The course of History of philosophy of the Enlightenment is part of the program in Philosophy (BA level) and is included among the characterising training activities.
Upon completion of the course, students are expected to know the basic issues of the Enlightenment’s philosophy in relation to one or more theoretical debates that characterize it, and to their historical-cultural contextualization.
Furthermore they will have read in part or in whole one or more canonical texts of the Enlightenment thought (Locke, Hume, Condillac, Diderot, Voltaire, Rousseau etc.) and they will have focused on the basic issues and debates connected to it.
Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to discuss and to develop arguments both in a theoretical and in a historical perspective.
Students are expected to acquire the following skills:
- Critical thinking on the Enlightenment’s philosophy and on its relation to wider issues (both historical and philosophical);
- Language and argumentation skills required in order to deal with the topics covered in the course.
- Basic capacity to read and analyse Enlightenment philosophical texts (in translation).
Upon completion of the course, students are expected to know the basic issues of the Enlightenment’s philosophy in relation to one or more theoretical debates that characterize it, and to their historical-cultural contextualization.
Furthermore they will have read in part or in whole one or more canonical texts of the Enlightenment thought (Locke, Hume, Condillac, Diderot, Voltaire, Rousseau etc.) and they will have focused on the basic issues and debates connected to it.
Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to discuss and to develop arguments both in a theoretical and in a historical perspective.
Students are expected to acquire the following skills:
- Critical thinking on the Enlightenment’s philosophy and on its relation to wider issues (both historical and philosophical);
- Language and argumentation skills required in order to deal with the topics covered in the course.
- Basic capacity to read and analyse Enlightenment philosophical texts (in translation).
teacher profile teaching materials
Programme
The course will focus on a reading of Cesare Beccaria's 'Dei delitti e delle pene' (On Crimes and Punishments). It will consider the anthropology underlying legal theory, its contractual and utilitarian foundations, the characterisation of punishment in terms of certainty, promptness, duration and proportionality, and the arguments against capital punishment and torture. The analysis of the text will be accompanied by constant comparison with some of Beccaria's main sources, in particular Hobbes, Locke, Helvétius, Rousseau, and references to the fortunes of his thought.Core Documentation
Cesare Beccaria, On Crimes and Punishments (any complete translation)Reference Bibliography
The Academy of Fisticuffs. Political Economy and Commercial Society in Enlightenment Italy di Sophus Reinert (Harvard University Press, 2018)Attendance
Not requiredType of evaluation
The exam begins with the student presenting a topic of their choice. It will continue with questions designed to test their knowledge and understanding of the text based on this presentation. It may include reading and commenting on individual passages from 'Delitti'.