Teaching code

4S003645

Teacher

Olivia Guaraldo

Coordinator

Olivia Guaraldo

Credits

6

Also offered in courses:

• Media, culture and society - Political philosophy and journalism (M) of the course Master’s degree in Publishing and Journalism

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

SPS/01 - POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Period

1° periodo lezioni - GEM dal Oct 1, 2024 al Dec 20, 2024.

Courses Single

Authorized

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning objectives

The course aims at introducing and discussing some of the major issues concerning political philosophy, especially those related to the contemporary global challenges that interest this field of research. What are the main political challenges of our present? What are the conceptual tools at our disposal to understand and possibly solve new and unprecedented emergency crises, conflicts, global risks? The course will tackle these themes by using both philosophical texts and literary, cinematic tools in order to broaden the political and cultural comprehension of phenomena. At the end of this course students will have acquired the following skills: - Knowledge of the major concepts of modern and contemporary political theory - Ability to apply such concepts to the understanding of contemporary emergency phenomena of political nature (conflicts, wars, migrations, humanitarian crises, terrorist attacks). - Ability to elaborate complex analyses of emergency situations, able to include and relate to eachother theoretical, historico-political, and contingent aspects of emergency, in order to favour peaceful solutions of conflicts). - Ability to critically analyse media, governmental, and public representations o emergency phenomena. - Ability to project, implement and disseminate communicative products (cultural, humanitarian, civic) informed by respect for human dignity and cultural diversity.

Prerequisites and basic notions

General notions on modern philosophy, the history of political thought, modern and contemporary history.

Program

The contemporary transformations of war and the place of democracy.
According to Rupert Smith, division commander in the first Gulf War, commander of the UN forces in Bosnia and deputy supreme commander of NATO, the war of armies facing each other in the open field no longer exists, but in the global scenario of widespread and persistent conflicts we find ourselves faced with low intensity wars, mostly fought 'among the people' whose battlefield are the streets, houses, squares and the victims are mostly civilians. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, further complicates the picture of contemporary war, not only due to the massive deployment of ground troops, in what is a real invasion, but also due to the 'hybrid' strategies with which the war itself was prepared and legitimized. Waging war no longer only concerns armies and states but also global communication networks, from satellites to social media.
The course initially aims to retrace the ways in which modern war has been thought of in the West and the political use of violence has been legitimized through the analysis of some important political thinkers (Machiavelli, Hobbes, Kant, von Clausewitz, Schmitt and others). Subsequently, the contemporary transformations of war will be analysed, combining them with an analysis of the ways in which political violence is implemented to repress requests for active participation in countries undergoing transition to democracy. Which practices, which conceptual models and which experiences bring into play the contemporary transformations of the political use of force? The course will try to analyze and understand these aspects, also providing a theoretical-practical framework of the contemporary transformations of war and violence through the analysis of specific case studies discussed in class.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

Lessons based on the interpretation and deepening of the texts in the program, on the class discussion of concepts and phenomena related to the exam program, on the analysis of specific 'case studies' with the help of audiovisual material. The teaching method is essentially based on the active participation of the students, constantly tickled by questions to undertake the discussion in class - with the teacher and with each other. Furthermore, students are invited to make oral presentations in front of the class on topics of the course or related to them.

Learning assessment procedures

The exam discussion will begin with a presentation by the student of a case study (concept, event, fact, phenomenon, etc.) freely chosen and prepared based on the texts in the program. Afterwards, the teacher can request an in-depth study on that case, concept, fact, or on other topics addressed in the course and contained in the texts. For attending students: the preparation of the presentation for the oral exam may also be inspired by the discussions that emerged in class, and possibly by additional materials distributed in class.
For non-attending students: The exam program is the same, including additional texts that will be delivered in class and then made available on the moodle platform. The examination procedure will be entirely based on the texts in the program, but it can in any case start from the presentation of a case study (see above).

Evaluation criteria

The oral exam will verify that the student has read the entire bibliography in the program and knows how to return it to the teacher with language properties, argumentative ability, individual elaboration. The student will also be assessed on the ability to master the topics and to know how to apply them to concrete contexts, offering reasoned readings of the phenomena analyzed in class and in individual study.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

Participation in class discussions and oral presentation of in-depth analyzes prepared in groups or individually will contribute 40% of the final grade. The remaining 60% will derive from the assessment of analytical, argumentative and communication skills, as well as from the originality demonstrated in the oral exam. For non-attending students, the final grade will depend entirely on the assessment of analytical, argumentative and communicative skills, as well as on the originality demonstrated in the oral exam.

Exam language

Italiano

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