Learning objectives
By the end of the class the student will be able to:
-Knowledge and understanding: Identify and recognize the conceptual and methodological structure of the most current moral theories;Know and analyze ethical problems, as well as their development in the history of ethics and in the contemporary debate;Discuss in a logical and articulate fashion the philosophical texts assigned in class.
-Applying knowledge and understanding: Apply the acquired theoretical foundations to contemporary moral, social and educational issues; Answer in a clear and articulate manner a written open question assignment. orient herself in interdisciplinary areas of inquiry.
-Making judgements; Communication skills: Argue orally in a clear manner her critical reflections;engage rationally different positions
Prerequisites
None
Course unit content
The first part of this class aims to introduce students to moral reflection through a close reading of two classical texts.
The second part of the class aims to explore the contemporary developments of normative ethics through a close reading of key texts by Philippa Foot and Christine Korsgaard.
Full programme
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals can be considered the founding texts of two traditions in normative ethics that are still central in the present: virtue ethics and deontology. The first part of the class aims to explore in detail the argumentative structure of both texts, paying particular attention to contemporary interpretive traditions.
The second part of the class will consider two central texts of contemporary Aristotelian naturalism and deontology, respectively: Philippa Foot's "Natural Goodness" and Christine Korsgaard's "The sources of normativity". The discussion of these texts will be integrated by further commentaries and articles that will be made available on the elly portal.
Bibliography
FIRST MODULE:
1. Aristotele, Etica Nicomachea (Bompiani: Milano 2000)
2. Immanuel Kant, Fondazione della metafisica dei costumi (Laterza: Bari 1997)
SUGGESTED INTEGRATIVE READINGS FOR STUDENTS WHO CANNOT ATTEND
1. Paul Guyer, Kant's 'Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals'
A Reader' Guide (Bloomsbury: London 2007)
2. Michael Pakaluk, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics: An Introduction (Cambridge University Press 2005)
SECOND MODULE:
1. Christine Korsgaard, Le origini della normatività (ETS: Pisa 2014)
2. Philippa Foot, La natura del bene (Il Mulino: Bologna 2007)
3. Online materials available on the elly portal
SUGGESTED INTEGRATIVE READINGS FOR STUDENTS WHO CANNOT ATTEND
1. Jacqueline Russ, L'etica contemporanea (Il Mulino: Bologna 1997)
Teaching methods
Frontal lecture, seminar-style discussion, discussion with invited international experts.
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral examination:
Assessment criteria and assessment thresholds:
30 cum laude: Excellent, excellent solidity of knowledge, excellent expressive properties, excellent understanding of the concepts
30: Very good. Complete and adequate knowledge, well-articulated and correctly expressed
27-29: Good, satisfactory knowledge, essentially correct expression.
24-26: Fairly good knowledge, but not complete and not always correct.
22-23: Generally sufficient knowledge but superficial. Expression is often not appropriate and confused.
18-21: Sufficient. The expression and articulation of the speech show important gaps.
<18: insufficient knowledge or very incomplete, lack of guidance in discipline, expression seriously deficient. Exam failed.
Other information
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