04385 - History of Modern 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 XVIth and XVIIIth centuries.

Course contents

Two Ideas of History

Rousseau and Kant in Comparison

 

The course develops a comparison between Rousseau’s critique of civilization and Kantian philosophy of history, focusing on analogies, loans and divergences.

First of all, the course examines the second Discourse of Rousseau (in the first two weeks) as well as some Kantian writings on history and politics (from the Idea of 1784 to the Conflict of the Faculties (from the third to the fifth week).

The comparative analysis will then include the Social Contract (from the sixth to the eighth week) and some Kantian pages especially taken from the Metaphysical Principles of Jurisprudence on the «original contract» (in the last two weeks).

 

Class Schedule

Monday, Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., classroom VI, via Zamboni 38

Tuesday, 5-7 p.m., classroom II, via Zamboni 38

 

 

Starting date: 24th September 2018

Readings/Bibliography

1. Primary Texts

J.-J. Rousseau, Discorso sull’origine e i fondamenti della disuguaglianza tra gli uomini 

 

I. Kant, Scritti di storia, politica e diritto, a cura di Filippo Gonnelli, Laterza

or

I. Kant, Scritti politici, a cura di Norberto Bobbio, Luigi Firpo, Vittorio Mathieu, Utet

 

2. Two texts of your choice:

N. Bobbio – M. Bovero, Società e stato nella filosofia politica moderna, Il Saggiatore, 1979

É. Weil, Problemi kantiani, Argalìa, 1980

É. Weil, Dell’interesse per la storia, Bibliopolis, 1983

A. Burgio, Eguaglianza Interesse Unanimità. La politica di Rousseau, Bibliopolis, 1989

R. Derathé, Rousseau e la scienza politica del suo tempo, il Mulino, 1993

E. Cassirer – R. Darnton – J. Starobinski, Tre letture di Rousseau, Laterza, 1994

A. Burgio, Rousseau: la politica e la storia. Tra Montesquieu e Robespierre, Guerini, 1996

F. Gonnelli, La filosofia politica di Kant, Laterza, 1996

A. Burgio, Strutture e catastrofi. Kant, Hegel, Marx, Editori Riuniti, 2000

G.M. Chiodi – G. Marini – R. Gatti, La filosofia politica di Kant, FrancoAngeli, 2001

A. Burgio, Per un lessico critico del contrattualismo moderno, La Scuola di Pitagora, 2006

A. Burgio, Rousseau e gli altri. Teoria e critica della democrazia tra Sette e Novecento, DeriveApprodi, 2012

 

3. Basic Skills

The knowledge of fundamental authors and themes regarding the history of philosophy between the 16th and 18th centuries is required for the oral exam. (A list of authors will be available online).

 

The programme is the same both for attending and not attending students.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons with discussions in class of the most crucial issues.

Assessment methods

The final oral exam focuses on the programme’s material and will be held in the Professor’s office, Via Zamboni, 38 - 5.08.

The critical evaluation considers the fundamental notions, the level of the analysis and the critical skills. On the basis of these three principal parameters an overall evaluation in thirtieths is expressed

Evaluation:

18-21 Sufficient

22-25 Average

26-28 Good-Very Good

29-30 Excellent

Office hours

See the website of Alberto Burgio