28248 - Political Theory (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will acquire a deep knowledge of the theoretical and historical coordinated of a critical analysis of political concepts. By applying the fundamental tools of the history of political thought and of political theory, the course will make possible for students to critically assess the analyzed authors and to grasp both the specificity of the singular texts and the theoretical and historical framework in which they are placed.

Course contents

Politics, power, subjectivation

The course is dedicated to the analysis and critique of power developed by Karl Marx and Michel Foucault, authors as central as they are contested in the contemporary theoretical and political debate. In particular, attention will be paid to the way in which they put in tension the fundamental categories of modern politics (state, sovereignty, freedom, society), their conception of history and of the processes of political subjectivation. The course is divided into two parts. The first part will retrace Karl Marx's reflection showing how he analyzes the relationship between State and society, the forms of capitalist social domination and its global historical tension, the historical emergencies of the class struggle as a constant challenge to that domination. In the second part, we will examine some of Michel Foucault's fundamental texts, giving particular emphasis to the way in which he developed an analytic of power in open contrast with both the Marxist heritage and the modern political tradition, and in particular with the centrality that the latter attributes to the State.

Readings/Bibliography

ATTENDING STUDENTS

The knowledge of the history of political thought is assumed as an acquisition of the bachelor degree. The students who need to integrate their knowledge have to make use of C. Galli (a cura di), Il pensiero politico contemporaneo. Il Novecento e l'età globale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2011³.

Students must choose one of the texts or groups of texts listed in section A and one of the texts or groups of texts listed in section B.

SECTION A:

1)

— K. Marx, Critica del diritto statuale hegeliano, a cura di R. Finelli e F. S. Trincia, Roma, Edizioni dell’Ateneo, 1983, cap. I, pp. 41-63.

— K. Marx, Sulla questione ebraica e altri scritti giovanili, in K. Marx, La questione ebraica, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1978, pp. 47-85.

2)

— K. Marx – F. Engels, L’ideologia tedesca, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2000, pp. 5-50.

— K. Marx – F. Engels, Il manifesto del partito comunista, Roma -Bari, Laterza, 2016.

3)

— K. Marx, Il 18 Brumaio di Luigi Bonaparte, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2001, cap. I.

— K. Marx, La dominazione britannica in India, in K. Marx – F. Engels, India Cina Russia, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 1960, pp. 70-78 (La dominazione britannica in India); pp. 79-89 (La compagnia delle Indie orientali) e pp. 111-118 (I risultati futuri della dominazione britannica in India).

4)

— K. Marx, Il capitale, Torino, UTET, 2013, libro I, capp. I (La merce 4. Il carattere feticistico della merce e il suo segreto), IV (Trasformazione del denaro in capitale, 3. Compravendita della forza lavoro), XXIV (La cosiddetta accumulazione originaria) e XXV (La moderna teoria della colonizzazione).

5)

— M. Foucault, Sicurezza, territorio, popolazione. Corso al Collège de France (1977-1978), Milano, Feltrinelli, 2004, pp. 14-69, 91-104, 142-204, 224-262.

6)

— M. Foucault, Nascita della biopolitica. Corso al Collège de France (1978-1979), Milano, Feltrinelli, 2005, pp. 13-92, 151-174, 217-258.

SECTION B:

7)

— C. Galli, Marx eretico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2018.

— M. Ricciardi, Il potere temporaneo. Karl Marx e la politica come critica della società, Milano, Meltemi, 2019.

8)

— W. Brown, Potere senza logica senza Marx, in W. Brown, La politica fuori dalla storia, a cura di P. Rudan, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012, pp. 65-94.

— L. Bernini, Le pecore e il pastore. Critica, politica, etica nel pensiero di Michel Foucault, Napoli, Liguori, 2008.

NON ATTENDING STUDENTS

— C. Galli, Marx eretico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2018.

— M. Ricciardi, Il potere temporaneo. Karl Marx e la politica come critica della società, Milano, Meltemi, 2019.

— W. Brown, Potere senza logica senza Marx, in W. Brown, La politica fuori dalla storia, a cura di P. Rudan, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012, pp. 65-94.

— L. Bernini, Le pecore e il pastore. Critica, politica, etica nel pensiero di Michel Foucault, Napoli, Liguori, 2008.

Two among the following texts or groups of texts.

1)

— K. Marx, Critica del diritto statuale hegeliano, a cura di R. Finelli e F. S. Trincia, Roma, Edizioni dell’Ateneo, 1983, cap. I, pp. 41-63.

— K. Marx, Sulla questione ebraica e altri scritti giovanili, in K. Marx, La questione ebraica, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1978, pp. 47-85.

2)

— K. Marx – F. Engels, L’ideologia tedesca, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2000, pp. 5-50.

— K. Marx – F. Engels, Il manifesto del partito comunista, Roma -Bari, Laterza, 2016.

3)

— K. Marx, Il 18 Brumaio di Luigi Bonaparte, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 2001, cap. I.

— K. Marx, La dominazione britannica in India, in K. Marx – F. Engels, India Cina Russia, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 1960, pp. 70-78 (La dominazione britannica in India); pp. 79-89 (La compagnia delle Indie orientali) e pp. 111-118 (I risultati futuri della dominazione britannica in India).

4)

— K. Marx, Il capitale, Torino, UTET, 2013, libro I, capp. I (La merce 4. Il carattere feticistico della merce e il suo segreto), IV (Trasformazione del denaro in capitale, 3. Compravendita della forza lavoro), XXIV (La cosiddetta accumulazione originaria) e XXV (La moderna teoria della colonizzazione).

5)

— M. Foucault, Sicurezza, territorio, popolazione. Corso al Collège de France (1977-1978), Milano, Feltrinelli, 2004.

6)

— M. Foucault, Nascita della biopolitica. Corso al Collège de France (1978-1979), Milano, Feltrinelli, 2005.

Teaching methods

Lectures and close readings of texts

Assessment methods

Oral examination aimed at verifying the skills and knowledge acquired, with particular attention to the ability to focus on the theoretical-conceptual links of the thought of the authors studied.

The evaluation will focus particularly on the student's capacity of handling the sources and readings indicated in the bibliography and his ability to correlate the various themes and problems addressed in the course.

The assessment will thus examine the student's:

- factual knowledge of the subject;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the course and his ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.
Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete mastership of the appropriate terminology.
A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the course, together with a poor mastership of the appropriate terminology.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Rudan