90065 - Classics in the History of Philosophy (1) (LM)

Academic Year 2022/2023

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Philosophical Sciences (cod. 8773)

Learning outcomes

The course "Classics in the History of Philosophy" intends to provide students with the opportunity to practice reading classics of philosophy in the original language (English, French, German) in order to deepen on them the semantic and conceptual questions connected with the historical transformations of the philosophical expression, to favor the comprehension of the peculiar meanings of the specialized language in the diachrony of its forms and to acquire the critical awareness of the theoretical and interpretative problems connected with the translation of complex texts.

Course contents

CLASSICS IN THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY

Prof. Mariafranca Spallanzani

MADNESS AND REASON OF THE PHILOSOPHERS

The course aims to examine some definitions of the notions of “madness” and “reason” in the the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries philosophy through some images of madness/folly/melancholy that circulate in European culture up to the theoretical break with the “model of inclusion” operated by the method and style of modern reason.

The course will be organized in two ways: lectures (about 20 hours) and specialized seminars (about 10 hours) with readings and discussions of texts.

The course is in English and the lessons will be recorded.

 

I. LECTURES


The lectures will examine some particularly significant texts of the Renaissance and seventeenth-century philosophical debate.

1. Erasmus, Moriae Encomium (In Praise of Folly)

2. M. de Montaigne, Essais (L. I: VIII, XXXVIII, XXXIX, L; L. II: XII; L. III: IV, XIII)

3. R. Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy. Introduction

4. R. Descartes: I. Meditationes de Prima Philosophia: Prima et Secunda Meditatio; II. Lettres à Elisabeth: September 1st, 1645; October 6

N. B. The teacher will indicate in class the English editions of the texts in question, also indicating the editions in the original language.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Please note the following general bibliography, useful for following the lectures.

A.Tenenti, Il senso della morte e l’amore della vita nel Rinascimento, Torino, Einaudi, 1957 (and repts )

M. Foucault, Folie et déraison. Histoire de la folie à l’âge classique, Paris, Plon, (1961), 1974

R. Klibansky, E. Panofsky, F. Saxl, Saturn and Melancholy: Studies in the History of Natural Philosophy, Religion and Art, London, Nelson, 1964

W. Lepenies, Melancholie und Gesellschaft, 1969

J. Starobinski, Histoire du traitement de la mélancolie des origines à 1900, Bâle, J.R. Geigy S. A., 1960; L’Encre de la mélancolie, Genève, Points, 2012

E. Borgna, Malinconia, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1998

B. M. Frabotta (a cura di), Arcipelago malinconia, Roma, Donzelli, 2001;

M. Simonazzi, La malattia inglese. La melanconia nella tradizione filosofica e medica dell'Inghilterra moderna, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2004;

Y. Hersant, Mélancolies de l’Antiquité au XXe siècle, Paris, R. Laffont, 2005

R. Gigliucci (a cura di), La melanconia, Milano, Rizzoli (BUR), 2009.

 

II. SEMINARS

The organization of two seminars is planned

I. In the first seminar entitled Melancholies, the texts by Freud, Kierkegaard and Sartre relating to this topic will be read. The student must study two of the following texts for the exam:

S. Freud, Mourning and melancholy

S. Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling;

S. Kierkegaard, The concept of Anxiety;

S. Kierkegaard, The Sickness unto Death;

J.-P. Sartre, Nausea.

In the second seminar entitled Madness and reason in Descartes the contemporary French debate on the Cartesian theory of the Cogito will be presented, with particular regard to the interpretations of Sartre, Foucault and Derrida.

Texts:

M. Foucault, Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason, Penguin, 1988 (P. I, chaps I-II).

 

N.B. The student is required to study for the exam the texts of only one seminar.

GENERAL INFORMATIONS

The exam is oral only and is held in the Department of Philosophy and Communication, Via Zamboni, 38. Exam registrations are made through ALMAESAMI. The program is unique, for attending and non-attending students.

LESSONS AND RECEPTION SCHEDULE


Lessons are held in the second semester, 4th period, according to the following schedule:

Monday h. 15.00-17.00 (room XI, Via Zamboni, 38); Tuesday h. 15.00-17.00 (room VII, Via Zamboni, 38); Wednesday h. 15.00-17.00 (room XI, Via Zamboni, 38).

Classes will start on March 20, 2023

The teacher receives on Thursday, h. 10.00

Readings/Bibliography

For the texts of the lectures, see the program.

Please note the following general bibliography, useful for following the thematic path of the monographic course.

A.Tenenti, Il senso della morte e l’amore della vita nel Rinascimento, Torino, Einaudi, 1957 (and repts )

M. Foucault, Folie et déraison. Histoire de la folie à l’âge classique, Paris, Plon, (1961), 1974

R. Klibansky, E. Panofsky, F. Saxl, Saturn and Melancholy: Studies in the History of Natural Philosophy, Religion and Art, London, Nelson, 1964

W. Lepenies, Melancholie und Gesellschaft, 1969

J. Starobinski, Histoire du traitement de la mélancolie des origines à 1900, Bâle, J.R. Geigy S. A., 1960; L’Encre de la mélancolie, Genève, Points, 2012

E. Borgna, Malinconia, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1998

B. M. Frabotta (ed.), Arcipelago malinconia, Roma, Donzelli, 2001;

M. Simonazzi, La malattia inglese. La melanconia nella tradizione filosofica e medica dell'Inghilterra moderna, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2004;

Y. Hersant, Mélancolies de l’Antiquité au XXe siècle, Paris, R. Laffont, 2005

R. Gigliucci (ed.), La melanconia, Milano, Rizzoli (BUR), 2009.

Teaching methods

The lectures concern specific themes, and intend to analyze them in reference also to the peculiarities of historical contexts, the diversity of cultures and of philosophical problems, and, finally, the determination of intellectual options of individual philosophers. The predominantly seminar format of the lessons involves students in an independent and shared research, conducted with bibliographic tools and discussed in dialogic forms of scientific communication.

Assessment methods

The exam is oral.

The oral examination tends to verify:
1. historical and philosophical knowledge acquired through the class attendance, the study of the texts and bibliography, contextualising them in historical and philosophical traditions;
2. the level of critical assimilation of conceptual contents;
3. the property and the adequacy of linguistic expression;
4. the knowledge of the main lines of classical interpretations.

The examination provides an opportunity for further discussion and further dialogue with the professor. In this sense, students are also invited to examine particular subjects close to the topics of the lectures.

Assessment criteria and assessment thresholds:
30 cum laude: Excellent, excellent solidity of knowledge, excellent expressive properties, excellent understanding of the concepts.
30: Very good, complete and adequate knowledge, well-articulated and correctly expressed.
27-29: Good, satisfactory knowledge, essentially correct expression.
24-26: Fairly good knowledge, but not complete and not always correct.
21-23: Generally sufficient knowledge but superficial. Expression is often not appropriate and confused.
18-21: Sufficient. The expression and articulation of the speech show important gaps.
<18: Insufficient knowledge or very incomplete, lack of guidance in discipline, expression seriously deficient. Exam failed.

Teaching tools

The lectures aim to examine classical texts, which are available in English translation, but with many references to the original language.

Seminars offer the reading of significant texts of philosophical debate around the subject of the lectures course, extending it with references to some other authors. The student is required to follow and to prepare for the exam only one seminar (I or II). The seminar format engages students in active participation, which mobilizes the acquired knowledge and transforms it into questioning the texts and discussing the topics.
The student may propose reading other texts or writing papers agreed with the teacher.

Office hours

See the website of Mariafranca Spallanzani