B0014 - PENSIERO POLITICO CONTEMPORANEO

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students: - know the fundamental features of the contemporary political thought, - know the main forms of western political discourse and understand the complex relationships between ideas and facts, - know the most important contemporary political doctrines and are able to critically analyze them in connection with the relevant cultural, institutional, historical and social context,- is able to understand the most important political and institutional changes in in the current international context.

Course contents

The course is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on key political thinkers of the 20th century, such as Nietzsche, Weber, Lenin, Luxemburg, Gramsci, Schmitt, Kelsen, Keynes, Schumpeter, Marshall and Habermas. It explores the formation of major ideologies, including nationalism, socialism, liberalism, fascism and communism, as well as the tragedy of totalitarianism and the 'rebirth' of democracy and the establishment of the welfare state after World War II.

The second part will focus on two key authors: Hannah Arendt and Michel Foucault. Through reading and analysing some of their texts, we will consider the critique of sovereignty, power, and the dilemmas of democracy. Reflecting on the ideas of Arendt and Foucault, we will consider questions specific to political reflection, such as: What is the relationship between the original energy of political forms and their institutional realities? Who are the subjects of political power? Who acts? Who commands? What is commanded? And to whom? What are the limits, means and institutions, and what are the ends? 

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

STUDENTS ATTENDING THE COURSE

C. Galli - E. Greblo - S. Mezzadra, Il pensiero politico contemporaneo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2011.

H. Arendt, Le origini del totalitarismo, Torino, Einaudi, 2009 (o altra edizione purché integrale), chapts IX-XIII

H. Arendt, Che cos'è la politica?, Torino, Einaudi, 2006, Part I, chapts I-II

H. Arendt, La rivoluzione ungherese e l'imperialismo totalitario, Milano, Raffaello Cortina, 2024.

M. Foucault, Sicurezza, territorio, popolazione. Corso al Collège de France (1977-1978), Milano, Feltrinelli, 2017, lectures 11 January 1978, 25 January 1978, 1 February 1978.

STUDENTS NOT ATTENDING THE COURSE

PAY ATTENTION. Since the bibliography for students not attending the course is partially different from that of the attending ones, not attending students add to the volumes mentioned above:

D. Palano, Politica. Un'introduzione, Brescia, Morcelliana, 2024.

It is highly recommended to meet the teacher at least once before the exam to get in touch with the program.

Teaching methods

30 lectures of 2 hours each

Assessment methods

STUDENTS ATTENDING THE COURSE

- 2 short written examinations with open questions will be held during classes in order to understand how familiar the students have become with taught matters.

- The final evaluation will be an average of written examinations.

STUDENTS NOT ATTENDING THE COURSE

- A written examination with 15 open questions about the textbooks will be held at the end of the course

- An oral examination after a satisfactory written examination should be attended on the monographic part (previously agreed with the teacher) in order to demonstrate how confident the students are with the analysis and criticism of the history of modern and contemporary political thought

- The final evaluation will be an average of the written and oral examination

Teaching tools

Paintings, films and media, novels

Office hours

See the website of Maria Laura Lanzillo