28248 - Political Theory (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will acquire a deep knowledge of the theoretical and historical coordinated of a critical analysis of political concepts. By applying the fundamental tools of the history of political thought and of political theory, the course will make possible for students to critically assess the analyzed authors and to grasp both the specificity of the singular texts and the theoretical and historical framework in which they are placed.

Course contents

Politics, power, subjectivation

The course is dedicated to the analysis and critique of power developed by Karl Marx and Michel Foucault, authors as central as they are contested in the contemporary theoretical and political debate. In particular, attention will be paid to the way in which they put in tension the fundamental categories of modern politics (state, sovereignty, freedom, society), their conception of history and of the processes of political subjectivation. The course is divided into two parts. The first part will retrace Karl Marx's reflection showing how he analyzes the relationship between State and society, the forms of capitalist social domination and its global historical tension, the historical emergencies of the class struggle as a constant challenge to that domination. In the second part, we will examine some of Michel Foucault's fundamental texts, giving particular emphasis to the way in which he developed an analytic of power in open contrast with both the Marxist heritage and the modern political tradition, and in particular with the centrality that the latter attributes to the State.

Readings/Bibliography

ATTENDNIG STUDENTS

Students who attend at least 75% of the lectures are considered to be attending.

The history of political thought at undergraduate level is assumed to be known. Students who need to recover and integrate their knowledge in this regard may rely on C. Galli (a cura di), Il pensiero politico contemporaneo. Il Novecento e l'età globale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2011³.

Students should choose one of the texts or groups of texts in section A and one of the texts or groups of texts in section B.

SECTION A:

1)

— K. Marx, Critica del diritto statuale hegeliano, a cura di R. Finelli e F. S. Trincia, Roma, Edizioni dell’Ateneo, 1983, cap. I, pp. 41-63.

— K. Marx, Sulla questione ebraica e altri scritti giovanili, in K. Marx, La questione ebraica, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1978, pp. 47-85.

2)

— K. Marx – F. Engels, L’ideologia tedesca, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2000, pp. 5-50.

— K. Marx – F. Engels, Il manifesto del partito comunista, Roma -Bari, Laterza, 2016.

3)

— K. Marx, Il 18 Brumaio di Luigi Bonaparte, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2001, cap. I.

— K. Marx, La dominazione britannica in India, in K. Marx – F. Engels, India Cina Russia, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 1960, pp. 70-78 (La dominazione britannica in India); pp. 79-89 (La compagnia delle Indie orientali) e pp. 111-118 (I risultati futuri della dominazione britannica in India).

4)

— K. Marx, Il capitale, Torino, UTET, 2013, libro I, capp. I (La merce 4. Il carattere feticistico della merce e il suo segreto), IV (Trasformazione del denaro in capitale, 3. Compravendita della forza lavoro), XXIV (La cosiddetta accumulazione originaria) e XXV (La moderna teoria della colonizzazione).

5)

— M. Foucault, Sicurezza, territorio, popolazione. Corso al Collège de France (1977-1978), Milano, Feltrinelli, 2004, pp. 14-69, 91-104, 142-204, 224-262.

6)

— M. Foucault, Nascita della biopolitica. Corso al Collège de France (1978-1979), Milano, Feltrinelli, 2005, pp. 13-92, 151-174, 217-258.

SECTION B:

7)

— C. Galli, Marx eretico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2018.

— M. Ricciardi, Il potere temporaneo. Karl Marx e la politica come critica della società, Milano, Meltemi, 2019.

8)

— W. Brown, Potere senza logica senza Marx, in W. Brown, La politica fuori dalla storia, a cura di P. Rudan, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012, pp. 65-94.

— L. Bernini, Le pecore e il pastore. Critica, politica, etica nel pensiero di Michel Foucault, Napoli, Liguori, 2008.

NON ATTENDING STUDENTS:

Non-attending students must study all the texts listed in section A and two of the texts or groups of texts listed in section B:

SECTION A:

— M. Ricciardi, Il potere temporaneo. Karl Marx e la politica come critica della società, Milano, Meltemi, 2019.

— L. Bernini, Le pecore e il pastore. Critica, politica, etica nel pensiero di Michel Foucault, Napoli, Liguori, 2008.

SECTION B:

1)

— K. Marx, Critica del diritto statuale hegeliano, a cura di R. Finelli e F. S. Trincia, Roma, Edizioni dell’Ateneo, 1983, cap. I, pp. 41-63.

— K. Marx, Sulla questione ebraica e altri scritti giovanili, in K. Marx, La questione ebraica, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1978, pp. 47-85.

2)

— K. Marx – F. Engels, L’ideologia tedesca, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2000, pp. 5-50.

— K. Marx – F. Engels, Il manifesto del partito comunista, Roma -Bari, Laterza, 2016.

3)

— K. Marx, Il 18 Brumaio di Luigi Bonaparte, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2001, cap. I.

— K. Marx, La dominazione britannica in India, in K. Marx – F. Engels, India Cina Russia, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 1960, pp. 70-78 (La dominazione britannica in India); pp. 79-89 (La compagnia delle Indie orientali) e pp. 111-118 (I risultati futuri della dominazione britannica in India).

4)

— K. Marx, Il capitale, Torino, UTET, 2013, libro I, capp. I (La merce 4. Il carattere feticistico della merce e il suo segreto), IV (Trasformazione del denaro in capitale, 3. Compravendita della forza lavoro), XXIV (La cosiddetta accumulazione originaria) e XXV (La moderna teoria della colonizzazione).

5)

— M. Foucault, Sicurezza, territorio, popolazione. Corso al Collège de France (1977-1978), Milano, Feltrinelli, 2004.

6)

— M. Foucault, Nascita della biopolitica. Corso al Collège de France (1978-1979), Milano, Feltrinelli, 2005.

Teaching methods

Lectures with reading and commentary of texts.

Assessment methods

Oral examination aimed at testing the skills and knowledge acquired, with particular attention to the ability to focus on the theoretical-conceptual links between the thought of the authors studied.

The assessment will concentrate particularly on the skill displayed by the student in handling the sources and material in the exam bibliography and his ability to find and use information and examples to illustrate and correlate the various themes and problems addressed in the course and discussed during the frontal lectures (only for attending students). It will be also assessed the capacity of a student to display an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.

The assessment will thus examine the student's:

— factual knowledge of the subject;

— ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;

— familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.

Proper language, factual knowledge of the subject and the ability to both expose synthetically and critically speak about the choosen topic or the contents of the chosen texts will lead to a good/excellent final grade

Acceptable language and the ability to resume the contents of the chosen texts will lead to a sufficient/fair grade.

Insufficient linguistic proficiency and fragmentary knowledge of the chosen topic or the contents of the chosen texts will lead to a failure in passing the exam.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Rudan