- Docente: Francesco Cerrato
- Credits: 6
- SSD: M-FIL/06
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Philosophical Sciences (cod. 8773)
Learning outcomes
The course intends to provide useful conceptual tools and specific methodological knowledge for the analysis of significant traditions, texts and figures in the historical and philosophical context and in the history of Western culture.
Course contents
The course is entirely focused on Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s philosophy and deals specifically with some principal aspects of his thought regarding metaphysics, the theory of knowledge, ontology and ethics. Particular attention is devoted to the concept of Monad and to Leibniz’s Theodicy.
Course timetable: 2nd semester (3rd period), Monday 15-17 aula XI (Via Zamboni 38), Tuesday 15 – 17, aula IV (Via Zamboni 38), Thursday, 15-17, aula XI (via Zamboni 38)
Readings/Bibliography
1. Texts that are discussed in class and made available as didactic material.
Nuovi saggi sull'intelletto umano (the Preface only).
Principi razionali della natura e della grazie e Monadologia
Saggi di Teodicea (the Preface only).
All texts are available in: W. Leibniz, Scritti filosofici, a cura di M. Mugnai e E. Pasini, 3 voll. Torino, Utet, 2000.
3. G. Cambiano, L. Fonnesu, M. Mori, La filosofia moderna. Il Seicento e il Settecento, Il Mulino, 2018 (capitoli dal I al VII)
4. One text of your choice from the following list:
E.J. Aiton, Leibniz, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 1991;
M.R. Antognazza, Leibniz: una biografia intellettuale, Milano, Hoepli, 2015
M.-Th. Liske, Leibniz, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007;
V. Mathieu, Introduzione a Leibniz, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1976 (3° ed. 1991);
M. Mugnai, Introduzione alla filosofia di Leibniz, Torino, Einaudi, 2001;
Not attending students have to substitute point 1 with the whole reading of Saggi di Teodicea (any edition is fine).
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons
Assessment methods
The final oral exam focuses on the programme’s material and will be held in the Professor’s office, Via Zamboni, 38.
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.
18-21 Sufficient
22-25 Average
26-28 Good-Very Good
29-30 Excellent
Teaching tools
During the lessons, powerpoint program will be used.
Office hours
See the website of Francesco Cerrato