06992 - Philosophical Anthropology (M-Z)

Learning outcomes

The discipline covers one aspect of moral philosophy, the study of human being, in relation to the development of the social sciences.

Course contents

This programme and its associated exam are exclusively for students whose surnames begin with a letter between M and Z. Students whose surnames begin with a letter between M and Z should refer to the specific programme. The general content of the two courses is the same.

Switching from one group to another is not permitted.

***

Teaching in Philosophical Anthropology belongs to the Moral Philosophy disciplinary field, but is borrowed from the three-year Anthropology, Religions and Eastern Civilisations degree programme and takes into account the corresponding requirements. The instructor will explain any technical philosophical concepts that arise during the lessons. Clarifications may also be requested via email or through the virtual e-learning platform associated with the course. Students intending to take the exam must register on VirtuaLE and download the materials.

The course is divided into two teaching units:

Unit 1: Nature and Culture (30 hours)

I A: Fundamental concepts for an epistemology of anthropology

- Philosophical anthropology and the philosophy of anthropology

- The construction of knowledge in the human sciences

- Some fundamental concepts in the epistemology of the human sciences: explanation/understanding, causes/reasons, the definition of culture in humans and animals

 

Unit 2: Philosophy of anthropology (30 hours)

- I a: Images of human nature in philosophy

- I b: Images of human nature in philosophy

Unit 2: Two philosophical anthropologies compared

Main topics: continuist and discontinuist views of the human/nature relationship; the meaning and limits of the nature/culture opposition; examples of modern and contemporary philosophical anthropologies (relativism, humanism, Cartesianism and Wittgenstein); the 'ontological turn' in recent anthropology.

Unit 2: Two philosophical anthropologies compared: Freud and Dewey (30 hours).

This unit compares two different approaches to philosophical anthropology: Freudian psychoanalysis and Deweyan pragmatism. The two approaches will be analysed and compared, emphasising the theoretical and political implications of the analogies and divergences between the two different images of human beings proposed by psychoanalysis and pragmatism.

A course guide containing a detailed programme of the individual lessons' contents (along with the corresponding recommended reading) is published on the course website on Virtuale.

Readings/Bibliography

A group of texts to be chosen from the following:

Group (1): Liberalized naturalism vs. “hard and pure” naturalism

M. De Caro, D. MacArthur (a cura di), La mente e la natura. Per un naturalismo liberalizzato, Roma: Fazi Editore, 2005.

M. De Caro, “Naturalismo scientifico e naturalismo liberalizzato”, Metodo. International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy Vol. 1, n. 2 (2013),: https://nuovorealismo.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/47-143-1-pb.pdf

Group (2): Wittgenstein and anthropology

Ludwig Wittgenstein, Note sul "Ramo d’oro" di Frazer, trad. it. Milano: Adelphi, 1975 (incluso il saggio di J. Bouveresse, "Wittgenstein antropologo");

Marilena Andronico, Antropologia e metodo morfologico. Studio su Wittgenstein, Napoli: Città del Sole, 1998;

Fabio Dei, “Usanze sinistre e profonde: Wittgenstein, Frazer e la magia”, L’uomo, IV, n.s., 1, 1991, : fareantropologia.cfs.unipi.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1991-Usanze-sinistre-e-profonde.pdf.

Group (3): Psychoanalysis and Anthropology

Gruppo (3): Psicoanalisi e antropologia

Sigmund Freud, L’Io e l’Es (Bollati Boringhieri)

Sigmund Freud, Totem e Tabù (Bollati Boringhieri)

Gruppo (4): The ontological turn in anthropology

Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, Prospettivismo cosmologico in Amazzonia e altrove, Macerata: Quodlibet, 2019.

Eduardo Kohn, Come pensano le foreste. Per un’antropologia oltre l’umano, trad. it. di Alessandro Lucera e Alessandro Palmieri, Milano: Nottetempo, 2021 [orig. How Forests Think, University of California Press, 2013].

Gruppo (6): Pragmatism and anthropology

Jane Addams, Etica sociale e democrazia, Ortothes, 2024.

John Dewey, Come pensiamo, Raffaello Cortina editore

For non-attending students: one text of your choice from:

• Marco Innamorati, Freud, Carocci, Rome.
• Matteo Santarelli, The Social Philosophy of Pragmatism. An Introduction, Clueb, Bologna

Recommended reading:

Students of anthropology or other degrees who encounter difficulties with philosophical terminology and concepts may ask the instructor for explanations and/or consult dictionaries and philosophy textbooks. Recommended:

- Nicola Abbagnano, Dizionario di Filosofia (Dictionary of Philosophy), updated by G. Fornero, Turin: UTET, numerous reissues;

- Luca Guidetti, Giovanni Matteucci, Le grammatiche del pensiero. Corso di filosofia (The Grammars of Thought. Philosophy Course), 3 volumes, Bologna: Zanichelli, 2012.

Philosophy students who wish to familiarize themselves with the themes of cultural anthropology may read:

- S. Allovio, L. Ciabarri, G. Mangiameli, eds., Antropologia culturale. I temi fondamentali, Milan: Cortina, 2018.

International students may use English (or other language) editions of these texts. Texts available only in Italian may be replaced with other texts. Please contact me to agree on such replacements.

 

Teaching methods

Methods: classroom lecture; discussion and commentary.

Discussion may take place by raising hands during the lesson or at the end, or after the lesson, via the forum that will be active on virtuale.unibo.it. If possible, the final part of each lesson will be dedicated to discussion.

It is recommended that students obtain the texts as soon as possible, particularly the handout of readings, which will be available for download from the start of the course.

Assessment methods

Given the educational goals, the assessment aims to evaluate:

• the level of knowledge of the texts indicated;
• understanding of the complexity of human nature;
• the ability to present the course topics in an orderly and clear manner, either orally or in writing, depending on the chosen method;
• the student's critical thinking skills in relation to the topics covered.

Active participation in class will be encouraged and duly taken into account in the overall assessment.

The exam consists of an oral interview. It will normally begin with the presentation of a topic of your choice within the program. Be prepared to speak for about 10 minutes; you may use notes, refer to the texts, and any other resources you may need. This will be followed by one or two questions on other aspects of the program. I may ask you to read and comment on a passage from one of the readings in the program.

On a voluntary basis, you may write an essay, which will be corrected and evaluated by the instructor as part of the exam, but it must be supplemented by an oral interview, which will focus not only on the essay but on the entire program. When writing the essay, please follow the Editorial Guidelines for the Philosophy Program, which can be downloaded from the Program website and also from our website on Virtuale.

The parameters evaluated (both in the interview and in the optional essay), and the components of the final grade are as follows:

1. Comprehension of the texts considered (knowledge of the content, ability to grasp the most relevant information and the deeper meaning): up to 12 out of 30.

2. Correctness of expression (syntax, mastery of philosophical and general vocabulary): up to 6 out of 30.

3. Clarity, thematic relevance, breadth, and coherence of the presentation (good articulation of the discourse, ability to communicate information in a complete and clear manner, without digressing): up to 5 out of 30.

4. Logical coherence, quality, and rigor of argumentation: up to 4 points.

5. Originality of ideas and personal reflection (identifying critical points in the texts, formulating objections, developing ideas presented in the texts): up to 4 points.

6. Participation in class and online discussions: up to 1 point.

In the academic year 2025/26, exams are scheduled for February (only for make-up exams), May, June, October, November (or December). For justified reasons, I am available to hold exams by appointment.

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

There will be a course-related site on the Unibo e-learning platform (virtuale.unibo.it). All students are required to subscribe.

The site will feature reading materials, event calendar, study topics and tools, and will be used for teacher-students communication and, possibly, the distribution of homework.

I shall also be uploading, on a weekly basis, the slides I will show during classes. Besides, all classes will be recorded and accessible on Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Matteo Santarelli