00961 - History of Philosophy

Learning outcomes

The course intends to provide basic knowledge within the field of the history of modern philosophy, through the analysis of significant traditions, moments and figures in the historical and philosophical contexts between XVIIth and XIXth centuries.

Course contents

To the concrete. Idealism and Phenomenology in 20th-century French Philosophy (1929-1940's)

The aim of this course is to introduce students to some central questions of modern and contemporary philosophy through the study of Hegel’s classic text The Phenomenology of Spirit. Lectures shall first give a brief historical account, according to most recent scholarship on the subject, of the significance of Hegel’s Phenomenology in modern and contemporary philosophy.

In the first part of the course, lectures will focus on some extracts from Hegel’s The Phenomenology of Spirit. In the second part, we will investigate the French reception of Hegel’s Phenomenology in Jean Wahl, Alexandre Kojève, Jean Hyppolite.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Compulsory readings:

• G.F.W. Hegel, Fenomenologia dello spirito (qualsiasi edizione, limitatamente alle seguenti parti: “Prefazione”, “Introduzione”, “Autocoscienza”).

2. Students are required to choose 1 text from each group:

• Group A:
  • M. Heidegger, Il concetto hegeliano dell’esperienza, in Sentieri interrotti, ed. it. a cura di P. Chiodi, Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 1997, pp. 103-190 (o qualsiasi altra edizione del medesimo saggio, purché integrale).
  • G. Lukács, Il giovane Hegel e i problemi della società capitalistica, Torino, Einaudi, 1960, pp. 646-743.
• Group B:
  • F. Chiereghin, La “Fenomenologia dello spirito” di Hegel. Introduzione alla lettura, Roma, Carocci, 2000 (o edizioni successive).
  • S. Landucci, Hegel: la coscienza e la storia. Approssimazione alla “Fenomenologia dello spirito”, Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 1976.
  • F. Valentini, Introduzione alla “Fenomenologia dello spirito” di Hegel, Napoli, La scuola di Pitagora, 2011.
  • O. Pöggeler, L’idea di una fenomenologia dello spirito, Napoli, Guida, 1986.
  • P. Vincieri, Figura storico-fenomenologica e mistificazione idealistica, Rieti, Il Velino, 1978.
  • A. Burgio, Strutture e catastrofi. Kant, Hegel, Marx, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2000.
  • C. Cesa (a cura di), Guida a Hegel, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2004.
  • V. Verra, Introduzione a Hegel, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2000.
  • L. Illetterati (a cura di), Hegel, Roma, Carocci, 2010.

3. Students are required to choose 1 text from the following:

• J. Wahl, La coscienza infelice nella filosofia di Hegel, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1994, , pp. 1-136 (o qualsiasi altra edizione purché includa per intero la parte prima, intitolata "Sui procedimenti del pensiero di Hegel", e la parte seconda, intitolata "Il posto dell'idea di coscienza infelice nella formazione delle teorie di Hegel").
• A. Kojève, Introduzione alla lettura di Hegel, Milano, Adelphi, 1993, pp. 656-717.
• J. Hyppolite, Saggi su Marx e Hegel, Milano, Bompiani, 1963 (o qualsiasi altra edizione successiva, purché includa integralmente la parte prima, intitolata "Vita ed esistenza in Hegel", e la parte seconda "La storia in Hegel").

4. For the oral exam, students are required to study the fundamental authors and themes of the Modern History of Philosophy from the 17th to the 19th century (a list will be available online).

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures

Assessment methods

The final exam will be an oral one, with questions aimed to verify the student's knowledge of the themes discussing during frontal lectures (only for attending students) as well as those treated in the program's texts.

Non-attending students will have to take an oral final exam about the themes treated in the program's texts.

The assessment will concentrate particularly on the skill displayed by the student in handling the sources and material in the exam bibliography and his ability to find and use information and examples to illustrate and correlate the various themes and problems addressed in the course.

The assessment will thus examine the student's:

• factual knowledge of the subject;
• ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
• familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.

Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

Teaching tools

A selection of philosophical sources will be used and discussed. Some topics will be presented by slides.

Office hours

See the website of Roberto Formisano