29424 - Seminars (1) (LM) (G.F)

Learning outcomes

The Philosophy Seminars aim to achieve the following educational objectives specific to seminar-style teaching: (1) to train students in philosophical argumentation by encouraging discussions on philosophical themes and texts, including those in their original language, presented in meetings with Italian and foreign scholars; (2) to broaden and deepen their philosophical knowledge through participation in conferences conducted by specialists from various areas of philosophical knowledge; (3) to compare different methodological approaches to philosophy, complementing their regular curriculum.

Course contents

***Please note that classes will start on March 25*** (Not March 18)

Knowledge infrastructures

The seminar is focused on the study of knowledge infrastructures, understood as established networks of people, artifacts, and institutions for the generation, sharing, and maintenance of specific knowledge about the human and natural world. What kinds of knowledge are produced and materialize from these infrastructures, what forms of knowledge are embedded in them and made explicit? What types of actors are mobilized and through which modes of existence? Which political orders make them durable? What happens when a knowledge infrastructure reaches a breaking point? What is the relationship between knowledge infrastructures and temporality? The seminar will specifically address knowledge infrastructures involved in climate sciences, their evolution throughout the 20th century to the present day, and their connection to the digitization of knowledge.

Readings/Bibliography

• Bowker, Geoffrey C. and Star, Susan Leigh (1999) Sorting things out: classification and its consequences, Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press.
• Edwards, Paul N. (2013) A vast machine: computer models, climate data, and the politics of global warming, Cambridge, Massachusetts London, England, The MIT Press.
• Mitchell, Timothy (2011) Carbon democracy: political power in the age of oil, London; New York, Verso.
• Oreskes, Naomi and Conway, Erik M. (2010) Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming, Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Further readings will be suggested during the course.

Teaching methods

The course will be conducted through lectures, encouraging discussion and interaction. This can be done through raising hands during the lecture or at the end, as well as through group exercises. After the lecture, interaction will also be possible through the forum active on virtuale.unibo.it.

One session will be dedicated to instructions on essay writing.

There may be guest lecturers invited during the course to speak on specific topics. Additionally, if there are seminars and conferences relevant to our subjects taking place at the department, you will be invited to attend, but it will be optional.

In the last session, I will ask for 3-4 volunteers to present their papers to the class (it doesn't matter if the paper is not polished; the exercise is meant to test the clarity and coherence of the work in preparation for the final draft).

Assessment methods

Given the educational objectives, the assessment aims to evaluate:

• The student's knowledge of the indicated texts.
• The comprehension of the problem of knowledge in its complexity.
• The ability to present the course topics in an organized and clear manner, either orally or in writing, depending on the chosen mode.
• The critical thinking skills that the student can apply to the proposed topics.

Active participation will be encouraged and duly considered for the overall evaluation.

To pass the exam, students have two options:

A) Writing a final essay, between 2500 and 3000 words. There is no distinction between attending and non-attending students. Essays can be submitted between May 2 and October 20, 2024. If you need corrections within specific deadlines, such as for graduation, please inform me at the time of submission and allow at least 10 days for corrections. A list of suggested essay topics will be provided during the course, but personalized topics can be agreed upon. I will take into account the language difficulties of Erasmus students or non-Italian native speakers. Upon request, I will accept papers written in English.

B) Instead of the essay, it is possible to take a traditional oral exam. In this case, the exam bibliography will consist of texts chosen from those indicated groups above and possible ones mentioned during the course.

The paper will receive a grade out of thirty (communicated individually to each student). Students can decide whether to confirm the written grade or attempt to improve it with an oral exam during one of the regular exam sessions.

Writing and editorial guidelines: Philosophy students who have already attended the Writing Workshop can follow the provided Editorial Guidelines. However, a brief handbook with the main instructions regarding citations, footnotes, and essay structure will be provided.

All oral exams begin with a presentation on a chosen topic within the program. Prepare to speak for about 15 minutes; you can use notes, refer to the texts, and any resources that may be useful. The chosen topic accounts for approximately two-thirds of the exam. This will be followed by one or two questions from me on other aspects of the program. I may ask you to read and comment on a passage.

The parameters evaluated in the paper and the components of the final grade are as follows:

1. Understanding of the considered texts (knowledge of content, ability to grasp the most relevant information and deep meaning): up to 12 out of thirty.
2. Writing correctness (spelling, syntax, punctuation, command of philosophical and general vocabulary): up to 6 out of thirty.
3. Clarity, thematic relevance, breadth, and coherence of the exposition (well-articulated essay, ability to communicate information in a complete and clear manner, without digressions): up to 5 out of thirty.
4. Logical coherence, quality, and rigor of the argumentation: up to 4 out of thirty.
5. Originality of ideas and personal reflection (identifying critical points in the texts, formulating objections, developing insights from the texts): up to 4 out of thirty.
6. Participation in class and online discussions: up to 1 out of thirty.

In the oral exam, clarity, correct grammatical expression, and originality of reflection will also be evaluated, approximately according to the parameters indicated for the written exam.

People with disabilities and Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)

People with disabilities or specific learning disabilities (SLD) are entitled to ask for special arrangements based on their condition, following an assessment by the University's Office for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor, but rather get in touch with the Office to schedule an appointment. It will be the Office's responsibility to determine the appropriate accommodations. For more information, please visit the page at the followig link:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti

Teaching tools

A complementary module on the university's e-learning platform (virtuale.unibo.it) is linked to the course. Through the platform, a discussion forum will be activated. The site will also be used for the distribution of additional materials and the notification of events or calendar changes. Those who wish to take this exam must enroll on Virtuale.

The slides presented during the lectures will be made available through this site.

Office hours

See the website of Claudio Coletta