B9215 - History of Political Doctrines (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, the student - through comparison with the texts of the main authors - fully understands the complexity and inner tensions of the categorical apparatus of modern and contemporary political thought (16th-20th centuries). At the end of the course he/she knows in depth the links between the practices of power and the categorical apparatus of political science. He/She possesses a critical knowledge of the specific periodizations and can organize in a coherent manner and with appropriate vocabulary the related narrative practices.

Course contents

For a Political Genealogy of Contemporary Politics: Society, the State, and the Individual from Hobbes to Hayek

The course traces the intellectual genealogy of contemporary political thought, examining the diverse and often conflicting traditions that contributed to the emergence of neoliberal political theory. Beginning with the problems identified by Friedrich August von Hayek, the course examines major figures of early modern political thought, the Scottish Enlightenment, English utilitarianism, and liberalism—including Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, David Hume, Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and Herbert Spencer. Particular attention is devoted to the different ways in which these thinkers conceptualise the relationship between the individual, the State, and the social order, as well as the tensions that challenge and reshape it.

Readings/Bibliography

SECTION A:

— F.A. von Hayek, Legge, legislazione e liberta: una nuova enunciazione dei principi liberali della giustizia e della economia politica, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 1989 [Vol. I, Regole e ordine tutto); Vol. II, cap. 10, L'ordine di mercato o catallassi; Vol. III cap. 12, Principio maggioritario e democrazia contemporanea].

— P. Dardot – Ch. Laval, La nuova ragione del mondo: critica della razionalità neoliberista, Roma, DeriveApprodi, 2013 (introduzione all'edizione italiana, pp. 5-26, available on Virtuale).

— Maurizio, Ricciardi, L’eterna attualità dell’ideologia tra individuo, storia e società, in: Storia d’Europa e del Mediterraneo, XIV: Culture, ideologie, religioni, Roma, Salerno Editore, 2017, pp. 717 - 747 [da p. 735 a p. 747] (available on Virtuale)

— Maurizio Ricciardi, Costituzionalismo e crisi. Sulle trasformazioni di un paradigma politico dell’ordine, «GIORNALE DI STORIA COSTITUZIONALE», 2016, 32, pp. 101 - 118 (available on Virtuale)

SECTION B:

a)

— Th. Hobbes, Leviatano; saggio introduttivo di C. Galli, Milano, Rizzoli, 2013 (Introduction, chapters Introduzione, capitoli V, X, XI, XIII, XIV, XVII, XVIII, XXI, XXVI, XXIX).

b)

J. Locke, Il secondo trattato sul governo, Milano, Rizzoli, 2016 (capitoli II, III, V, VII, VIII, XI, XIX)).

c)

D. Hume, Trattato sulla natura umana, in Opere, Bari, Laterza, 1981, vol. I (Libro III, parte seconda: La giustizia e l'ingiustizia).

d)

— A. Smith, Teoria dei sentimenti morali, Milano, Rizzoli, 2001 (o altre edizioni) (Parte I - tutta; Parte II, Sezione I - cap. I, II, IV, V; Sezione II - cap. I, II, III).

— A. Smith, La ricchezza delle nazioni, Milano, ISEDI, 1973 (Libro I - capp. I-V).

— J. Bentham, Principles of the Civil Code (1780 ss.), in The Works of Jeremy Bentham (1838-1843), 11. voll., ed. by J. Bowring, vol. I, pp. 297-364 (parte I, capp. I, II, VII, VIII; Part III, cap. V + Appendix, Of the Levelling System).

— J. Bentham, Introduzione ai principi della morale e della legislazione, Torino, UTET, 1998 (capp. I, II, III, VI).

f)

H. Spencer, L’uomo contro lo Stato, Macerata, Liberilibri, 2016 (ch. I, II, III, IV).

Teaching methods

Teaching consists of lectures combined with the close reading and critical discussion of selected texts. Each class introduces a major theme or author through the historical contextualisation and critical analysis of key texts. Students are encouraged to participate actively by asking questions and contributing to class discussion.

Assessment methods

Students enrolled in this module as part of the Integrated Course (IC) in History and Political Theory must complete the examinations for both components of the Integrated Course within the same examination session. The final mark will be the arithmetic mean of the marks obtained in the two components.

Students who attend at least 75% of the classes are considered attending students. Students who attend less than 75% of the classes are considered non-attending students.

The course assumes prior knowledge of the history of political thought at undergraduate level. Students wishing to consolidate or supplement their background knowledge may refer to C. Galli (ed.), Manuale di storia del pensiero politico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2013.

Attending students

Attending students are required to study all the texts listed in Section A of the bibliography and one text or group of texts selected from Section B. Different editions of the texts listed in the bibliography may also be used.

Attending students are required to submit a final paper (5,000–7,000 words, including footnotes and bibliography) based on the texts listed in Section A and the selected text(s) from Section B. All assigned texts must be discussed and cited in the paper.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

A limited, declared, and non-substantive use of artificial intelligence is permitted for support activities such as summarising or rephrasing. The substantive use of AI to produce any part of the assessed work is not permitted. Accordingly, papers must go beyond merely summarising the assigned readings. They are expected to include properly referenced quotations (with page numbers), close textual analysis, and a clear, well-developed argument.

The paper must be submitted by email to the instructor at least one week before the examination date. No oral discussion of the paper is required. Students will receive both their mark and written feedback by email before the examination date.

The cover page must include the student's name, student ID number, studio.unibo.it email address, the date of the examination session, and, where applicable, an indication that the student is enrolled in the Integrated Course.

Any recognised academic referencing style may be used, provided that it is applied consistently throughout the paper.

Non-attending students

Non-attending students are required to study all the texts listed in Section A and to choose two texts or groups of texts from Section B. Law, Legislation and Liberty must be read in its entirety.

Non-attending students are required to take an oral examination.

Assessment criteria

In all cases, assessment is designed to evaluate the knowledge and skills acquired during the course, with particular attention to the student's ability to identify and discuss the theoretical and conceptual relationships that characterise the thought of the authors studied.

Particular emphasis will be placed on the student's ability to engage critically with the primary sources and the examination bibliography, to identify relevant information, and to use it to explain and establish connections between the themes and problems addressed in the course.

The assessment will evaluate:

• knowledge and understanding of the subject;

• the ability to summarise and critically analyse themes and concepts;

• the ability to communicate clearly and effectively using appropriate disciplinary terminology.

Excellent marks will be awarded to students who demonstrate a comprehensive and coherent understanding of the topics covered in the course, the ability to engage with them critically, and a confident and accurate command of appropriate academic language and disciplinary terminology.

Good marks will be awarded to students who demonstrate a sound knowledge of the subject, together with satisfactory analytical skills and the ability to synthesise complex arguments, although their use of disciplinary terminology may not always be fully accurate or appropriate.

A pass mark will be awarded to students who demonstrate a basic but sufficient knowledge of the examination material, together with limited analytical skills and occasional inaccuracies in language or terminology.

A failing mark will be awarded where there are substantial gaps in knowledge, inappropriate or inaccurate use of disciplinary language, or an inability to engage effectively with the primary sources and the examination bibliography.

Examination sessions

Examination sessions are scheduled in the following months of the academic year (one session per month): January, February, March, May, June, July, September, October, and November.

All examination sessions are open to all students.

Teaching tools

Power Point (uploaded on Virtuale)

 

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 Paola Rudan