39424 - History of Contemporary Philosophy (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The teaching of the History of Contemporary Philosophy has as its object the still open horizon of a reflection that, in the 20th century, came changing signs. Its aim is to introduce the student to the themes of post-metaphysical thought which, while they connote the latest developments in philosophical debate and extend into the most diverse cultural spheres, are rooted in the experience of today's man. The ideas of the end of the subject, of God's death, of overcoming the foundation, of denouncing logocentrism, which decide contemporary philosophy, and are also embodied in our existence, will, from time to time, find themselves at the centre of the course. The aim then is to introduce the student to a past that is being asserted in the course. Precisely because it has as its object the world in which we are involved, the course aims to contribute to the student's acquisition of awareness and critical capacity.

Course contents

The philosophy of Henri Bergson

Bergson is one of the most important figures of European philosophy between the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century. The course will be fully dedicated to analyze his thought through a critical reading of some of his most relevant writings.

 

Readings/Bibliography

1. Compulsory readings

H. Bergson, Saggio sui dati immediati della coscienza (1896), Raffaello Cortina Editore, Milano, 2002 (only chapters I and II)

H. Bergson, Materia e memoria. Saggio sulla relazione tra il corpo e lo spirito (1896), Laterza, Roma-Bari 1996 (only chapters I e II)

H. Bergson, L’evoluzione creatrice (1907), BUR, Milano, 2012 (only chapters I e IV) 

H. Bergson, Introduzione alla Metafisica - qualsiasi edizione

 

2. Suggested reading:

Rocco Ronchi, Bergson : una sintesi, Milano, Marinotti, 2011

The non attending students have to prepare also Rocco Ronchi, Bergson : una sintesi, Milano, Marinotti, 2011 as an obligatory reading.

3. Basic skills

The knowledge of fundamental authors and themes regarding the history of philosophy between the 19th and 20th centuries is required for the oral exam.

List of authors:

Fichte, Schelling, Hegel, Feuerbach, Marx, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Comte, Mill, Spencer, Nietzsche, Freud, Bergson, Croce, Gentile, Husserl, Heidegger, Wittgenstein, Benjamin, la scuola di Francoforte, Gadamer, Sartre, Lévinas, Althusser, Foucault, Deleuze, Derrida, Habermas, Rawls.

Those who have already taken the History of Philosophy with Prof. A. Burgio are exempt from taking the institutional part.

Teaching methods

Ex cathedra 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

Slides with teaching materials will be made available online during the course. Some lectures will be recorded and made available to all students

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Cerrato