28113 - History of Political Doctrines (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will acquire the knowledge of the historical and theoretical questions connected to the concept of «political theology». By applying the fundamental tools of the history of political thought, at the end of the course students will be able to critically read the selected authors and to grasp both the specificity of the singular texts and the theoretical framework in which they are placed.

Course contents

Through the interpretation of selected classic authors, the course will examine the notion of «political theology» in relation to the interpretation of sovereignty, as far as its historical genesis and its methodological significance is concerned. The notion of «political theology» will be distinguished from connected notions such as foundationalism, messianism, eschatology, economic theology; furthermore, its implication will be analyzed in relation to the definition of modernity as an epoch, to the debate on secularization and to the relationship between metaphysics and politics.

Readings/Bibliography

The general knowledge of the history of political though is assumed to be an acquisition of the bachelor degree. The students who need to integrate their knowledge have to make use of C. Galli, Manuale di storia del pensiero politico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2011³.

STUDENTS THAT WILL ATTEND CLASS:

During the course the professor will specify which selected passages of the texts in the bibliography need to be taken into consideration. The books that are difficult to find will be made available by the professor.

COMPULSORY TEXTS:

C. Galli, Teologia politica: struttura e critica, in E. Stimilli, a c. di, Teologia politica, Macerata, Quodlibet, 2018, pp. 29-51

M. Scattola, Teologia politica, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007

THE THREE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF TEXTS:

1) Th. Hobbes, Il Leviatano (any italian translation)

H. Kelsen, Dio e Stato, Napoli, ESI, 1988

2) G. W. F. Hegel, Lineamenti diFilosofia del Diritto, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1987; Id., Enciclopedia delle scienze filosofiche, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2002

K. Marx, La questione ebraica, Roma, manifestolibri, 2004

3) F. Nietzsche, L’anticristo, Milano, Adelphi, 1977

C. Schmitt, Teologia politica, in Le categorie del politico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1972

W. Beniamin, Frammento teologico-politico, Per la critica della violenza, in Id., Il concetto di critica nel romanticismo tedesco, Torino, Einaudi, 1982; Id., Sul concetto di storia, Torino, Einaudi, 1997

STUDENTS THAT WILL NOT ATTEND CLASSES:

The same program of the students that will attend classes, with the addition of:

K. Löwith, Da Hegel a Nietzsche, Torino, Einaudi, 2000

The students that will not attend classes are required to confer with the professor during his office hours at least once before the exam.

Teaching methods

Lectures, reading and discussion of texts in class.

Assessment methods

Students will have to pass an oral exam, aimed at testing the student's acquired skills and knowledge, with particular attention on the capacity to bring into focus the theoretical connections in the thought of the analyzed authors.

Office hours

See the website of Carlo Galli