaeval philosophy allows to work easier within this scientific field: however it is not compulsory. The same can be said as to the ancient Greek and Latin languages.
Better, an attention to lexical research and an interest in a critical reading of philosophical texts are very useful.

Program

Course's content: Title: “The good”
“Today we do not hear any talking about the good, at least among philosophers”. These are the beginning words of a precious little book on this subject, written, about thirty years ago, by a famous Italian historian of philosophy. In 2014 the “Salone del Libro” in Turin has been devoted to the good: however, this subject seems not to be important and interesting for contemporary thinkers. “Nevertheless what is good and ill today goes on representing a central matter, particularly to the naive, fresh mind of young people: they are not afraid to talk using old-fashioned terms and, most of all, fronting their lives, they need to know what they ought to do, what they can live for and the meaning of different experiences proposed to them”. On these problematic bases, this course will try to examine some of the ancient notions of the good (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle) and some of the medieval ones (Augustin, St. Thomas): how these notions were organised and is it possible, today, to regain something of their contents?

Books to be studied
a) General Part: E. BERTI-F. VOLPI, Storia della filosofia: dall'antichità ad oggi, Edizione compatta, 2 voll. indivisibili, Roma-Bari 2007 (for this exam from the origins to Occam);
b) Lecture notes (at students' disposal in the photocopies shops “La rapida” and “Ateneo”)
c) Basic text: L.M. NAPOLITANO VALDITARA, Virtù, felicità e piacere nell’etica dei Greci, edizione riveduta e aggiornata, Verona aemme edizioni 2014.
d) Integrations and substitutions: students who cannot attend lessons, or those who must substitute the General part will also study: E. BERTI, Il bene di chi? Bene pubblico e bene privato nella storia, Genova Marietti 2014 (pp. 72), ed A. MASSARENTI, Istruzioni per rendersi felici: Come il pensiero antico salverà gli spiriti moderni, Milano Guanda 2014 (pp. 164).

Teaching Methods: The course will be carried on by frontal lessons, with an introductory presentation of thinkers and philosophical schools, with direct reading of the texts on the monographical subject and following discussions. Therefore attendance at classes will be very useful and desirable, though obviously not compulsory.
The same program is valid for the students who cannot attend lessons; nevertheless, they -when not interested in the texts quoted before, at the points d (Integrations and substitutions)- must get in touch with teachers, in order to receive indications on adding texts, whose reading will compensate for lacking attendance: these texts will be agreed for every student, with regard to his previous knowledge, curriculum and interests.

Examination Methods

Some oral questions will be put to the student; he will be invited to read and comment some passages of the original texts already read together during classes. Gli studenti potranno - in modo facoltativo - preparare una tesina di 10 cartelle sugli argomenti del corso che diventerà il punto di partenza per la prova orale (le tesine dovranno essere consegnate alla docente, anche via mail, almeno una settimana prima della data dell'esame).