The teaching of the Philosophy of Knowledge is part of the basic activities of the CDS in Philosophical Sciences. At the end of the course students are expected to acquire the following skills: understanding of the problems of metaphysics, logic and theory of knowledge in relation to their theoretical-methodological evolution and to the different lines of contemporary debate;
in-depth knowledge of texts and currents of thought dealing with these problems as well as training in the ability to discuss their specific philosophical proposals;
training in the ability to elaborate the relationship between the aforementioned theoretical issues and the main developments of today's human, social, and physical-natural sciences.
in-depth knowledge of texts and currents of thought dealing with these problems as well as training in the ability to discuss their specific philosophical proposals;
training in the ability to elaborate the relationship between the aforementioned theoretical issues and the main developments of today's human, social, and physical-natural sciences.
teacher profile teaching materials
The course will focus on:
- Introduction to the concepts of realism and relativism
- R. Rorty's criticism of modern and contemporary foundationalist realism.
- Realism in H. Putnam and the controversy with R. Rorty on reality, truth and epistemic relativism.
- Outlines of the debate on Putnam and Rorty.
R. Rorty, Truth and Progress, Cambridge University Press, 2010, chapters (photocopies available): “Is Truth a Goal of Inquiry? Donald Davidson versus Crispin Wright", pp 19-42; “Hilary Putnam and the Relativist Menace", pp 43-62; “John Searle on Realism and Relativism" pp 63-83.
H. Putnam, Realism with a Human Face, Harvard University Press, 1992, pp 105-140 (photocopies available).
H. Putnam, The antinomy of realism, in Idem, The Threefold Cord: Mind, Body, and World, Columbia University Press 2001, pp. 11-40.
B. Williams, “Epistemology and the Mirror of Nature,” in Rorty and his Critics, Robert Brandom (ed.), Blackwel, 2000, pp. 191 – 213 (disponibile in fotocopia)
M.Dell’Utri, Il pragmatismo conteso. Rorty vs Putnam (via Davidson), in “Annali della facoltà di Lingue e Letterature Straniere dell’Univ. di Sassari 2001, pp. 283-305 (disponibile in fotocopia)
M. Bastianelli, Realtà e verità in Hilary Putnam, in Vinti (a cura di), Le forme della razionalità tra realismo e normatività, Mimesis , pp. 75-88 ( disponibile in fotocopia)
R.M. Calcaterra, Contingency and Normativity. The Challenges of Richard Rorty, Brill-Rodopi 2019, pp. 11-68 ( disponibile online)
Suggested Texts:
R. M. Calcaterra, G. Maddalena, G. Marchetti (eds.), Il Pragmatismo. Dalle origini agli sviluppi contemporanei (a cura di) Carocci, 20184, pp. 47-170, 191-224, 289-346.
E. Picardi, “Pragmatismo e teorie del significato: Rorty, Davidson, Brandom” in R.M. Calcaterra (a cura di), Pragmatismo e filosofia analitica, Quodlibet 2006, pp. 139-158 (disponibile in fotocopia)
M. Dell’Utri, Ontologia pragmatica in P.L.Lecis, V. Busacchi, P. Salis ( a cura di), Realtà, verità, rappresentazione, Franco Angeli 2015, pp. 53-64 (disponibile in fotocopia).
Idem, Il valore della verità: Paolo Parrini e Richard Rorty, in R. Lanfredini, A. Peruzzi ( a cura di), A Plea for Balance in Philosophy, ETS, 2013, pp.423-436.
A. Vieth, Richard Rorty. His philosophy under discussion, De Gruyter, 2013.
B. T. Ramberg, Davidson and Rorty: Triangulation and Anti-Foundationalism, in J. Malpas & H.-H. Gander (eds.), Routledge Companion to Hermeneutics, Routledge, New York 2014, Chap. 17.
Programme
Realism and relativism. Neo-pragmatist lines.The course will focus on:
- Introduction to the concepts of realism and relativism
- R. Rorty's criticism of modern and contemporary foundationalist realism.
- Realism in H. Putnam and the controversy with R. Rorty on reality, truth and epistemic relativism.
- Outlines of the debate on Putnam and Rorty.
Core Documentation
R. Rorty, Philosophy and The Mirror of Nature Princeton Univ Pr, 2017, Parts I and II.R. Rorty, Truth and Progress, Cambridge University Press, 2010, chapters (photocopies available): “Is Truth a Goal of Inquiry? Donald Davidson versus Crispin Wright", pp 19-42; “Hilary Putnam and the Relativist Menace", pp 43-62; “John Searle on Realism and Relativism" pp 63-83.
H. Putnam, Realism with a Human Face, Harvard University Press, 1992, pp 105-140 (photocopies available).
H. Putnam, The antinomy of realism, in Idem, The Threefold Cord: Mind, Body, and World, Columbia University Press 2001, pp. 11-40.
B. Williams, “Epistemology and the Mirror of Nature,” in Rorty and his Critics, Robert Brandom (ed.), Blackwel, 2000, pp. 191 – 213 (disponibile in fotocopia)
M.Dell’Utri, Il pragmatismo conteso. Rorty vs Putnam (via Davidson), in “Annali della facoltà di Lingue e Letterature Straniere dell’Univ. di Sassari 2001, pp. 283-305 (disponibile in fotocopia)
M. Bastianelli, Realtà e verità in Hilary Putnam, in Vinti (a cura di), Le forme della razionalità tra realismo e normatività, Mimesis , pp. 75-88 ( disponibile in fotocopia)
R.M. Calcaterra, Contingency and Normativity. The Challenges of Richard Rorty, Brill-Rodopi 2019, pp. 11-68 ( disponibile online)
Suggested Texts:
R. M. Calcaterra, G. Maddalena, G. Marchetti (eds.), Il Pragmatismo. Dalle origini agli sviluppi contemporanei (a cura di) Carocci, 20184, pp. 47-170, 191-224, 289-346.
E. Picardi, “Pragmatismo e teorie del significato: Rorty, Davidson, Brandom” in R.M. Calcaterra (a cura di), Pragmatismo e filosofia analitica, Quodlibet 2006, pp. 139-158 (disponibile in fotocopia)
M. Dell’Utri, Ontologia pragmatica in P.L.Lecis, V. Busacchi, P. Salis ( a cura di), Realtà, verità, rappresentazione, Franco Angeli 2015, pp. 53-64 (disponibile in fotocopia).
Idem, Il valore della verità: Paolo Parrini e Richard Rorty, in R. Lanfredini, A. Peruzzi ( a cura di), A Plea for Balance in Philosophy, ETS, 2013, pp.423-436.
A. Vieth, Richard Rorty. His philosophy under discussion, De Gruyter, 2013.
B. T. Ramberg, Davidson and Rorty: Triangulation and Anti-Foundationalism, in J. Malpas & H.-H. Gander (eds.), Routledge Companion to Hermeneutics, Routledge, New York 2014, Chap. 17.
Reference Bibliography
Suggested texts: R. M. Calcaterra, G. Maddalena, G. Marchetti (a cura di), Il Pragmatismo. Dalle origini agli sviluppi contemporanei (a cura di) Carocci, 20184,, in particolare pp. 47-170, 191-224, 289-346. E. Picardi, “Pragmatismo e teorie del significato: Rorty, Davidson, Brandom” in R.M. Calcaterra (a cura di), Pragmatismo e filosofia analitica, Quodlibet 2006, pp. 139-158 (disponibile in fotocopia) M. Dell’Utri, Ontologia pragmatica in P.L.Lecis, V. Busacchi, P. Salis ( a cura di), Realtà, verità, rappresentazione, Franco Angeli 2015, pp. 53-64 (disponibile in fotocopia). Idem, Il valore della verità: Paolo Parrini e Richard Rorty, in R. Lanfredini, A. Peruzzi ( a cura di), A Plea for Balance in Philosophy, ETS, 2013, pp.423-436. A. Vieth, Richard Rorty. His philosophy under discussion, De Gruyter, 2013. B. T. Ramberg, Davidson and Rorty: Triangulation and Anti-Foundationalism, in J. Malpas & H.-H. Gander (eds.), Routledge Companion to Hermeneutics, Routledge, New York 2014, Chap. 17.Type of delivery of the course
The course consists of Lectures; Seminars; Exercises. Any written papers, valid for the purposes of the exam, will be organized during the course and communicated through the website FILCOSPE, in the "Didactics" section of Prof.ssa Calcaterra's personal page (http://filcospe.it/index.php/persone/docenti).Attendance
Attendance is not mandatory, but given the interactional nature of the course, attendance is particularly recommended.Type of evaluation
The evaluation takes place through an oral examination on the topics and texts considered during the course. The study by students attending the course of one of the "Recommended Texts" will be properly taken into account for the evaluation of the exam. Not attending students are required to study of an additional text to be chosen from those indicated, for each module, in the "Recommended Texts" section of this program.