87374 - Principles of Philosophical Anthropology (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will be able to understand the concept of culture and cultural difference; to analyze, also in a critical way, the concept of human nature and to understand its multidisciplinary extension such as to invest anthropology, biology, genetics and the philosophy of culture; to recognize the main currents of the theory of evolution, in particular with regard to human phylogeny; to distinguish the biological, historical and linguistic-cultural coevolution as a characteristic of the human species; finally, to understand human action in its relationship with non-human species and with the environment. On the methodological level, the student distinguishes the main theoretical-methodological approaches in the current debate of the anthropological sciences; he grasps their respective connections with philosophical orientations such as naturalism, social constructionism, ontological pluralism; finally masters essential conceptual tools in anthropological understanding such as the concepts of anthropocentrism, anthropomorphism, ethnocentrism, difference and analogy.

Course contents

The course offers a reflection on modes of human existence and knowledge and culture construction from a non-anthropocentric perspective. The lectures will critically address the issues of human evolution and the relationship between nature/culture and science/society, in light of the "ontological turn," the climate crisis, and the debate on the "Anthropocene".

Main topics: introduction to philosophical anthropology; the construction of modern knowledge; theories of evolution; the relationship between nature/culture and science/society; the implications of the climate crisis on human existence and forms of knowledge; apocalipse and anthropology; the "ontological turn" in anthropology; political ecology and anthropology.

Particular attention in this edition of the course will be given to a classic theme in anthropology: the residual, the waste, and the dirt. We will focus specifically on a peculiar type of waste - radioactive waste - in relation to questions of the end of the world and its ruins, in an attempt to approach this issue by exploring its deep temporal dimension and more-than-human implications.

Readings/Bibliography

MANDATORY READINGS:

The following texts are mandatory for study:

1. Ingold, Tim (2018) Anthropology. Why It Matters, Cambridge, Polity.
2. Latour, Bruno (2017) Facing Gaia: eight lectures on the new climate regime, Polity, United Kingdom.
   
3. Choose one text from the following list, which has been divided into thematic groups to facilitate the selection:

Group (1): Anthropology and Theories of Evolution

• Graeber, David and Wengrow, David (2022) The dawn of everything: a new history of humanity, UK, Penguin Books.

• Quammen, David (2019) The tangled tree: a radical new history of life, New York, NY, Simon & Schuster.

Group (2): The Anthropocene and the Trans-species Anthropology

• Armiero, Marco (2021) Wasteocene. Stories from the global dump. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

• Kohn, Eduardo (2013) How forests think: toward an anthropology beyond the human, Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar, Verlag nicht ermittelbar.

• Tsing, Anna Lowenhaupt (2021) The mushroom at the end of the world: On the possibility of life in capitalist ruins, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press.

• Van Dooren, Thom (2014) Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction, Columbia University Press.

Group (3): Beyond the end of the world

• Danowski, Déborah and Castro, Eduardo Batalha Viveiros de (2017) The ends of the world, Cambridge, UK, Polity.

• De Martino, Ernesto (2019) La fine del mondo, Torino, Einaudi. 

• Stengers, Isabelle (2015) In catastrophic times: resisting the coming barbarism (Trad. Goffey Andrew),Open Humanities Press.

Group (4): Political Ecology and Anthropology

• Pellizzoni, Luigi (Ed.) (2023) Introduzione all’ecologia politica, Bologna, il Mulino. (Choose 5 chapters)

Group (5): Moral orders and natural orders

• Daston, Lorraine (2019) Against Nature, MIT Press.

Teaching methods

The course will be conducted through lectures, encouraging discussion and interaction during the class using audiovisual materials and texts shared in Virtuale. This can be done through raising hands during the lecture or at the end, as well as through group exercises. After the lecture, interaction will also be possible through the forum active on virtuale.unibo.it.

There may be guest lecturers invited during the course to speak on specific topics. Additionally, if there are seminars and conferences relevant to our subjects taking place at the department, you will be invited to attend, but it will be optional.

During the course, particularly on Wednesdays, the lessons will have a laboratory-style approach with group and/or individual exercises and presentations, as well as instructions on essay writing.

Finally, it's possible that some lessons of the course may beintegrated by events taking place outside of regular class hours in the form of film screenings organized as part of the course, in movie theaters.

Assessment methods

Given the educational objectives, the assessment aims to evaluate:

• The student's knowledge of the indicated texts.
• The comprehension of the problem of human nature in its complexity.
• The ability to present the course topics in an organized and clear manner, either orally or in writing, depending on the chosen mode.
• The critical thinking skills that the student can apply to the proposed topics.

Active participation will be encouraged and duly considered for the overall evaluation.

To pass the exam, students have two options:

A) Writing a final essay, between 2500 and 3000 words. There is no distinction between attending and non-attending students. Essays can be submitted between March 17 and Septemebr 30, 2026.

If you need a correction within specific deadlines, for example in view of graduation, you will have to let me know at the time of submission and give me at least 20 days anyway for the correction. In any case, the essay must be submitted no later than 10 days from the registration session.

A list of suggested topics for the essay will be provided during the course and will mainly concern the monographic part, but it will be possible to agree on personalized topics. In any case, it will be essential to make explicit the relevance of the essay in terms of philosophical anthropology in dialogue with the texts indicated in the course and other texts included in the bibliography.

For non-attending students, the writing and discussion of the essay requires the additional study of Tim Ingold's book "Anthropology" as indicated in the program.

The paper will receive a grade out of thirty (communicated individually to each student). Students can decide whether to confirm the written grade or attempt to improve it with an oral exam during one of the regular exam sessions.

I will take due account of the linguistic difficulties of Erasmus students, or in any case of students whose first language is not Italian. Upon request, I will accept papers in English.

Writing and editorial guidelines: Philosophy students who have already attended the Writing Workshop can follow the provided Editorial Guidelines. However, a brief handbook with the main instructions regarding citations, footnotes, and essay structure will be provided.

The parameters evaluated in the paper and the components of the final grade are as follows:

1. Understanding of the considered texts (knowledge of content, ability to grasp the most relevant information and deep meaning): up to 12 out of thirty.
2. Writing correctness (spelling, syntax, punctuation, command of philosophical and general vocabulary): up to 6 out of thirty.
3. Clarity, thematic relevance, breadth, and coherence of the exposition (well-articulated essay, ability to communicate information in a complete and clear manner, without digressions): up to 5 out of thirty.
4. Logical coherence, quality, and rigor of the argumentation: up to 4 out of thirty.
5. Originality of ideas and personal reflection (identifying critical points in the texts, formulating objections, developing insights from the texts): up to 4 out of thirty.
6. Participation in class and online discussions: up to 1 out of thirty.

B) Instead of the essay, it is possible to take a traditional oral exam. In this case, the exam bibliography will consist of texts 1 and 2, plus one chosen from the indicated groups above. For non-attending students, the oral exam includes the discussion of an additional text of their choice from those indicated.

All oral exams begin with a presentation on a chosen topic within the program. Prepare to speak for about 15 minutes; you can use notes, refer to the texts, and any resources that may be useful. The chosen topic accounts for approximately two-thirds of the exam. This will be followed by one or two questions from me on other aspects of the program. I may ask you to read and comment on a passage.

In the oral exam, clarity, correct grammatical expression, and originality of reflection will also be evaluated, approximately according to the parameters indicated for the written exam.

Exam sessions

During the 2025/2026 academic year, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months: April, May, June, July, September, October 

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adjustments.

For more information, visit the page: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students .

It is recommended that students contact the University office in advance. Any proposed adjustments must be submitted at least 15 days in advance for the instructor’s approval, who will evaluate their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

A complementary module on the university's e-learning platform (virtuale.unibo.it) is linked to the course. Through the platform, a discussion forum will be activated. The site will also be used for the distribution of additional materials and the notification of events or calendar changes. Those who wish to take this exam must enroll on Virtuale.

The slides presented during the lectures will be made available through this site.

Office hours

See the website of Claudio Coletta