84993 - Philosophy and Phenomenology of Experience (1)

Learning outcomes

After completing the course the student is able to identify some of the key moments of philosophical thought and to adopt a synoptic view of them. He is able to place the philosophers in their historical context and to understand their thinking in contemporary philosophical discourse. He knows the problematic nature of the concepts of meaning, reference and truth.

Course contents

Course title:
The problem of intersubjectivity and meaning from a phenomenological point of view. Alfred Schütz and the construction of the social world as meaningful.
Alfred Schütz, Viennese of origin and training, who later emigrated to America in 1939, develops the phenomenological investigation from a social point of view, focusing his attention on the problem of meaningful action, of the experience and the relationship between ego and alter-ego. Together with Marvin Farber, he contributes to spreading phenomenological research in the United States. His theoretical points of reference are Husserl, Weber, Bergson, Scheler and the Neokantian tradition. The text we will examine is The phenomenology of the social world, originally published in 1932 under the title Der sinnhafte Aufbau der sozialen Welt.

Distribution of topics in lectures:

 Of the 15 lectures available:

3 will be dedicated to a historical-philosophical introduction;
3 will be dedicated to clarifying the main phenomenological concepts;
9 will be dedicated to commenting and discussing Schütz's text.

Start of lectures and place

• The lectures will begin on Monday, September 24, 2018, in classroom D, via Zamboni 34, and will be held every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 3 to 5 pm.

Readings/Bibliography

Obligatory readings:

•  Alfred Schütz, The phenomenology of the social world, il Mulino, Bologna 1974, first three chapters, pp. 1-198. (The text is being reprinted by the publisher Meltemi and should come out in September 2018, in case of delay of publication, we will provide directly the PDF of the aforementioned chapters).
• Explanatory notes provided by the teacher (progressively available in the "teaching material")

Optional readings, recommended above all for non-attending students (note: this is just an indication. To pass the exam with maximum marks, obligatory readings are sufficient and, above all, the teaching material prepared by the teacher):

• M. Protti, Alfred Schütz. Foundations of a phenomenological sociology, Unicopli, Milan 1995.
• A. Cimino. V. Costa, History of phenomenology, Carocci, Rome 2012.

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures; discussion on the main topics treated in the course. Reading and commentary of texts.

Assessment methods

Oral test with verification of specific historical and philosophical knowledge and of the level of assimilation and processing critical-conceptual content (See "Evaluation board". Each entry of the board has a maximum of 10 points, for a total of 30 + possible laude).

Assessment criteria and thresholds of evaluation:

30 cum laude: Excellent as to knowledge, terminology and critical expression.

30: Excellent, knowledge is complete, well articulated and correctly expressed, although with some slight faults.

27-29: Good, knowledge comprehensive and satisfactory, essentially correct expression .

24-26: Fairly good, knowledge present in significant points, but not complete and not always expressed with correctness.

21-23: Sufficient, knowledge is sometimes superficial, but the guiding general thread is included. Expression and articulation incomplete and often not appropriate

18-21:.Almost sufficient, but knowledge present only on the surface. The guiding principle is not included with continuity. The expression and articulation of the speech show important gaps.

<18: Not sufficient, knowledge absent or very incomplete, lack of guidance in discipline, expression seriously deficient. Exam failed.

 

Teaching tools

Overhead projector connected with PC

Links to further information

http://www.disciplinefilosofiche.it

Office hours

See the website of Luca Guidetti