74786 - POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Learning outcomes

Political Philosophy is conceived as the application of philosophical investigation to politics and thus as a study of the contribution that philosophy may give to political practice. This implies both a clarification of the terms used in our everyday political vocabulary and an attempt at designing models of a just society. The course intends to provide the students with the following abilities: a) notions on methodology in historical investigation; b) ability to analytically read a text while at the same time situating it into the historical and linguistic context of the age; c) knowledge of the perennial tasks of political philosophy; d) an introduction to political realism.

Course contents

Module 1. Relativism and its Discontents

Relativism, the view that all knowledge is relative to some percipient subject and that there is no universal, objective truth, is itself a product of the advancement of knowledge. Historically, it was most likely the result of a generalisation of observations made by Greek mariners and merchants, who reported that laws and customs in distant countries were different from, sometimes opposite to, those of the Greeks. We will examine the sophist Protagoras, the first coherent relativist, who argued that "man is the measure of all things", and the answers to his relativism elaborated by Plato and Aristotle. We will then examine how 20^th century philosophers revived those positions and will specifically investigate Richard Rorty, Leo Strauss and Alasdair MacIntyre.

The first class will be devoted to a clarification of the notion of 'political philosophy' and to an account of the methodology in the history of political thought.

Module 2. The just society: unending quest

Module 2 is devoted to the search for a just society. We will read John Rawls, the author who put back the notion of justice at the centre of political philosophy and who wrote the milestone treatment on the subject in the 20th century.

The course is offered in the second semester and classes will start in February 2026.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Required readings

For module 1 we will read selected parts of the following works:

Plato, Theaetetus, transl. S. Benardete, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986; ISBN: 978-0226670317.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, transl. C.D.C. Reeve, Indianapolis: Hackett, 2023; ISBN: 978-1647921453.

R. Rorty, Contingency, Irony and Solidarity, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986; ISBN: 978-0521367813.

L. Strauss, Liberalism, Ancient and Modern, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995; ISBN: 978-0226776897.

A. MacIntyre, Dependent Rational Animals, La Salle : Open Court, 2001 ; ISBN: 978-0812694529.

 

For module 2 we will read selected parts of: 

J. Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Harvard: The Belknap Press, 1999.

J. Rawls, The Law of Peoples, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2001.

 

Teaching methods

30 classes of 2 hours each for a total of 60 hours. 

Module 1 (Prof. Giorgini) consists of 40 hours.

Module 2 (Prof. Scudieri) consists of 20 hours.

The course is offered in the second semester and classes will begin on March 4th, 2025.

Assessment methods

The final exam will consist in an oral discussion at the end of the course. During this discussion the instructor will evaluate the student's ability to identify the central notions of a text, to examine them critically and to argue consistently.

Students who attend the classes have the option to write a paper on a subject agreed with the instructors. The final exam will be in English; however, students who prefer to take it (or to write the paper) in Italian are welcome to do so.

People with disabilities and SLD

People with disabilities or specific learning disorders are entitled to special adaptations in relation to their condition, subject to assessment by the University Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the teacher, but contact the Service for an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine which adaptations are appropriate. More information on page site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti.

 

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Giorgini

See the website of Alina Scudieri