39424 - History of Contemporary Philosophy (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The subject of the History of Contemporary Philosophy is the still open horizon of a reflection that, in the 20th century, has been changing. Its aim is to introduce the student to the themes of a post-metaphysical thought which, while characterising the latest developments in philosophical debate and extending into the most diverse cultural spheres, are rooted in the experience of man today. The ideas of the end of the subject, the death of God, the overcoming of the foundation, and the denunciation of logocentrism, which decide contemporary philosophy, and are also embodied in our existence, will, from time to time, be at the centre of the course. The aim, then, is to introduce the student to a past that is being asserted in the present. Precisely because it has as its object the world in which we are involved, the course aims to contribute to the student's acquisition of awareness and critical capacity.

Course contents

The Transcendence of the Ego: Sartre Beyond Descartes

 

The course examines a selection of Jean-Paul Sartre’s works that paved the way for Being and Nothingness, including The Transcendence of the Ego and Nausea, exploring the different forms of philosophical and literary writing through which his thought developed. Working within the framework of Husserlian phenomenology and through a sustained engagement with Descartes, Sartre formulated one of his most significant philosophical innovations: the thesis of the “transcendence of the Ego,” grounded in the idea of an impersonal, non-egological consciousness. Against the primacy of interiority that characterized much of French philosophical culture, Sartre argues that the ego is a thing among things, existing in the world, whereas consciousness eludes every psychological or substantialist interpretation. Sartre not only rejects the claim that the transcendental Ego grounds the unity of representations, but also maintains that this unity, although manifested de facto, is not original; rather, it is the illusory product of a consciousness acting in bad faith. The transcendental field thus becomes impersonal, or “pre-personal,” while the I think, which accompanies our representations, emerges against a background of unity that it has not itself produced. The course examines the originality of this position within the context of French phenomenology and highlights its influence on Deleuze’s notion of the impersonal transcendental field, which constitutes the focus of the second module.

Readings/Bibliography

Required Reading (for attending and non-attending students)

 

Monografic Course

• J.-P. Sartre, La trascendenza dell’Ego. Una descrizione fenomenologica, a cura e con prefazione di R. Ronchi, Christian Marinotti, Milano 2011.

• J.-P. Sartre, L’essere e il nulla, trad. di G. Del Bo, a cura di F. Fergnani e M. Lazzari, prefazione di M. Recalcati, Il Saggiatore, Milano 2014 (pagine scelte).

• J.-P. Sartre, La liberté cartésienne. Dialogo sul libero arbitrio, a cura di N. Pirillo, Marinotti, Milano 2007,

• J.-P. Sartre, La nausea, trad. di B. Fonzi, Einaudi, Torino 2014.

N.B. PDF excerpts from Being and Nothingness and Cartesian Freedom will be made available among the course materials on the Virtuale platform.

 

Studies. Two texts of your choice:

• Maria Russo, Sartre. Vita di un filosofo radicale, Carocci, Roma 2024.

• • Nestore Pirillo, Sartre, Cartesio; un dialogo, in J.-P. Sartre, La liberté cartésienne. Dialogo sul libero arbitrio, Marinotti, Milano 2007.

• Rocco Ronchi, Introduzione a J.-P. Sartre, La trascendenza dell’Ego, Marinotti, Milano 2011.

• Franco Fergnani, Jean-Paul Sartre. La scoperta dell’esistenza, Feltrinelli, Milano 2019.

• Vincent de Coorebyter, Sartre face à la phénoménologie. Autour de «L’intentionnalité» et de «La transcendance de l’Ego», Éditions Ousia, Bruxelles 2000.

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures and reading of texts in the classroom, together with discussion of the most important topics and direct participation of the students.

Assessment methods

The attendance of the entire course corresponds to 6 credits. The programme is unique for both attending and non-attending students.

The oral examination takes place in the teacher's studio and tends to verify:

1. the historical-philosophical knowledge acquired through attendance at the lessons, the study of the basic texts and the relative bibliography
2. the degree of understanding and critical reworking of the proposed content
3. expressive skills and the ability to orient oneself among the main lines of interpretation

Attendance is considered relevant both to the learning process and to the assessment.

Exam registration is available through the ALMAESAMI platform. The dates of each exam session are published on the Professor’s webpage.

 

Verification criteria
30 cum laude: excellent proof, for solidity of knowledge and critical processing skills

30: excellent proof, adequate knowledge and expressive richness

 27-29: good proof, satisfactory knowledge, correct expression

24-26: discrete proof, non-exhaustive and partially correct knowledge

21-23: sufficient proof, general knowledge, confused expression

18-21: barely sufficient proof. Poor articulation and relevant theoretical gaps

<18: insufficient proof, missing or incomplete knowledge, lack of guidance in the argument

 

Exam sessions

During the 2025/26 academic year, exam sessions are scheduled for the following months: November, December, January, March, 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 collection of Sartre's writings will be made available to explore in greater depth the debate on the status of subjectivity in the history of modern and contemporary philosophy.

Office hours

See the website of Diego Donna