Teaching code

4S012298

Teacher

Luigina Mortari

Coordinator

Luigina Mortari

Credits

6

Also offered in courses:

• Philosophy of Education of the course Master's degree in Philosophy

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

M-PED/01 - PEDAGOGY, THEORIES OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL EDUCATION

Period

Sem. 2A dal Feb 17, 2025 al Mar 29, 2025.

Courses Single

Authorized

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning objectives

The course argues the primacy of care in human existence starting from a phenomenological analysis of being, which highlights its constitutive incompleteness, vulnerability, neediness and relationality. After dealing with the Socratic conceptualisation of self-care as care of the soul, the main contributions deriving from twentieth-century and contemporary philosophy to the delineation of a theory of care with relevant ethical and political implications will be presented. Knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course, students should know the ontological qualities that characterise the essence of being, the conceptualisations of care proposed by philosophers who have reflected on this phenomenon, the essential qualities of care as a practice, the virtues that underlie acting with care and the virtues of political action oriented by the perspective of care; they should also have understood the relationship between ethics and care, between care and justice, and between care and virtues. Applying knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course, students should be able to argue the ontological primacy of care starting from the phenomenological analysis of experiences of care, they should be able to identify the virtues of care in the testimonies of good care, they should be able to recognise the indicators and the ways of being of care in practice, they should be able to discuss together about horizons of thought inspired by a political perspective informed by the principle of care. Making judgements: at the end of the course, students should have developed the ability to critically reflect on the addressed issues and the ability to critically investigate contexts from the proposed theoretical perspective. Communication skills: at the end of the course, students should have acquired the ability to use appropriately the terminology of the philosophy of care, and to discuss the issues addressed by the course both in a philosophical debate and in a conversation with practitioners. Learning skills: at the end of the course, students should have learned the ability to investigate the addressed issues through rigorous research in the literature, being able to distinguish between theoretical and empirical literature.

Prerequisites and basic notions

No one

Program

Today more than ever, if we consider the quality of the social and public life we are experiencing, the need for a new politics is starkly evident, which puts back at the center what is necessary by nature (the practice of virtues), and which knows how to take a decisive position with respect to actions that take away goods from others for personal gain alone, because this is more contrary to nature than death, as Cicero wrote in De officiis. Where there is greed there is injustice, and where there is injustice there is suffering. Political theories think about big scenarios: fascinating discourses that often remain just words. Instead, there is a political thought that deals with what each citizen can do from where they are, acting first and foremost on their way of being in the world with others. We need citizens and politicians who are aware of the value of politics and act with the intention of dedicating the right amount of time to caring for the community. Thus understood, political wisdom becomes an unavoidable responsibility. It can be said that the need for politics is peculiar to the human, for a politics capable of vision, of project, of force of implementation. The course will work with students to develop a theoretically grounded reflection on political experience as a healing practice.

Texts:
-Mortari, L. (2021). La politica della cura. Milano: Raffaello Cortina.
-Mortari, L. (2024). La sapienza politica. Milano: Raffaello Cortina.

One text of your choice from:
-Mortari, L. (2019). Aver cura di sè. Milano: Raffaello Cortina.
-Mortari, L. (2024). Emozioni e virtù. Milano: Raffaello Cortina.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

Lectures
Individual and group argumentative writing practices
Group conversations

Learning assessment procedures

Attending students: drafting of a report that involves narrative discursiveness supported by an argumentative structure.

Non-attending students: written test with open questions.

Evaluation criteria

The evaluation will analyze the degree of argumentative exposition and narrative fluidity with respect to the philosophical concepts covered by the course.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

Grade out of thirty, which will take into account the skills analyzed using the above criteria.

Exam language

Italiano

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