28488 - History of Philosophy (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student refines his knowledge about the history of modern and contemporary philosophical thought, with particular attention to long-term philosophical-political themes and concepts. The student also refines his ability to orient himself between the main interpretative and historiographical lines.

Course contents

THE INVENTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS

The course intends to follow the formation of the modern psychological concept of conscience which in the seventeenth century philosophy denotes the relationship of self to self of the individual or group, gradually differentiating itself from its original meaning in the moral sphere. In this perspective, we will examine the lexical variations on the frontier between the ancient and the modern which translate a concept being defined - the psychological concept of consciousness and self-consciousness -, and which, in their semantic polysemy, reveal the emergence of a theoretical reflection on the problematic object of a new research: the subject in his identity, in his autonomy, his freedom and in his own responsibilities.

The course will be organized in two ways which include lectures (about 20 hours) and seminars (about 10 hours).

 

I. LECTURES

AN ARCHEOLOGY OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS

The lectures will examine some particularly significant texts of the seventeenth-century debate on the modern notion of consciousness and self-awareness, Descartes being the background of this semantic and conceptual revolution, Locke, Malebranche and Leibniz protagonists of the broad semiotic and philosophical debate of the so-called “Cartesian age”. 

1. Descartes, Meditationes de Prima Philosophia: Meditatio II; Secundæ Responsiones
2. N. Malebranche, De la recherche de la vérité, L. II, P. II, Ch. VII
3. G. W. Leibniz, Monadologie, Sect. 17.
4. J. Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, II, 1, § 4-9; II, 27.
5. D. Hume, A Treatise on Human Nature, B. I, P. IV. Sect. VI, Sect. VII.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Please note the following general bibliography, useful for following the intellectual path traced.

J.A. Perkins, The concept of the Self in French Enlightenment, Genève, Droz, 1969

A. Badiou, Théorie du sujet, Paris, Seuil, 1982

B. Glyn Davies, Conscience as consciousness : the idea of self awareness in French philosophical writing from Descartes to Diderot, Voltaire Foundation, Oxford, 1990

P. Ricœur, Soi-même comme un autre, Paris, Seuil, 1990

Ch. Taylor, Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity, Harvard University Press, 1989

S. Merchior-Bonnet, Histoire du miroir, Paris, Hachette, 1996

E. Balibar, Identité et différence. L’invention de la conscience, Paris, Seuil, 1998 ;

M. Foucault, L’herméneutique du sujet, Cours au Collège de France, Paris, Gallimard, 2001.

 

II. SEMINARS

As part of the course, two seminars will be organized: the first one declines the concept of consciousness in the moral and political sphere, the second one examines the theme of consciousness in the light of the contemporary philosophy of the mind.

Seminar I. LIBERTAS PHILOSOPHANDI/FREEDOM OF CONSCIOUSNESS We will read the following texts or parts of them:

1. Spinoza, Tractatus Theologico-politicus (Præfatio, VII, XX).
2. P. Bayle, Commentaire philosophique, II, 7-9

Seminar II. THE HARD PROBLEM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

We will read the following texts or parts of them:

1. G. Ryle, The concept of Mind, University of Chicago Press, 1949 (ch. 1)

2. D. R. Hofstadter, D.C. Dennet (eds), The Mind’s I: Fantasies And Reflections On Self & Soul, New York, Basic Book, 1981: Introduction; P. IV, ch. 13.

N.B. The student is required to study for the exam the texts of only one seminar.

GENERAL INFORMATIONS
The exam is oral only and is held in the Department of Philosophy and Communication, Via Zamboni, 38.

Exam registrations are made through ALMAESAMI. The program is unique, for attending and non-attending students.

LESSONS AND RECEPTION TIMETABLE
Lessons are held in the second semester, 3th period, according to the following schedule:
Monday h. 15-17 (room IV, Via Zamboni, 38); Tuesday h. 15-17 (room IV, 38); Thursday h. 15-17 (room C, Via Zamboni, 34).
Classes will begin on January 31, 2022
The teacher receives students on Thursday, 10.00 am.

Readings/Bibliography

For the texts of lectures see the programm.

GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

Please note the following general bibliography, useful for following the intellectual path traced.

J.A. Perkins, The concept of the Self in French Enlightenment, Genève, Droz, 1969

A. Badiou, Théorie du sujet, Paris, Seuil, 1982

B. Glyn Davies, Conscience as consciousness : the idea of self awareness in French philosophical writing from Descartes to Diderot, Voltaire Foundation, Oxford, 1990

P. Ricœur, Soi-même comme un autre, Paris, Seuil, 1990

Ch. Taylor, Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity, Harvard University Press, 1989

S. Merchior-Bonnet, Histoire du miroir, Paris, Hachette, 1996

E. Balibar, Identité et différence. L’invention de la conscience, Paris, Seuil, 1998 ;

M. Foucault, L’herméneutique du sujet, Cours au Collège de France, Paris, Gallimard, 2001.

Teaching methods

The lectures concern specific themes, and intend to analyze them in reference also to the peculiarities of historical contexts, the diversity of cultures and of philosophical problems, and, finally, the determination of intellectual options of individual philosophers. The predominantly seminar format of the lessons involves students in an independent and shared research, conducted with bibliographic tools and discussed in dialogic forms of scientific communication.

Assessment methods

he exam is oral.

The oral examination tends to verify:
1. historical and philosophical knowledge acquired through the class attendance, the study of the texts and bibliography, contextualising them in historical and philosophical traditions;
2. the level of critical assimilation of conceptual contents;
3. the property and the adequacy of linguistic expression;
4. the knowledge of the main lines of classical interpretations.

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.

Assessment criteria and assessment thresholds:
30 cum laude: Excellent, excellent solidity of knowledge, excellent expressive properties, excellent understanding of the concepts.
30: Very good, complete and adequate knowledge, well-articulated and correctly expressed.
27-29: Good, satisfactory knowledge, essentially correct expression.
24-26: Fairly good knowledge, but not complete and not always correct.
21-23: Generally sufficient knowledge but superficial. Expression is often not appropriate and confused.
18-21: Sufficient. The expression and articulation of the speech show important gaps.
<18: Insufficient knowledge or very incomplete, lack of guidance in discipline, expression seriously deficient. Exam failed.

Teaching tools

The lectures aim to examine classical texts, which are available in Italian and English translation, but with many references to the original language.

Seminars offer the reading of significant texts of philosophical debate around the subject of the lectures course, extending it with references to some other authors. The student is required to follow and to prepare for the exam only one seminar (I or II). The seminar format engages students in active participation, which mobilizes the acquired knowledge and transforms it into questioning the texts and discussing the topics.
The student may propose reading other texts or writing papers agreed with the teacher.

Office hours

See the website of Mariafranca Spallanzani