Learning objectives
Within the context of the outlook offered in this advanced level course, it is required knowledge of contemporary philosophical issues, both in terms of their historical genesis and of their current relevance (descriptor 1).
Conceptual analysis is aimed at clarifying the problems, the arguments offered and the conclusion developed by each author, with special attention given to his interlocutors and critical debate of which he was part or gave rise to (descriptor 2). Skill in critique and autonomous formulation and treatment of problems are also developed (descriptor 3 e 5). The historical context in which each author developed his own views is constantly referred to, in order to show the relations between philosophy and society, philosophy and science, philosophy and culture (descriptor 3). Ability to comprehend the principal lines of argument of a philosophical text, including on the basis of lexical skills that make it possible to comprehend the relevance of given philosophical terms in given historical contexts.
Ability to orient oneself in the principal issues of the history of philosophy thanks to direct knowledge of the classic authors based on reading of the works. Ability to read works in at least one foreign language. The Italian translation will be checked and corrected through comparison with the critical German edition.
Knowledge of research techniques and bibliographic documentation.
Regular consultation of the main Italian and foreign philosophy journals to remain up-to-date on contemporary philosophical debate (descriptor 4 e 5). Ability to prepare a short critical essay on a philosophical topic or a review of a critical work (descriptor 4 e 5).
During lectures, students are asked to reflect upon a number of especially important issues and to offer their own explanations of read passages and interpretation of views. This also promotes independent thinking on the part of the student through questions and reading assignments. In addition, within each subject, students are asked to demonstrate their skills in understanding and argumentation by means of compiling essays on the subjects studied.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of main tendencies in the history of philosophy; knowledge of a number of philosophy texts, for example one of Plato’s dialogues, one of the books of Metaphysics by Aristotle, the Discourse on Cartesian method, a work or part of a work by Kant.
Course unit content
Lectures aim to examine authors, concepts, argumentations in their historical and cultural context. Students will be trained in the conceptual analysis of texts both from a theoretical-argumentative and from a philological-historical point of view. Students are invited to participate to the lessons by means of an interpretative contribute and by means of seminars and of texts for discussion.
Students in this second degree course will learn to read critically a philosophical text and to compare the Italian translation with the original language text, focusing on vocabulary and those passages that are especially important for comprehending the thought of the author. Ability to access bibliographical documentation and keep abreast of current debate, through regular consultation of philosophy journals, is also requested.
Full programme
Philosopphy and psychology
The course aims at presenting both the theme of the subjectivity in the Husserl’s phenomenology and the influence of Husserl’s thought on Jaspers and Binswanger, also from the point of view of the relations between philosophy and psychology. In order to comprehend the human action, the phenomenological analysis is carried out also in a very specific field such as the phenomenological psychology. Jaspers and Binswanger, who are philosophers and psychologists, share phenomenological issues as such the description of the mental processes, the analysis of both the conscience and the subjective experience.
E. Husserl, Note in Ideas, in E. Husserl, Ideas pertaining a pure phenomenology and a phenomenological philosophy.
E. Husserl, Phenomenology and Psychology
K. Jaspers, Writings on psycopathology, a cura di S. Achella, A. Donise, Guida, Napoli 2004
S. Besoli (ed. by) Esperienza della soggettività e trascendenza dell’altro. I margini di un’esplorazione fenomenologico-psichiatrica, Quodlibet, Macerata 2006 (writings of Binswanger, pp. 23-57).
In order to know life and works of Husserl and Jaspers, the following texts are recommended:
V. Costa, Husserl, Carocci, Milano 2009
G. Cantillo, Introduzione a Jaspers, Laterza, Roma Bari.
Bibliography
Texts (with particular regard to the parts which are discussed during the lessons):
E. Husserl, Note in Ideas, in E. Husserl, Ideas pertaining a pure phenomenology and a phenomenological philosophy.
E. Husserl, Phenomenology and Psychology
K. Jaspers, Writings on psycopathology, a cura di S. Achella, A. Donise, Guida, Napoli 2004
S. Besoli (ed. by) Esperienza della soggettività e trascendenza dell’altro. I margini di un’esplorazione fenomenologico-psichiatrica, Quodlibet, Macerata 2006 (the writings of Binswanger, pp. 23-57).
Teaching methods
This second degree course alternates classroom lectures with seminar sessions. Through detailed analysis of a major work in the history of thought – the translation of whose key passages are checked against the original text – students will become acquainted with a specific moment in the history of philosophy and the forms of conceptual analysis and argumentation used to take on a series of issues (descriptors 1, 2, 3). Students can present either an oral or a written report (descriptors 4, 5): either 1) a review of the principal arguments of one of the authors covered on the basis of first-hand reading of a work;or 2) a discussion of one of the arguments presented during the course.
In addition, works that (although not part of the final exam) are important for understanding the theoretical and historical relevance of the arguments covered, will be presented briefly. These works, such as critical essays, are made available to students who wish to study in more depth the arguments covered in the classroom.
Assessment methods and criteria
The oral examination tends to verify the student’s ability to comprehend and correctly present the principal topics and arguments covered during the course, the historical questions covered and the ability to grasp dilemmas and problematic aspects in the philosophical positions discussed.
The examination provides an opportunity for further discussion and further dialogue with the professor. In this sense, students are also invited to examine particular subjects close to the topics of the lectures (descriptor 5).
Other information
The type of issues covered in this course makes it possible each year to examine key moments in the history of thought of this period with special attention given to the fundamental moments in preceding historical periods.
Ability to comprehend the principal lines of argument of a philosophical text, including on the basis of lexical skills that make it possible to comprehend the relevance of given philosophical terms in given historical contexts.
Knowledge of the type of problems and the method of approaching them in philosophy in relation to precise historical and cultural contexts.
For students which will go deep into the syllabus:
E. Husserl, Note in Ideas, in E. Husserl, Ideas pertaining a pure phenomenology and a phenomenological philosophy.
E. Husserl, Phenomenology and Psychology
K. Jaspers, Writings on psycopathology, a cura di S. Achella, A. Donise, Guida, Napoli 2004
S. Besoli (ed. by) Esperienza della soggettività e trascendenza dell’altro. I margini di un’esplorazione fenomenologico-psichiatrica, Quodlibet, Macerata 2006 (with writings of Binswanger, pp. 23-57).
