10063 - Moral Philosophy A

Learning outcomes

Students are expected to acquire knowledge of the main issues of moral philosophy and their relationship with metaphysics and politics.

Course contents

Title: Adventures in equality

The course aims to highlight the epochal variations (ancient world, Middle Ages, modernity) of the ethical approach to the problem of equality.

Period: II semester.

Place: until 31 March (plus possible extensions of the emergency-COVID period) lessons are held in "remote" mode.

Dates and times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 3pm-5pm.
Starting dates: 31 January 2022.

The lessons are divided into three main blocks, corresponding to the great epochal partitions mentioned above, with particular attention to the figures of Plato and Aristotle, for the first, Paul of Tarsus, Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas for the second, Hobbes, Rousseau and Marx for the third.

About eight lessons dedicated to each group. Another three or four lessons will be dedicated to some specific in-depth studies, suggested by the teacher and addressed - on the basis of voluntary choices - by the students.

Readings/Bibliography

A. R. Caporali, Uguaglianza, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012.

 

B. One author of your choice for each of the following two groups (with related interpretative text):

First group:

1) - Platone, Repubblica, trad. it. di F. Sartori, Introduzione di M. Vegetti, Note di B. Centrone, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1997 (or following reprints).

- M. Vegetti, Guida alla lettura della «Repubblica» di Platone, RomaBari, Laterza, 1999 (or following reprints).

 

2) - Aristotele, Politica (any edition).

- G. Bien, La filosofia politica di Aristotele, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2000/2;or:  G. Reale, Introduzione ad Aristotele, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2008.

 

3) - Paolo di Tarso, Lettere, a cura di G. Barbaglio, Milano, Rizzoli, 1997: Iª Corinti; Galati; Romani; Filemone; Efesini; Iª Timoteo; Tito.

- S. Breton, San Paolo. Un ritratto filosofico, Brescia, Morcelliana, 1990.

 

Second group:

1) - T. Hobbes, Leviatano (any edition).

- M. Reale, La difficile uguaglianza. Hobbes e gli animali politici: passione, morale, società, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1991; or: N. Bobbio, T. Hobbes, Torino, Einaudi, 1989 (or subsequent reprints).

 

2) - J.-J. Rousseau: - Discorso sull'origine e i fondamenti della disuguaglianza;

- Del contratto sociale

(any edition).

- J. Starobinski, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. La trasparenza e l'ostacolo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1982; or: G.M. Chiodi, R. Gatti (a cura di), La filosofia politica di Rousseau, Milano, Franco Angeli, 2012.

 

3) - K. Marx: - Questione ebraica, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1996 (or following reprints).

- K. Marx _ F. Engels, L'ideologia tedesca. I. Feuerbach, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1967 ((or following reprints).

- C. Galli, Marx eretico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2018.

 

1. Students who are not attending are also recommended to read to read the following essays:

- entry "Uguaglianza" in the Dizionario di Politica, edited by N. Bobbio, N. Matteucci, G. Pasquino, Torino, Utet, 1983.

- entry "Uguaglianza" in the Enciclopedia del pensiero politico, edite by R. Esposito and C. Galli, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2005.

 

2. Attending students may agree on partial variants to this program, provided that it relates to the topics covered in the lesson.

Teaching methods

The lessons include both direct and commented reading of texts and the synthetic reconstruction of problems and paths. Particular attention will be given to interacting with students (discussions, short reports, etc.).

Assessment methods

1. Final interview, possibly (for those attending only) also starting from a text or a track prepared by the student in agreement with the teacher.
In a preliminary stage, an adequate preparation on the text Uguaglianza, a general introduction to the course, must be demonstrated; then we will move on to the two authors chosen by the candidate.
During the interview the student will have to demonstrate an excellent knowledge of the readings and, with the aid of secondary literature, good ability to set up historical reconstructions, relationships and comparisons between the authors and the topics dealt with: only this second ability allows to acquire excellent results.

2. During the course, some partial tests will be provided, at the end of the discussion of an author or of a particular topic. These tests are optional and exclusively reserved for students attending, and will be conducted in writing, articulated for both open and closed answers. Passing the test replaces (in part) the final interview.

Teaching tools

Scheduled texts, any slides used during the lessons.

Office hours

See the website of Riccardo Caporali