22690 - Teaching of Philosophy (1)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide general and at the same time in-depth knowledge of the main teaching methods used in the philosophical field. The analysis of themes and specific contributions relevant to the history of modern and contemporary philosophical thought is aimed at fostering the development of semiotic skills as well as the expansion of the student's expressive and cognitive potential. Furthermore, the lessons will investigate topics such as the role of the teacher of the discipline, the didactic programming activity and the possibilities of using technology for the teaching of philosophy.

Course contents

Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise and the Philosophies of the 20th Century

 

The course is divided into three parts:

1. Monographic course

2. Seminars

3. Institutional Course

shorturl.at/jENRZ

1. MONOGRAPHIC COURSE

The monographic course is divided into two parts. The first (9 lectures) will investigate the use of sacred history in Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise, which delves into the instances of the modern conceptual revolution: the crisis of the relationship between God and the created world, the redefinition of the status of divine law versus natural law and of theology versus philosophy. Spinoza advances a method of investigating sacred texts that responds to the crisis in European religious consciousness, triggered by the Reformation and Counter-Reformation processes, and deeply affects the birth of the modern conception of historical development.

The second part of the course (2 lectures) will reconstruct some of the ways in which the Theological-Political Treatisehas been confronted, translated or conflicted in the course of the 20th century in the various fields of philosophy, theology and politics.

 

2. SEMINARS

Students are invited to prepare a short lesson, discussed in class, on the topics of the course, which will contribute to the final evaluation. Active participation in the seminar (4 lectures) is required to pass the final examination. Students will be asked for a short presentation lasting 10-12 min on a topic chosen in agreement with the teacher.

The presentation will focus on a choice of one of the chapters from the volume: Temi e Figure del Tractatus Theologico-politicus nella filosofia del Novecento, edited by P. Totaro, G. Licata, Roma Sue, 2022.

 

3. INSTITUTIONAL PART

The course aims to reconstruct different approaches to the history of modern philosophy in the light of didactic models and methods of philosophical teaching.

 

Readings/Bibliography

I. MONOGRAPHIC PART

The following texts will be read:

1. Spinoza, Trattato teologico-politico (1677), capp. 1-2; 4-7; 15.

Trattato teologico-politico, in Opere, a cura di F. Mignini, O. Proietti, Milano, Mondadori, 2007, pp. 427-569; 649-659

2. Temi e Figure del Tractatus Theologico-politicus nella filosofia del Novecento, a cura di P. Totaro, G. Licata, Roma Sue, 2022.

 

STUDIES (1 text of your choice)

L. Strauss Come studiare il Trattato teologico-politico di Spinoza, in Scrittura e persecuzione (1952), trad. it. di G. Ferrara, F. Profili, Marsilio, Venezia, 1990, pp. 137-197

D. Donna, Norma, segno, autorità. Filosofia, teologia e politica in Spinoza, BUP, Bologna, 2018

P.-F. Moreau P.-F., Spinoza. La ragione pensante (1975), trad. it. di A.A. Cantucci, Editori Riuniti, Roma, 1998

T. Verbeek, Spinoza’s Theologico-political Treatise: exploring ‘the will of God’, Burlington, Ashgate, 2002

D. Collacciani, B. Gramusset-Piquois, F. Toto (a cura di), Lectures du Traité théologico-politique: Philosophie, religion, pouvoir, Paris, L'Harmattan, 2021 (three chapters of the student's choice)

M. Laerke, Spinoza and the Freedom of Philosophizing, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2021.

 

II. SEMINARS

Seminar times and materials will be communicated during the lectures. Materials relating to lectures by students will be agreed with the lecturer.

 

III. INSTITUTIONAL PART

Knowledge of one of the following History of Didactics is required:

G. Piaia, Il lavoro storico-filosofico. Questioni di metodo ed esiti didattici, Padova, Cluep, 2001

L. Illetterati, a cura di, Insegnare filosofia. Modelli di pensiero e pratiche didattiche, Torino, Utet, 2007

G. Semerari, a cura di, Pensiero e narrazioni, Bari, Dedalo, 1995

M. De Pasquale, a cura di, Filosofia per tutti. La filosofia per la scuola e la società del 2000, Milano, Franco Angeli, 1998.

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures and reading of texts in the classroom, together with discussion of the most important topics and direct participation of the students.

Assessment methods

The attendance of the entire course corresponds to 6 credits.
The student will present the following programme:

1. Monographic course

2. Seminars

3. Institutional course

 

For attending students: oral exam + presentation;

For non-attending students: oral exam + essay (3000 words excluding bibliography; the topic needs to be agreed by the professor).

The oral examination takes place in the teacher's studio and tends to verify:

1. the historical-philosophical knowledge acquired through attendance at the lessons, the study of the basic texts and the relative bibliography;

2. the degree of understanding and critical reworking of the proposed content;

3. expressive skills and the ability to orient oneself among the main lines of interpretation.


Verification criteria

30 cum laude. Excellent, for solidity of knowledge and critical processing skills

30: excellent. Adequate knowledge and expressive richness

27-29: good. Satisfactory knowledge, correct expression

24-26: discrete. Non-exhaustive and partially correct knowledge

21-23: sufficient. General knowledge, confused expression

18-21: barely sufficient. Poor articulation and relevant theoretical gaps

<18: insufficient. Missing or incomplete knowledge, lack of guidance in the argument.

 

The registration for the exam is online on the ALMAESAMI website

Teaching tools

A collection of texts aimed at articulating the theme of the forms of elaboration and transmission of philosophy in the modern age will be made available.

Office hours

See the website of Diego Donna