- Docente: Francesca Sofia
- Credits: 6
- SSD: HIST-02/A
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: In-person learning (entirely or partially)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in History (cod. 0962)
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from Sep 15, 2026 to Oct 22, 2026
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course the student will show an understanding of the different souls that have coexisted within the Enlightenment; he or she will identify the institutional and political consequences that the Enlightenment has produced; he or she will acquire familiarity with the different historiographical seasons that have faced its study and know how to contextualize them in their specific cultural policies. The student will be able to give narrative form to the results of his/her own research, using the technical language of the discipline appropriately. By the end of the course the student will able to critically analyze the subversive implications of the age of Enlightenment; he or she knows how to comment and use in an appropriate way, in solving problems of historical research, the sources that concern it. He or she can organize complex information in a coherent way; he or she can use the different philosophical categories that refer to the Enlightenment appropriately and knowingly.
Course contents
The course aims to explore the various aspects that uniquely characterize the so-called “Age of Enlightenment.” In particular, we will analyze the various disciplines that emerged during that period (psychology, linguistics, philology, anthropology, statistics, and the history of religions), which represented a significant shift in Western thought. We will then examine the reflections on power and the various approaches that were intended to lay the groundwork for a human existence that was freer and more aware of its own capabilities. Finally, we will highlight the perspective that European philosophes adopted toward others and explore the new forms of social interaction that brought about an innovative shift in the expression of “public opinion.”
Readings/Bibliography
Essential Bibliography:
V. Ferrone, D. Roche (a cura di), L'illuminismo. Dizionario storico, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1997
G. Paganini, E. Tortarolo, L'Illuminismo: un vademecum, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2008
V. Ferrone, Il mondo dell'illuminismo. Storia di una rivoluzione culturale, Torino, Einadi, 2019
E. Tortarolo, L'Illuminismo. Ragioni e dubbi della modernità, Roma, Carocci,2020
Main Sources:
Voltaire, Trattato sulla tolleranza, a cura di D. Felice, Torino, Einaudi 2022
Voltaire, Saggio sui costumi e sullo spirito delle nazioni, a cura di D. Felice, Torino, Einaudi, 2017
Enciclopedia, o Dizionario ragionato delle scienze, delle arti e dei mestieri ordinato da Diderot e d'Alembert, a cura di P. Casini, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2019
Montesquieu, Lettere persiane, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2019
G. T. Raynal, Storia delle due Indie, a cura di A. Pandolfi, Milano, Rizzoli, 2010
J.-J. Rousseau, Scritti politici, vol. I, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2009
D. Diderot, Potere politico e libertà di stampa, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2021
Teaching methods
Most of the classes will be devoted to reading and discussing the works of the leading figures of the Enlightenment
Assessment methods
The assessment will concentrate particularly on the skill displayed by the student in handling the sources and material in the exam bibliography and his ability to find and use information and examples to illustrate and correlate the various themes and problems addressed in the course.
The assessment will thus examine the student's:
- factual knowledge of the subject;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.
Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.
Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarize them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.
A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.
AI can be a useful tool to support independent study by providing in-depth analysis, summaries, and self-assessment exercises. With regard to assessment, the use of AI is prohibited during in-person exams. Any use constitutes a violation of academic integrity.
Exam sessions are scheduled for the following months of the academic year:
September for all students
November for all students
January for all students
March for all students
May for all students
July for all students
Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.
Office hours
See the website of Francesca Sofia