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

Learning outcomes

The Philosophy Seminars aim to achieve the specific educational objectives of seminar-based teaching: (1) to train students in philosophical argumentation by encouraging discussions on topics and texts—also in the original language—presented during meetings with Italian and international scholars; (2) to broaden and deepen philosophical knowledge through participation in lectures given by specialists from various areas of philosophical inquiry; (3) to compare different methodological approaches to philosophy as a complement to the regular curriculum.

Course contents

**NB: This seminar replaces the one previously assigned to Prof. Molinini**

Title: Philosophy of Life Sciences: The Philosophy of Science between Biology, Medicine, and Cognition.

Description: The seminar will address conceptual and methodological issues in the philosophy of the life sciences, focusing specifically on the definition, classification, and modeling of cognitive and pathological processes.

In addition to lectures, discussions, and in-class activities, the seminar will offer tools for writing an academic paper, developing a research project, and best practices for effectively navigating  academic applications.

Attendance 

The seminar requires regular attendance: you must attend at least 11 out of 15 lectures to obtain the relevant credits. See the Assessment section for exceptions.

Readings/Bibliography

A list of texts to be discussed during the seminar (excerpts from books and scholarly articles) will be provided before the start of the course. All materials—both the texts for discussion and the teaching materials specifically prepared by the instructor—will be made available online via the Virtuale platform.

Teaching methods

The seminar will alternate lectures, class discussion, and in-class activities. 

Assessment methods

The assessment will take place through an oral exam, during which the student will present and/or discuss a written paper in the form of an academic article, previously submitted to the instructor.

The paper, to be submitted no later than 15 days before the scheduled date of the oral exam, must be between 3,500 and 5,000 words in length (including footnotes and bibliography) and should focus on one of the topics covered during the seminar or on a topic previously agreed upon with the instructor.

During the exam, the student will present their paper using slides. The presentation should last no more than 15 minutes and will be followed by a brief discussion, which will focus on the content presented in order to assess the level of understanding and the ability to explain, elaborate on, and critically discuss the material.

Attendance

Students are required to attend classes in person and to be present for at least 11 out of the total 15 sessions.

Attendance is recorded by signature in the classroom. Falsifying a signature will result in disqualification from the course for the current academic year. In such cases, students will need to wait until the following academic year to participate again in the Seminar. The same penalty applies to written assignments that are even partially plagiarized from other sources, whether printed or digital. Please refer to the plagiarism policy published on the degree program website.

Inability to attend

Exemptions from mandatory attendance are granted only to:

• Students who work and are unable to obtain study leave to attend the Seminar; in this case, the student must inform the instructor at the beginning of the course and provide a statement from their employer documenting the inability to attend.

• Students participating in Erasmus or Overseas programs; in this case, the student must promptly provide documentation to the instructor confirming that they are abroad and unable to attend. 

Students who fall into any of these categories must contact the instructor. For them, the eligibility assessment will take the form of an oral exam, held after the end of the Seminar. The oral exam will consist of a discussion of a written paper (to be submitted to the instructor no later than 15 days before the scheduled exam date) and a presentation of the paper using slides. The topic of the paper must be agreed upon in advance with the instructor.

During the academic year 2025/2026, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months:

Starting from the month following the end of the course, with the exception of August, December, January, and April, and barring unforeseen circumstances or institutional commitments of the instructor, at least one exam session per month will be held. These sessions are open to all students.

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adjustments. For more information, visit the page: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students.

Students should contact the University Service in advance: any proposed adjustment must be submitted at least 15 days before the exam for the instructor’s approval, who will evaluate the appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

 

Teaching tools

During the lessons, supplementary documents, slides, and handouts will be used. The material will be made available to students via the Virtuale portal.

Office hours

See the website of Valentina Petrolini