Learning objectives
The course will have to reach students with the knowledge of the philosophical and scientific thought and its connections with the historical, political and cultural background, to achieve a good understanding and analysis of the philosophical texts and classics at the same time a critical assessment between different interpretations of the texts also teaching must be cultivated in students skills in applying contemporary issues methodologies and argumentative techniques developed by the historical-philosophical and drafting reports and practical written, well documented and for the demonstration of the possession of the correct procedural method.
Course unit content
The course consists of a general part dedicated to the issues and to the fundamental problems of the history of Enlightenment philosophy through an examination of contemporary historiographical debate that has used different methodological approaches (Enlightenment / enlightenments; movement of ideas supranational or national specificities and characters of each movement national origin and extension of the Enlightenment / enlightenments; most significant theoretical contributions emerged in the eighteenth century).
A second part is reserved for the treatment of the British Enlightenment philosophy and a final detailed examination of the philosophical thought of D. Hume.
Full programme
Title: The passions and their interpretation in the culture of the eighteenth British century
a) Introduction to the philosophy of sentiment in Britain in the eighteenth century . Two models in comparison ; selfishness and benevolence .
b) A Reading texts from Hobbes , Shaftesbury , Hutcheson , Hume , Smith and Austen ;
c ) A monograph to be chosen from :
- E. Lecaldano, Simpatia, Milano, R. Cortina Editore, 2013;
- L. Hunt, La forza dell'empatia. Una storia dei diritti dell'uomo, Bari-Roma, Laterza, 2011;
- J. Davidson, Hypocrisy and the Politics of Politeness:Manners and Morals from Locke to Austen, Cambridge, CUP, 2004;
- E.M. Dadlez, Mirrors to one another: emotion and value in Jane Austen and David Hume, Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009;
- Pulcini, Elena,
Il potere di unire : femminile, desiderio, cura, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2003;
- A. O. Hirschmann, Le Passioni e gli interessi: argomenti a politici a favore del capitalismo prima del suo trionfo, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1990;
Bibliography
Textbooks:
a) A Manual of the History of Modern Philosophy
b) Items "Enlightenment" taken from the main Italian and foreign Dictionaries of Philosophy
c) Examination of historiographical essays concerning the philosophy of the Enlightenment "
Teaching methods
During the lessons will be used to type introductory lectures to the general issues, the subject of the course, followed by seminars in which they comment on and discuss the texts mentioned in the program. The reports will be assigned to students who will find themselves in an autonomous and personal than historiographical themes relevant. There will also be contributions from other teachers in similar areas to address philosophical issues in an interdisciplinary manner.
Assessment methods and criteria
At the end of each learning module, to verify the competence historical-philosophical experience, a written examination will be carried out through a questionnaire with open questions related to thematic topics covered in the course, while, to verify the critical skills and the level of customization of the method acquired, the final oral examination will be examined and discussed a text drafted by the student and agreed with the teacher.
