Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding: knowledge of an historical outline of the period and its main educational institutions; ability in interconnecting these two aspects.
Applying knowledge and understanding: being able to explain some texts of the given period, using historical-comparative tools.
Making judgements: being able to express opinions with due motivation: this is the main transversal goal of the course.
Communication skills: Ability to explain one's own work in reading and interpretating texts with a correct and appropriate language.
Learning skills: being able to reflect critically on one's own knowledge, in proportion with individual talents.
Course unit content
Authority and virtue in educational thought: some case studies.
Bibliography
ESSAY:
Marc Bloch, Apologia della storia, Einaudi, qualsiasi ristampa.
THIS BOOK CAN BE READ IN FRENCH, ENGLISH, OR OTHER LANGUAGES BY NON-NATIVE ITALIAN SPEAKERS.
TEXTS:
Plato, Republic (IV sec. b. C.), books 4 to 7 (any edition)
Plutarch, from the Moralia (I sec. a. C.):
- Come educare i figli (De liberis educandis)
- Se si possa insegnare la virtù (An virtus doceri possit)
- La virtù etica (De virtute morali)
Materiali su Elly
Matteo Palmieri, La vita civile (1430-1440); edizione Bettoni 1830
https://books.google.it/books?id=pgit2s5jpg8C
Da studiare: libro primo
Silvio Antoniano, Tre libri dell'educatione christiana de' figlioli (1584)
https://books.google.it/books?id=rkhXAAAAcAAJ
Da studiare: introduzione Ai padri di famiglia, Libro terzo: capitoli da 1 a 8, da 26 a 33, da 55 a 65.
John Locke, Della educazione dei fanciulli [Some thoughts concerning education, 1693], trad. italiana del 1751:
https://books.google.it/books?id=ynfY0Dy9e_cC
Da studiare: tomo primo, capitoli da II a V e da VIII a XI; tomo secondo, capitoli da XX a XXII.
Immanuel Kant, Risposta alla domanda: Che cos'è l'illuminismo? (5 dicembre 1783)
disponibile al link https://btfp.sp.unipi.it/dida/kant_7/ar01s04.xhtml
Teaching methods
Lecture; reading with comments; debate with students; close reading training on selected texts.
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral examination (conference-like presentation by the student, with or without images, a powerpoint or other supports).
After the presentation, the student will be briefly queestioned to promote discussion and assess the reading of the texts.
The passing mark is achieved if the students shows both these accomplishments:
a) Has read thoroughly the compulsory and chosen texts and is able to locate them in time and space;
b) Has reflected upon the problems/questions posited in the texts and has tried to give a personal interpretation.
