30413 - Philosophy Laboratory (1) (G.B)

Learning outcomes

The student learns to read and critically analyze philosophical texts and to write a philosophical essay.

Course contents

The Philosophy Laboratory has three main goals:

i) to provide students with the necessary skills to write a philosophical paper and to use the editorial conventions adopted in the academic community;

ii) to develop in students the ability to identify and select sources relevant to philosophical research, and to use them critically and effectively through bibliographic tools;

iii) to introduce students to the reading of a philosophical text, the writing of a short essay on it, and the development of an effective oral presentation.

 

To achieve objectives i)-iii), the Laboratory includes a series of lectures on specific topics and two activities to be completed by the end of the course.

The lectures will address the following topics:

• Functioning and management of an editorial process.

• Writing a philosophical text.

• Researching sources and organizing a bibliography in a specific format (e.g., APA 7).

• Using LaTeX in Overleaf for writing articles, theses, and presentations.

• Preparing a presentation for a class, a talk, or a thesis/project discussion.

 

The activities, both of which must be completed in order to pass the course, are the following:

• Editorial process (A1). Each student will be required to actively participate in an editorial process that will be explained at the beginning of the Laboratory and carried out throughout the course. Specifically, each student must choose a specific role (author, associate editor, or reviewer) in this editorial process and complete the task related to that role.

• In-class presentation (A2). Each student will give an in-class presentation on a specific topic. Some topics will be suggested by the instructor, but students may also propose a topic of their own interest to be agreed upon with the instructor. More detailed guidelines regarding the content and format of the presentation (topics to choose from, presentation length, and the option to present in pairs or individually) will be provided during the first sessions of the Laboratory.

 

Precise guidelines for writing the philosophical paper will be provided during the Laboratory, but participants must consult this citation guide:
https://sba.unibo.it/it/servizi/formazione/guida-alla-citazione-delle-fonti-bibliografiche

 

Information on attendance and the maximum number of participants

Participation in the Laboratory requires consistent attendance; therefore, to pass the course, students must attend at least 12 out of 15 sessions (equivalent to 24 hours of in-class instruction out of 30). Exemptions from attendance are granted only in specific cases (see the section Cases of inability to attend).

The Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy offers several Laboratory options (programs and instructors are available on the Philosophy degree program website). Each Laboratory has a maximum of 40 participants. A "participant" is defined as someone who attends the sessions in person or online, if this modality is made available by the instructor.

Enrollment for all Laboratories will open on 1 September 2025 and will automatically close for each Laboratory after the first 3 sessions have taken place. It is only possible to enroll in one Laboratory at a time. Each list will accept a maximum of 40 enrollments.

 

Enrollment procedure

• Log in to Studenti Online with your credentials;

• Click the “Prenotazioni” icon;

• Select the desired Laboratory.

 

Attendance verification

Attendance will be recorded via signature (or via the online platform in the case of distance learning). Due to past cases of forged signatures, please note that if it is discovered that even a single attendance signature was not personally signed, the student will be excluded from the course for the current academic year. They will then have to wait until the following academic year to attend the Philosophy Laboratory again. A similar penalty will be applied to students who submit exercises that are wholly or partially plagiarized from printed or digital sources. See the plagiarism policy published on the degree program website.

 

Cases of inability to attend

Only in cases of documented inability to attend is it possible to arrange a substitute program to be agreed upon individually with the instructors of the different modules. These cases are strictly limited to the following:

• Students who work and are unable to obtain study leave to attend the Laboratory; in this case, the student must inform the instructor at the beginning of the course and provide a statement from their employer documenting the inability to attend.

• Students participating in Erasmus or Overseas programs; in this case, the student must promptly provide documentation to the instructor confirming that they are abroad and unable to attend.

Students who find themselves in one of these situations must contact the instructor. For them, the final assessment will consist of an oral exam after the Laboratory has concluded. The oral exam will be based on the discussion of a written paper (to be sent to the instructor no later than 10 days before the date of the oral exam) and a presentation of that paper using slides. The topic of the paper must be agreed upon with the instructor.

Readings/Bibliography

The Laboratory includes the use of teaching materials specifically prepared by the instructor (texts, templates, and documents containing procedures and explanations related to the activities to be completed). These materials, along with the slides used by the instructor, will be uploaded and made available on the Virtuale platform.

Teaching methods

The course will adopt a blended teaching approach, combining lectures with activities designed to encourage debate and discussion among participants. Particular attention will be given to the development of fundamental philosophical skills — such as critical reading, argumentative writing, and structured discussion — through the shared analysis of the topics covered. Activities A1 (editorial process) and A2 (in-class presentation) will be an integral part of the course and will serve as key opportunities to apply the skills acquired in practice. The teaching methodology will be explained in more detail during the first session of the course.

Assessment methods

To obtain a pass, students must complete both of the activities required by the Laboratory:

• Activity A1: participation in the editorial process in one of the designated roles (author, associate editor, reviewer);

• Activity A2: in-class oral presentation on an assigned or agreed-upon topic.

The instructor will provide an individual evaluation for each activity. A positive assessment for both activities is sufficient to obtain a passing grade.

 

Students who:

• do not complete both activities, or

• receive a negative evaluation in at least one of the two,
  

will be required to take an individual oral exam after the end of the Laboratory.

Specifically:

• Students who did not complete Activity A1 (Editorial Process) or received a negative evaluation for this activity must submit a written paper (maximum length: 2,000 words, including bibliography) on a topic agreed upon with the instructor. The paper must be submitted to the instructor at least 10 days before the exam date. The oral exam will consist of a discussion of the paper. Evaluation criteria: clarity of exposition, argumentative coherence, and critical understanding of the topic.

• Students who did not complete Activity A2 (In-class Presentation) or received a negative evaluation for this activity must prepare an oral presentation with slides on a topic agreed upon with the instructor. The oral exam will consist of the presentation of the work (maximum duration: 15 minutes).Evaluation criteria: presentation skills, structure of the talk, and mastery of the content.

• Students who did not complete either Activity A1 or Activity A2, or received a negative evaluation for both, must submit a written paper (maximum length: 2,000 words, including bibliography) at least 10 days before the exam date and present it orally with slides (maximum duration: 15 minutes). In this case as well, the topic must be agreed upon with the instructor. The final evaluation will take into account both the quality of the written paper and the oral presentation.

 

Attendance

Participation in the Laboratory requires consistent attendance at the sessions; therefore, in order to obtain a passing grade, students must attend at least 12 out of 15 sessions (equivalent to 24 hours of in-class instruction out of 30).

Attendance will be recorded via signature (or via the online platform in the case of distance learning). Due to past incidents of forged attendance signatures, it is important to note that if even a single attendance signature is found not to have been signed in person, the student will be excluded from the final assessment for the current academic year. The student will therefore have to wait until the following academic year to attend the Philosophy Laboratory again. A similar sanction will apply to those who submit exercises that are wholly or partially plagiarized from printed or digital sources. Please refer to the plagiarism policy published on the degree program website.

 

Cases of inability to attend

Only in cases of documented and justified inability to attend is it possible to arrange a substitute program, to be agreed upon individually with the instructors responsible for the different modules. Such cases are limited to the following:

• Individuals who work and are unable to obtain study leave to attend the Laboratory. Students in this situation must inform the instructor at the beginning of the module and provide a statement from their employer documenting their inability to attend;

• Students participating in Erasmus or Overseas programs. Students in this situation must promptly provide documentation to the instructor confirming their inability to attend due to their stay abroad.

Students who find themselves in one of these situations must contact the instructor. For them, the final assessment will consist of an oral exam after the Laboratory has concluded. The oral exam will be based on the discussion of a written paper (to be sent to the instructor no later than 10 days before the date of the oral exam) and a presentation of that paper using slides. The topic of the paper must be agreed upon with the instructor.

 

During the academic year 2025/2026, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months:

Starting from the month following the end of the course, with the exception of August, December, January, and April, and barring unforeseen circumstances or institutional commitments of the instructor, at least one exam session per month will be held. These sessions are open to all students who did not obtain eligibility through the two activities carried out during the lab.

 

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.

Students should contact the University Service in advance: any proposed adjustment must be submitted at least 15 days before the exam for the instructor’s approval, who will evaluate the appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

The Laboratory will make use of the Virtuale platform for sharing teaching materials specifically prepared by the instructor (texts, templates, and documents containing procedures and explanations), lecture slides, and working materials related to the planned activities (editorial process and presentations), as well as for managing group work.

Through the Virtuale platform, students will also be introduced to digital tools useful for writing philosophical texts and preparing presentations, with particular attention to the use of LaTeX on Overleaf for writing articles and theses.

Office hours

See the website of Daniele Molinini