87374 - Principles of Philosophical Anthropology (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will be able to understand the concept of culture and cultural difference; to analyze, also in a critical way, the concept of human nature and to understand its multidisciplinary extension such as to invest anthropology, biology, genetics and the philosophy of culture; to recognize the main currents of the theory of evolution, in particular with regard to human phylogeny; to distinguish the biological, historical and linguistic-cultural coevolution as a characteristic of the human species; finally, to understand human action in its relationship with non-human species and with the environment. On the methodological level, the student distinguishes the main theoretical-methodological approaches in the current debate of the anthropological sciences; he grasps their respective connections with philosophical orientations such as naturalism, social constructionism, ontological pluralism; finally masters essential conceptual tools in anthropological understanding such as the concepts of anthropocentrism, anthropomorphism, ethnocentrism, difference and analogy.

Course contents

The course offers a reflection on modes of human existence and knowledge construction from a non-anthropocentric perspective. The lectures will critically address the issues of human evolution and the relationship between nature/culture and science/society, in light of the "ontological turn," the climate crisis, and the Anthropocene.

Main topics: introduction to philosophical anthropology; the construction of modern knowledge; comparative theories of evolution; the relationship between nature/culture and science/society; the implications of the climate crisis on human existence and forms of knowledge; the "ontological turn" in recent anthropology; Anthropocene and anthropology.

Readings/Bibliography

MANDATORY READINGS:

The following texts are mandatory for study:

1. Ingold, Tim (2018) Anthropology. Why It Matters, Cambridge, Polity.
2. Latour, Bruno (2017) Facing Gaia: eight lectures on the new climate regime, Polity, United Kingdom.
   
3. Choose one text from the following list, which has been divided into thematic groups to facilitate the selection:

Group (1): Anthropology and Theories of Evolution

• Diamond, Jared M (1997) Guns, germs, and steel: the fates of human societies, New York, W.W. Norton & Co.

• Gould, Stephen Jay (1992) The panda’s thumb: more reflections in natural history, New York, Norton.

• Graeber, David and Wengrow, D. (2022) The dawn of everything: a new history of humanity, UK, Penguin Books.

• Quammen, David (2019) The tangled tree: a radical new history of life, New York, NY, Simon & Schuster.

Group (2): The Anthropocene and the Trans-species Anthropology

• Kohn, Eduardo (2013) How forests think: toward an anthropology beyond the human, Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar, Verlag nicht ermittelbar.

• Van Dooren, Thom (2014) Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction, Columbia University Press.

• Tsing, Anna Lowenhaupt (2021) The mushroom at the end of the world: On the possibility of life in capitalist ruins, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press.

Group (3): Beyond the end of the world

• Danowski, Déborah and Castro, Eduardo Batalha Viveiros de (2017) The ends of the world, Cambridge, UK, Polity.

• Servigne, Pablo, Stevens, Raphaël, and Chapelle, Gauthier (2021) Another end of the world is possible: living the collapse (and not merely surviving it) (Trad, G. Samuel), Cambridge, UK, Polity Press.

• Stengers, Isabelle (2015) In catastrophic times: resisting the coming barbarism (Trad. Goffey Andrew),Open Humanities Press.

Group (4): Ontologic Turns in Anthropology

• Latour, Bruno (2018) An Inquiry into Modes of Existence: An Anthropology of the Moderns, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press.

Teaching methods

The course will be conducted through lectures, encouraging discussion and interaction. This can be done through raising hands during the lecture or at the end, as well as through group exercises. After the lecture, interaction will also be possible through the forum active on virtuale.unibo.it.

One session will be dedicated to instructions on essay writing.

There may be guest lecturers invited during the course to speak on specific topics. Additionally, if there are seminars and conferences relevant to our subjects taking place at the department, you will be invited to attend, but it will be optional.

In the last session, I will ask for 3-4 volunteers to present their papers to the class (it doesn't matter if the paper is not polished; the exercise is meant to test the clarity and coherence of the work in preparation for the final draft).

Assessment methods

Given the educational objectives, the assessment aims to evaluate:

• The student's knowledge of the indicated texts.
• The comprehension of the problem of human nature in its complexity.
• The ability to present the course topics in an organized and clear manner, either orally or in writing, depending on the chosen mode.
• The critical thinking skills that the student can apply to the proposed topics.

Active participation will be encouraged and duly considered for the overall evaluation.

To pass the exam, students have two options:

A) Writing a final essay, between 2500 and 3000 words. There is no distinction between attending and non-attending students. Essays can be submitted between May 2 and October 20, 2024. If you need corrections within specific deadlines, such as for graduation, please inform me at the time of submission and allow at least 10 days for corrections. A list of suggested essay topics will be provided during the course, but personalized topics can be agreed upon. I will take into account the language difficulties of Erasmus students or non-Italian native speakers. Upon request, I will accept papers written in English.

B) Instead of the essay, it is possible to take a traditional oral exam. In this case, the exam bibliography will consist of texts 1 and 2, plus one chosen from the indicated groups above.

The paper will receive a grade out of thirty (communicated individually to each student). Students can decide whether to confirm the written grade or attempt to improve it with an oral exam during one of the regular exam sessions.

Writing and editorial guidelines: Philosophy students who have already attended the Writing Workshop can follow the provided Editorial Guidelines. However, a brief handbook with the main instructions regarding citations, footnotes, and essay structure will be provided.

All oral exams begin with a presentation on a chosen topic within the program. Prepare to speak for about 15 minutes; you can use notes, refer to the texts, and any resources that may be useful. The chosen topic accounts for approximately two-thirds of the exam. This will be followed by one or two questions from me on other aspects of the program. I may ask you to read and comment on a passage.

The parameters evaluated in the paper and the components of the final grade are as follows:

1. Understanding of the considered texts (knowledge of content, ability to grasp the most relevant information and deep meaning): up to 12 out of thirty.
2. Writing correctness (spelling, syntax, punctuation, command of philosophical and general vocabulary): up to 6 out of thirty.
3. Clarity, thematic relevance, breadth, and coherence of the exposition (well-articulated essay, ability to communicate information in a complete and clear manner, without digressions): up to 5 out of thirty.
4. Logical coherence, quality, and rigor of the argumentation: up to 4 out of thirty.
5. Originality of ideas and personal reflection (identifying critical points in the texts, formulating objections, developing insights from the texts): up to 4 out of thirty.
6. Participation in class and online discussions: up to 1 out of thirty.

In the oral exam, clarity, correct grammatical expression, and originality of reflection will also be evaluated, approximately according to the parameters indicated for the written exam.

People with disabilities and Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)

People with disabilities or specific learning disabilities (SLD) are entitled to special arrangements based on their condition, following an assessment by the University's Office for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor, but rather get in touch with the Office to schedule an appointment. It will be the Office's responsibility to determine the appropriate accommodations. For more information, please visit the page at the followig link:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti

Teaching tools

A complementary module on the university's e-learning platform (virtuale.unibo.it) is linked to the course. Through the platform, a discussion forum will be activated. The site will also be used for the distribution of additional materials and the notification of events or calendar changes. Those who wish to take this exam must enroll on Virtuale.

The slides presented during the lectures will be made available through this site.

Office hours

See the website of Claudio Coletta