10059 - Moral Philosophy (1)

Learning outcomes

This course will mainly address issues in applied ethics. At the end of the course students will be expected to grasp the distinction of individual and public ethics; to know the chief lines of recent debates in this field; to appreciate the relations between various approaches in moral philosophy (normative, virtue and care ethics); to understand the multiple connections between moral reflection and cultural studies, political science, and humanities. Students shall be able to make sense of the relevant literature and to properly use the technical language of this field, and they will have studied in depth at least one topic in applied ethics and the seminal texts related to it.

Course contents

This course focuses on Aristotle’s philosophy of emotions. We will look at Aristotle’s treatment of emotions in the De Anima, where he defines the pathē as logoi enhuloi («enmattered accounts»), and in the Rhetoric, where he is primarily interested in the ways emotions can produce a change in judgments. It is expected that students will gain an in-depth knowledge of Aristotle’s view on affectivity and its role in the formation of moral character.

Readings/Bibliography

Aristotle, De Anima. Translated with an Introduction and Commentary by Christopher Shields, Oxford 2016.

Aristotle, On Rhetoric. Translated with an Introduction, Notes, and Appendices by George Kennedy, Oxford 2006: Book II.

Teaching methods

Lectures.

Assessment methods

Viva voce examination.

Grades will be distributed as follows: active participation during classes (20%), final examination (80%).

Office hours

See the website of Pia Campeggiani