00983 - History of Political Doctrines

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students: - know the fundamental features of the modern and contemporary History of Political Thought, - know the main forms of political communication and understand the complex relationships between ideas and facts, - know the most important political doctrines and are able to critically analyze them in connection with the relevant cultural, institutional, historical and social context,- is able to understand the most important political and institutional changes in Western history.

Course contents

Module's title:

Marxismo e modernità: Bloch e l’“anticipazione cosciente”, Althusser e la “corrente sotterranea”, Negri e il “potere costituente”, Federici e la "caccia alle streghe".

In this module we will investigate the theoretical role and political status that some early modern authors and currents of thought (from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment) played within Marxist thought. We will focus extensively, but not exclusively, on the work of some contemporary Marxist authors: Ernst Bloch, Louis Althusser, Antonio Negri, and Silvia Federici. Other Marxist authors will specifically be addressed through interventions by external guests according to a schedule that will be finalised at the beginning of the course. Dr Luigi Emilio Pischedda will also hold a seminar on Antonio Banfi's Spinozism and a series of lectures on the module's handbook.

NB: For non-attending students, it will be possible to agree on a partially or completely alternative examination programme by contacting the lecturer well in advance.

The lectures will be devoted to the analysis of the primary and secondary literature covered in the course, the relationship of the authors addressed to the philosophical context and historical issues of their time, and the comparison of their philosophical systems.

Readings/Bibliography

Handbook:

· Galli, C.. a cura di (2011). Manuale di Storia del pensiero politico. Bologna: Il Mulino [Students are required to prepare three parts of his or her choice, provided they are consecutive, from the five parts of the textbook].

The following classic works can also be consulted for further study of individual themes and authors:

· Geymonat, L. a cura di (1970). Storia del pensiero filosofico e scientifico. Milano: Garzanti.

· Firpo, L. a cura di (1972). Storia delle idee politiche, economiche e sociali. Torino: UTET.

Monographic part:

On Bloch:

Bloch, E. (2018). Avicenna e la sinistra aristotelica. Milano: Mimesis.

plus one volume from the following list:

Bloch, E. (1977). Ateismo nel cristianesimo. Milano: Feltrinelli.

Bloch, E. (1991). La filosofia del Rinascimento. Bologna: Il Mulino.

Bloch, E. (2005). Diritto naturale e dignità umana, trad. di Giovanni Russo, Torino: Giappichelli.

Bloch, E. (1985). Baruch de Spinoza, in Neuzeitliche Philosophie I: von Descartes bis Rousseau. Leipziger Vorlesungen zur Geschichte der Philosophie. III. Frankfurt a. M.: Suhrkamp [Disponibile anche in traduzione francese]. 

Bloch, E. (1994). Il principio speranza. Milano: Garzanti, vol. II.

Bloch, E. (2010). Thomas Müntzer teologo della rivoluzione. Milano: Feltrinelli.

On Althusser:

Althusser, L. (2006). Sul materialismo aleatorio. A cura di V. Morfino e L. PInzolo. Milano: Mimesis.

plus one volume from the following list:

Althusser, L. (1995). Montesquieu. La politica e la storia. A cura di A. Burgio. Roma: Manifestolibri.

Althusser, L. (1996). Sulla filosofia. Introduzione e cura di A. Pardi. Milano: Mimesis.

Althusser, L. (1999). Machiavelli e noi. Prefazione di F. Matheron. Roma: Manifestolibri.

Althusser, L. (2018). La contingenza dell'inizio. Scritti sul materialismo di Rousseau. A cura di S. Pippa. Udine: Mimesis.

Althusser, L. (2003). L'impensato di J.J. Rousseau. A cura di V. Morfino. Milano: Mimesis.

On Negri:

Negri, A. (1992). Il potere costituente. Saggio sulle alternative del moderno. Varese: Sugarco.

plus one volume from the following list:

Negri, A. (2023). Spinoza. Bologna: Deriveapprodi.

Negri, A. (1970). Descartes politico o della ragionevole ideologia. Milano: Feltrinelli.

On Federici:

Federici, S. (2020). Calibano e la strega. Le donne, il corpo e l'accumulazione originaria. Introduzione di F. Giardini e A. Curcio. Milano: Mimesis.

Federici, S. (2022). Caccia alle streghe e capitale. Roma: Deriveapprodi.

· For non-attending students:

Petrucciani, S. a cura di (2015). Storia del marxismo. Roma: Carocci, voll. I e II.

NB: it is possible to replace the entire monographic part of the examination with a written essay, the topic and bibliography of which must be agreed with the lecturer. The essay must be between 25,000 and 30,000 characters long (including spaces and notes, excluding bibliography) and must be submitted, except for agreed exceptions, at least two weeks before the exam date. Papers should be sent by email, in .pdf format, to the lecturer's email address.

Teaching methods

Lectures with power-point projection; text reading and discussion.

The course will be held in Italian.

Lectures will be exclusively face-to-face and will not be recorded.

Assessment methods

Attending students will have the opportunity, if they so wish, to take the institutional part of the examination (i.e. the handbook) in advance of the first call, between the 3rd and 4th periods, in an intermediate examination, the date and methods of which will be communicated in class.

The oral examination will consist of a test of specific historical-philosophical knowledge and of the level of assimilation and critical-conceptual elaboration of the course contents. (See below: "Evaluation sheet").

30 cum laude: excellent exam, both in knowledge and in critical and expressive articulation.

30: excellent exam, complete knowledge, well articulated and correctly expressed, with some critical insights.

27-29: good exam, comprehensive and satisfactory knowledge, substantially correct expression.

24-26: fair exam, knowledge present in substantial points, but not exhaustive and not always articulated correctly.

21-23: sufficient exam, knowledge present at times superficially, but the general thread is understood. Expression and articulation often not appropriate.

18-21: just sufficient exam, knowledge present but superficial, the main theme is not consistently understood. Expression and articulation of discourse also have significant gaps.

<18: insufficient exam, knowledge absent or very deficient, lack of orientation in the discipline, poor expression. Examination failed.

Persons with disabilities and DSA

Persons with disabilities or specific learning disorders are entitled to special adaptations in relation to their condition, subject to assessment by the University Service for Students with Disabilities and DSA. Please do not contact the teacher, but contact the Service for an appointment. The Service will determine what adjustments are appropriate. Further information can be found at site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabililita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti.

Teaching tools

PC-connected projector and text visualiser.

Office hours

See the website of Filippo Del Lucchese