28488 - History of Philosophy (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

Students improve their knowledge of modern an contemporary philosophy (XVI-XX  centuries). They take a special care to long time subjects, in order to improve their critical ability.

Course contents

Argument:Nothingness in western philosophy.

 

 

This course consists of 6 credits (15 meetings, ab. 30 hours).

The basic program presents some philosophic enquiries on nothingness, from Greek antiquity to contemporary philosophy of existence.

 

Textbooks:

M. Mori, Storia della filosofia moderna, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2005;

S. Givone, Storia del nulla, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1995 (rist.).

Moreover students will dispose of a reading (ab. 200 pages), with texts from

Plato, Sophista, 7-23;

Plotino, Enneades, III, 8; VI, 7 (1-6);

Agostino, Confessiones, XII, 1-8;

M. de Montaigne, Essais, II, 12; III, 13 (;

B. Pascal, Pensèes, 72, 233 (L. Bruschvicg's edition);

F. Jacobi, Jacobi an Fichte (1799); It. ed., Fede e nichilismo. Lettera a Fichte, a cura di G. Sansonetti, Brescia, Morcelliana, 2001, pp. 40-65;

G. Leopardi, Zibaldone di pensieri, pp. 69, 72, 85, 99, 106-107, 179-181, 259-261, 644-646, 1341-1342, 1461-1464, 2242-2243, 2936-2938, 3382-3385, 4133-4134, 4141-4143, 4174 (rererences to the pages of original manuscript);

F. Nietzsche, Die Philosophie im tragischen Zeitalter der Griechen, §§ 4-13; Nachgelassene Fragmente, 35 [82] (may 1885), 9 [35], 9 [43], 9 [44] (autumn 1887);

M. Heidegger, Was ist Metaphysik? (1929);

J.-P. Sartre, L'être et le néant (1943), p. I, ch. I, § 5, «L'origine du néant».

Facultative  books (for the students who intend to study the matter in depth and to write a paper of  ab. 4000 words):

 

R. Padellaro de Angelis, Il problema del nulla nel pensiero cristiano, Roma, ELIA, 1974;

E. Severino, L'essenza del nichilismo, Milano, Adelphi, 1982;

E. Paci, Il nulla e il problema dell'uomo, Milano, Bompiani,1988;

L. Pareyson, Filosofia della libertà, Genova, Il Melangolo, 1989;

C. Scilironi, Il nulla nel pensiero contemporaneo, Padova, CLEUP, 2000.

 

 

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Meetings: from 02.02.2010; Department of Philosophy, 38 via Zamboni, 5th floor; Tue., Wed., Thu., 9-11 a.m.

Readings/Bibliography

 

Teaching methods

Lectures and debate.

On demand, students write short papers (ab. 3000 words)  on specific subjects agreed with the professor.

Assessment methods

Interview.

Office hours

See the website of Pietro Capitani