B8860 - Philosophy of Social Sciences (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course aims at providing a deep knowledge of the major issues tackled in the contemporary epistemological debate on the social sciences. Core methodological and conceptual aspects of history, archaeology, anthropology, economics, psychology and - partly - medicine are addressed. Students will get familiar with relevant debates in contemporary philosophy of the social sciences, and shall be able to analyse and discuss key topics on the construction of scientific knowledge in such disciplines.

Course contents

The course will discuss key issues surrounding theoretical and methodological aspects of the social sciences, with a specific focus on psychology and psychotherapy to be intended both as sciences and practices. These questions include: Are there any foundational principles to which different strands of psychology subscribe? How does psychotherapy accomplish its goals? What are its fundamental laws, principles, or mechanisms? How do these principles differ among different schools of psychotherapy?

The first week of the course will provide an introduction to some key philosophical problems connected with the assumptions, measurements, tools and practices of psychology as a social science. Starting with Week #2, we will move on to the discussion of a more specific set of questions surrounding psychoanalysis, including reflections on its scientific import and goals. Weeks #3 and #4 will be devoted to the in-depth exploration of one key debate within psychoanalysis, namely the nature of libido as a form of energy as discussed by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. We will first set out to understand how Freud’s and Jung’s accounts of libido developed over time and how they differ from a theoretical and methodological viewpoint. Part of this discussion will be conducted with the support of clinical case studies from both authors. The final part of the course will be devoted to the discussion of selected parts of the correspondence between Freud and Jung on these issues. This section of the course will involve a structured role-playing activity aimed at deepening understanding of the respective theoretical positions as well as at strengthening argumentative skills and rigor.

The final syllabus, including the complete list of readings and assignments, will be provided on the first day of class and then uploaded to Virtuale.

Readings/Bibliography

Below you can find some of the core readings we will discuss during the class, and additional recommendations will be provided during the course. All the readings and relevant chapters will be made available on Virtuale.

Readings

• Risjord,M. (2014). Philosophy of Social Science. A Contemporary Introduction. Routledge. (selected chapters)
• Cartwright, N. & Montuschi, E. (2015). Philosophy of Social Science: A New Introduction. Oxford University Press. (selected chapters)
• Kitcher, P. (1992). Freud's Dream: A Complete Interdisciplinary Science of Mind. MIT Press (selected chapters)
• Freud, S. (1915). Instincts and their vicissitudes.
• Freud, S. (1917). Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis.
• Freud, S. (1920). Beyond the Pleasure Principle.
• Freud. S, (1923). The Ego and the Id.
• Freud, S. (1939). An Outline of Psychoanalysis.
• Jung, C. G. (1915). The theory of psychoanalysis (selected chapters)
• Jung, C. G. (1916). Psychology of the unconscious: A study of the transformations and symbolisms of the libido: A contribution to the history of the evolution of thought (selected chapters).
• Jung, C. G. (1928). On psychic energy.
• McGuire, W., Manheim, R. & Hull, R. F. (1974) The Freud/Jung Letters: The Correspondence Between Sigmund Freud and C. G. Jung. The Freud/Jung Letters: The Correspondence Between Sigmund Freud and C. G. Jung. (excerpts).

Teaching methods

I am committed to making this class an interactive, fruitful, and effective learning experience. This a discussion-based class, where more traditional – but still interactive – lectures will be complemented by debates, exchange of ideas, class presentations, and a wide range of in-class and take-home activities. Special attention will be devoted to the development of core philosophical skills such as reading, writing, and debating through the discussion of the class topics. More details on class format will be introduced during the first day of class, part of which will be devoted to the illustration of the teaching methodology.

Assessment methods

The final grade will result from various components, including:

a) Participation in the in-class activities (20%): You will be required to complete a variety of weekly activities based on the readings and class discussion. These may include: short writing assignments (max 1 page), the analysis of case studies, the production of original examples, the application of philosophical concepts to everyday life, etc. The main purpose of these assignments will be to keep you engaged with the material throughout the course and allow you to explore philosophical topics in multiple ways. These assignments will be graded individually as pass/fail, but are required and will make up 20% of the final grade.

b) Reading Group presentation (30%). You should get ready to present and comment on one target paper over the course of the class. Each of you will have the chance to express two preferences with respect to the target paper and we will put together a calendar by the end of Week #1 so that everyone will have an assigned text. Presentations will take the form of a handout that should be uploaded to the dedicated folder on Virtuale the night before the target class. The handout should include a brief summary of the main argument, a short discussion of 2-3 points of the text that you find interesting or relevant, and some further questions that will fuel class discussion for that day. We will devote some time to learning how to put together a handout during Week #1. Exact presentation and discussion times will be established based on the class size, but this will not work as a regular presentation: rather, people who have been assigned a target text will be responsible for briefly introducing and then leading the discussion for that day, similarly to what happens in graduate seminars.

c) Final paper project (50%): You will be required to write a 3,500 word paper (about 6 pages) based on one or more topics discussed in class. Throughout the class, you will familiarize yourself with specific exercises on how to approach philosophical texts and how to respond to them. During the last class session (AKA Final Workshop) we will discuss your plans for the final paper, so that we can devote some time to strengthening the outline of your argument.

The assessment method may be subject to change depending on class size; some adjustments should be expected after the start of the course.

This course allows for a limited, declared, and non-substantial use of AI aimed at supporting learning activities (e.g., language editing and proofreading), but it forbids any substantial AI use to complete parts of the exam or take-home activities.

Students who are not participating in the class are encouraged to get in touch with the instructor to talk about alternative ways of assessing preparation. You can set up an appointment on my webpage.

Excellent grades (28-30, A equivalent) will be assigned to students who demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the material discussed in class, critical thinking and analytical skills, and the ability to express concepts clearly and convincingly. Average to good grades (23-27, B equivalent) will be assigned to students who exhibit good understanding of the material but fall short of conceptual elaboration and/or connections among the topics discussed throughout the course – e.g., they present the material piecemeal but fail to see how it hangs together. Students who exhibit superficial knowledge, gaps in preparation, poor critical and analytical skills will receive average to low grades (18-22, C equivalent). Severe gaps in one or more of the areas listed above can result in a failing grade (below 18, D or F equivalent).

Exam sessions
During the 2026/2027 academic year, exam sessions will be scheduled in the following months: June, July, September, October, January, March.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the University Service for Students with Disabilities. Please do not contact the instructor, but get in touch with the University Service directly to determine the appropriate adjustments. The Service will then determine what adjustments are 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 .

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

Teaching tools

I will avail myself of a wide range of tools to support teaching and facilitate participation while acknowledging a variety of learning styles. Besides Power point and Prezi, I will use paper handouts as well as software such as Slido, Kahoot, and Wooclap.

Office hours

See the website of Valentina Petrolini