28066 - History of Political Philosophy (1) (LM)

Course contents

The course will be primarily dedicated to the thought of Karl Marx. Some of the most significant concepts of his philosophical, economic, and political reflection will be presented and discussed through the critical reading of excerpts from some of his most well-known writings: The German Ideology, Theses on Feuerbach, On the Jewish Question, The Communist Manifesto, Capital.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Texts commented on during lectures will be made available on the course’s Virtual Learning Environment.

2. Two of the following sets of Marxian writings:

• Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 and On the Jewish Question (any unabridged edition)
• The German Ideology (only Part I, titled Feuerbach) and Theses on Feuerbach (any edition)
• The Communist Manifesto (any unabridged edition)
• Capital, Volume I, The Unpublished Sixth Chapter (any unabridged edition)

 

3. Reading recommendations (will not be subject to examination)

P. Singer, Marx: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2018;

J. Elster, An Introduction to Karl Marx, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1986;

T. Eagleton,  Why Marx Was Right, Yale University Press, New Haven 2011;

M. Henry, Marx: An Introduction. Translated by Kristien Justaert. Bloomsbury Academic, London 2019.

Teaching methods

Ex cathedra lessons. During the course, efforts will be made to engage students in the discussion of the main topics covered. Critical reading and commentary of texts will also be included.

Assessment methods

Final oral exam with questions related to the required readings.

The exam is usually held in the instructor’s office: Room 5.08, Via Zamboni 38.

Exam sessions

During the academic year 2025/2026, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months: November 2025, December 2025, January 2026, May 2026, June 2026, July 2026, and September 2026.

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders are entitled to special adjustments according to their condition, subject to assessment by the University Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact teachers or Department staff, but make an appointment with the Service. The Service will then determine what adjustments are specifically appropriate, and get in touch with the teacher. For more information, please visit the page:
https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students

Assessment criteria and thresholds of evaluation:

30 cum laude: Excellent as to knowledge, terminology and critical expression.

30: Excellent, knowledge is complete, well articulated and correctly expressed, although with some slight faults.

27-29: Good, knowledge comprehensive and satisfactory, essentially correct expression .

24-26: Fairly good, knowledge present in significant points, but not complete and not always expressed with correctness.

21-23: Sufficient, knowledge is sometimes superficial, but the guiding general thread is included. Expression and articulation incomplete and often not appropriate

18-21:.Almost sufficient, but knowledge present only on the surface. The guiding principle is not included with continuity. The expression and articulation of the speech show important gaps.

<18: Not sufficient, knowledge absent or very incomplete, lack of guidance in discipline, expression seriously deficient. Exam failed.

Teaching tools

Some of the texts discussed during lectures will be uploaded to the course's Virtuale platform. Additional materials for individual study and further exploration will also be made available on the same platform.

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Cerrato