The course of History of ancient philosophy is part of the program in Philosophy (BA level) and is included among the characterising training activities.
The objective of the course is to provide knowledge of the basic issues of modern philosophy (philosophical debates, historical and intellectual background, analysis of lexicon and arguments). Students will read through a classic of modern philosophy and (during classes) will be introduced to related excerpts of other texts in order to understand the basic issues and its legacy.
Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to discuss and to develop arguments both in a theoretical and in a historical perspective.
Upon completion of the course students are expected to acquire the following skills:
- Critical thinking on modern philosophy and on its relation to wider issues (both historical and philosophical);
- Language and argumentation skills required for reading modern philosophy and discussing about it;
- Basic capacity to read and analyse modern philosophical sources (in translation).
The objective of the course is to provide knowledge of the basic issues of modern philosophy (philosophical debates, historical and intellectual background, analysis of lexicon and arguments). Students will read through a classic of modern philosophy and (during classes) will be introduced to related excerpts of other texts in order to understand the basic issues and its legacy.
Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to discuss and to develop arguments both in a theoretical and in a historical perspective.
Upon completion of the course students are expected to acquire the following skills:
- Critical thinking on modern philosophy and on its relation to wider issues (both historical and philosophical);
- Language and argumentation skills required for reading modern philosophy and discussing about it;
- Basic capacity to read and analyse modern philosophical sources (in translation).
teacher profile teaching materials
Political Treatise (Curley ed, Princeton UP).
Programme
During the course, students will have the opportunity to read parts three and four of Spinoza's Ethics, which address theories of the passions and virtues, respectively, as well as the entirety of the Political Treatise, which considers the issue of institutions from a democratic perspective. The course's objective is to explore the interconnections between ontology, ethics, and politics. It will also attempt to draw attention to the ways in which the Ethics and Political Treatise diverge from the earlier Theologico-Political Treatise, as well as to the critical dialogue that Spinoza engages in with his main interlocutors, Descartes and Hobbes.Core Documentation
Baruch Spinoza, Ethics, Parts III e IV (Curley ed., Princeton UP)Political Treatise (Curley ed, Princeton UP).
Reference Bibliography
Steven Nadler, Spinoza's Ethics: An Introduction (Cambridge UP) Filippo Del Lucchese, Conflict, Power, and Multitude in Machiavelli and SpinozaAttendance
Attendance is not compulsory. For non-attenders, there are no additional texts, unless requested by the studentType of evaluation
Each student will present a topic of his or her choice. From there, the interview will proceed through a series of questions aimed at verifying the adequate understanding of the chosen topic, its assumptions, its consequences, and its relationship to other related topics.