93496 - Politics and Ideology of Culture (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course reconstructs the political significance of certain ideological-cultural constellations that have established themselves globally in modern and contemporary times. They are investigated both as discursive effects and as a product of the tension between the material constitution of society and its political representation, highlighting their role in the reproduction of society. At the end of the course the student: mastered the methodologies of the history of political and social concepts and constitutional history knows in depth the political meaning of ideological-cultural constellations; knows how to analyze the political effects of ideological discourse; knows how to apply the acquired knowledge to the processes of reproduction of society; is able to analyze political action in relation to the ideologies and culture that legitimize it.

Course contents

This year the course aims to reconstruct the existence of a conservative tradition within political modernity. By investigating the political semantics of conservation and tradition, continuity and variation, it is intended to show how the conservative tradition is a constant presence within a historical time that is self-representing through progress, rationalization and revolution. The policies of tradition - such as ordoliberalism, US neoconservatism and neoliberalism - are not limited to opposing changes in the social order, or avoiding its radical transformation, but are proposed as a specific way of governing the social order and its variations.

The main themes of the meetings will be:

1. Introduction. Ideologies of political time: tradition, conservation and variation
2. Past and future as political problems. Progress, revolution and conservative continuity
3. Patriarchy as modern tradition
4. Semantics of the Present. François Hartog and Presentism
5. Edmund Burke and the birth of modern conservatism
6. Revolution and Reaction
7. Friedrich Nietzsche: History, Genealogy and Heroes
8. The Conservative Revolution
9. Karl Mannheim and the concept of conservatism
10. Hannah Arendt: tradition and the modern age
11. Ordoliberalism and the Politics of Tradition
12. Neoliberalism and the Restoration of the Social
13. Thatcherism as Ideology
14. U.S. Neoconservatism and the Polics of Freedom
15. Social Tradition and Political Order

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography on some key topics of the course:

1. Historical Times

R. Koselleck, «Spazio di esperienza» e «orizzonti di aspettativa»: due categorie storiche, in Futuro passato. Per una semantica dei tempi storici, Bologna, CLUEB, 2007, pp. 300-322.

H. Rosa, Accelerazione e alienazione. Per una teoria critica del tempo nella tarda modernità, Torino, Einaudi, 2015;

F. Hartog, Regimi di storicità. Presentismo e esperienze del tempo, Palermo, Sellerio, 2007.

2. Patriarchy

Paola Rudan, Donna. Storia e critica di un concetto polemico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2020;

Carole Pateman, Il contratto sessuale. I fondamenti nascosti della società moderna, Bergamo, Moretti & Vitali, 2015.

3. Action, Conservation, Reaction 

E. Burke, Riflessioni sulla Rivoluzione francese, Roma, Ideazione, 1999;

J. Starobinski, Azione e reazione. Vita e avventure di una coppia, Torino, Einaudi, 2001

4. Karl Marx: Anachronism and Revolution 

 K. Marx, ll 18 brumaio di Luigi Bonaparte, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2015 (Or any other unabridged edition).

M. Ricciardi, Il potere temporaneo. Karl Marx e la politica come critica della società, Milano, Meltemi, 2019.

4. Nietzsche: History, Genealogy, Will to Power

F. Nietzsche, Sull’utilità e il danno della storia per la vita, in Id., Considerazioni inattuali, Torino, Einaudi, 1981, pp.79-161.

F. Nietzsche, Genealogia della morale, Milano, Mondadori, 1975, (prima e seconda dissertazione, pp. 13-79.

M. Foucault, Nietzsche la genealogia e la storia, in M. Foucault, Microfisica del potere. Interventi politici, Torino, Einaudi, 1977, pp. 29-54.

5. Conservatism in Germany:

Karl Mannheim, Conservatorismo. nascita e sviluppo del pensiero conservatore, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1989;

Stefan Breuer, La rivoluzione conservatrice. Il pensiero di destra nella Germania di Weimar, Roma, Donzelli, 1995.

6. Hannah Arendt between Tradition and Revolution

H. Arendt, Tra passato e futuro, Milano, Garzanti, 1991, pp. 25-129;

H. Arendt, Sulla rivoluzione, Torino Einaudi, 2009.

7. Neoliberalism and Conservatism

M. Ricciardi, Tempo, ordine, potere. Su alcuni presupposti concettuali del programma neoliberale, in «Scienza e politica. Per una storia delle dottrine», 57, 2017, pp. 11-30, avaible at: https://scienzaepolitica.unibo.it/article/view/7551/7257;

M. Ricciardi, Costituzionalismo e crisi. Sulle trasformazioni di un paradigma politico dell’ordine, in «Giornale di storia costituzionale», 32/II, 2016, pp. 101-118.

G. Moini, Neoliberalismo, Milano, Mondadori, 2020.

8. Thatcherism

Stuart Hall, Il rospo nel giardino: l’irruzione del thatcherismo nella teoria, in Id., Il soggetto e la differenza. Per un’archeologia degli studi culturali e postcoloniali, Roma, Meltemi, 2006, pp. 143-183;

Eva Garau, Margareth Thatcher: la formazione e l'ascesa, Roma, Carrocci, 2020.

9. Meritocracy

S. Cingari, La meritocrazia, Roma, Ediesse, 2020;

R. Brigati, Il giusto a chi va. Filosofia del merito e della meritocrazia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2015.

10. Racism

P.-A., Taguieff, Il razzismo: pregiudizi, teorie, comportamenti, Milano, R. Cortina, 1999.

Hooks Bell, Elogio del margine, Napoli, Tamu, 2020

10. US Neoconservatism

The whole monograph section: Il neoconservatorismo americano: ascesa e declino di un’idea, a cura di Raffaella Baritono in «Scienza & Politica. Per una storia delle dottrine», n. 61, 2019, avaible at: https://scienzaepolitica.unibo.it/issue/view/845;

G. Borgognone, «We the People»? Le idee politiche degli Stati Uniti dalle origini all'Era Trump, Milano, Mondadori, 2020, pp. 224-293.

 

Teaching methods

Unless otherwise indicated, due to the restrictions imposed by the current health emergency, teaching will be carried out in a didactic manner:

Traditional: the teacher will always be present in the classroom designated for teaching, students will alternate in attendance according to a schedule of shifts being defined (more detailed information about the shift and how to access the lesson in attendance will be provided later). It will always be possible to connect remotely and follow live streaming of lessons in the classroom via TEAMS platform, lectures and seminar discussions.

Assessment methods

The exam aims to test the acquired knowledge, with particular attention to the ability to focus on the links between the analyzed concepts.

1) Attending students
Attending students will have to write a paper of at least 2500 words using the texts listed in one of the thematic sections of the bibliography in addition to what was said during the lectures.

2) Non-attending students

Non-attending students will have to write a paper of at least 3500 words using the bibliography listed in one of the thematic sections of the bibliography.

All papers must be delivered at least one week before the institutional exam date.

Office hours

See the website of Maurizio Ricciardi