30413 - Philosophy Laboratory (1) (G.C)

Learning outcomes

The student learns to read and critically analyze philosophical texts and to write a philosophical essay.

Course contents

General Information

The Philosophy Workshop has three goals: teaching the rules of writing and composition; an introduction on how to use bibliographic tools; an introduction on how to read a philosophy classic and the creation of a short philosophical essay on said classic.

The success of workshops is based on regular attendance of all students to all meetings In order to be admitted to the final exam and gain a pass, therefore, students will need to have attended at least 12 out of 15 classes (24 hours out of 30).

Students can choose among several proposals of Philosophy Laboratory (programs and teachers names are available on the web guide of the Degree Course of Philosophy). 35 attending students are expected for each laboratory. “Attending” means both those attending face-to-face lectures and those attending online lectures.

To enroll in the I or II semester Laboratories, students must send, by e-mail, the application to the chosen teacher (subject: Philosophy Laboratory) from 10 to 18 September, 2020. Each teacher will accept up to 35 requests. Excess requests and those submitted after September 18th will be redistributed based on the availability of vacancies.

Because of several unpleasant episodes of signature falsification occurred in the last years, in case it is proved that even a single signature has not been made by the corresponding student, such student will be excluded from the final exam and will have to wait until the next year to attend the Workshop again. For online attendings, the “participants” present at the lectures on Teams will be taken into account. The same standards will hold for students submitting written exams which are totally or partially copied from previously existing paper or digital texts. Only in case of certified impossibility to attend the Workshop students are allowed to arrange an alternative program with the corresponding teacher of the attended module. Such cases concern:

- working students who cannot obtain a specific permission to attend the Workshop. Such students must inform the teacher at the beginning of the module and prove by a declaration of their employers the impossibility of their attendance.

- Erasmus and Overseas students. Such students must promptly provide documentary evidence to the teacher showing the impossibility of their attendance due to their living abroad.

Attending and not attending students must get as soon as possible the manual of philosophical writing, which can be found on line on the web page of the Degree Course of Philosophy.

For attending students the exam will consist in the submission and discussion of a short essay on the philosophical text on which the attended Reading Workshop has been held. The essay will be assessed both concerning its form and its content.

Philosophy Laboratory (1) (G.C)

The course will focus on Ludwig Wittgenstein's On Certainty. Discussing this text will enable participants to reconstruct and critically assess some aspects of the epistemology, philosophy of language and meta-philosophy of the author of the Tractatus.

Readings/Bibliography

Ludwig Wittgenstein, On Certainty, Blackwell, Oxford 1969 (and subsequent editions).

Teaching methods

After a few introductory lectures on the rules of philosophical writing and composition and on the main bibliographical tools for philosophical research, the focus will shift to the analysis and discussion of Wittgenstein's text. The teacher will put On Certainty in its historical context and introduce its main argumentative moves. Then participants will work in small groups on different aspects of Wittgenstien's text and will present them for general discussion

Assessment methods

Student performance will be assessed through a final written paper (min 3,000 words, max 4,200 words, references excluded) to be handed in ten days before the examination, which will be discussed at the viva.

The exam is meant to assess the achievement of the expected learning outcomes, in particular the acquisition of critical abilities and writing skills. Essays will be assessed on a range of factors, including how well the argument is sustained and use of philosophical written language.

The exam will be passed if the written essay is linguistically and formally correct and displays mastery of philosophical argumentation.

The exam will not be passed if the written essay is linguistially or stilistically flawed and/or does not display mastery of philosophical argumentation.

Teaching tools

The teacher may share with students short bibliographical notes and synopses of parts of Wittgenstein's text. The material will be made available for download on Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Giorgio Volpe