30413 - Philosophy Laboratory (1) (G.C)

Learning outcomes

The student learns to read and critically analyze philosophical texts and to write a philosophical essay.

Course contents

General Information

The Philosophy Workshop has three main purposes: education to philosophical writing and editorial conventions; introduction to the use of bibliographic resources; introduction to how to read a philosophical classic and how to produce a short philosophical essay about it.

The success of workshops ideally requires regular attendance of all students at all meetings. In order to be admitted to the final exam and achieve a pass, students will need to have attended at least 12 out of 15 classes (24 hours out of 30).

Students can choose from several proposals of Philosophy Workshops. Programmes and teachers’ names are available on the website of the First Cycle Degree/Bachelor in Philosophy (corsi.unibo.it/1cycle/Philosophy). Up to 40 students may attend each laboratory. Classes will be given in Italian or in English, as indicated by each teacher on their laboratory web pages.

Please enrol via Studenti On Line (studenti.unibo.it/sol/welcome.htm), by clicking on the tab “Prenotazioni” and the workshop of your choice. Enrolment begins on the 1st of September, 2023.

Attendance — both face-to-face and online, if streaming is activated — will be verified by signature on sign-in sheets or by log-in online. In the light of several unpleasant episodes of signature falsification in recent years, in the event that it is proved that even a single signature has not been made by the corresponding student, that student will be excluded from the final exam and will have to wait until the next year to attend the Workshop again. The same standards will hold for students submitting written exams which are totally or partially copied from published sources or digital texts.

Only in the event of certified inability to attend the Workshop are students allowed to arrange an alternative programme with the relevant teacher of the module in question. Such cases include:

- working students who cannot obtain specific permission to attend the Workshop. These students shall inform the teacher at the beginning of the module and provide a declaration of their employers stating their inability to attend.

- students who are participating in exchange programmes (Erasmus, Overseas, etc.). These students shall promptly provide documentary evidence to the teacher showing their inability to attend on grounds of residence abroad.

For attending students assessment will consist in the submission and discussion of a short essay on the philosophical text discussed in the Workshop attended. The essay will be evaluated both for form and for content. During the laboratory, teachers will provide instructions on how to write the final essay, and all students are requested to download and study the manual of philosophical writing, which can be found at corsi.unibo.it/laurea/Filosofia/laboratorio-di-filosofia-norme-per-la-redazione-del-saggio-finale (in Italian).

 

Detailed Information

Le Deuxième Sexe. A Feminist Legal Reading.

«I hesitated for a long time before writing a book about women», says Simone de Beauvoir in the Introduction to Le Deuxième Sexe. «The subject is irritating, especially for women; and it is not new. The problem of feminism has spilled enough ink, it is now almost exhausted: let us not talk about it any more. However, it is still talked about». Is there really a problem concerning women? And where are the women? More broadly, what does the word ‘woman’ mean?

Starting from these questions, excerpts from Simone de Beauvoir's masterpiece will be read and commented during the workshop. Students will have to write a short written report on a chapter or theme agreed with the teacher. The reports (individual or produced in small groups) will be presented and discussed in class, according to a timetable that will be defined in advance, and must then be sent in writing to the teacher at least 15 days before the examination call.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography:

S. de Beauvoir, Il secondo sesso (any edition).

 

Further optional readings (any edition):

- S. de Beauvoir, Le bocche inutili, 1945

- S. de Beauvoir, Tutti gli uomini sono mortali, 1946

- S. de Beauvoir, I mandarini, 1954

- S. de Beauvoir, Le belle immagini, 1966

- S. de Beauvoir, Una donna spezzata, 1967

- S. de Beauvoir, Lo spirituale un tempo, 1979

- S. de Beauvoir, Per una morale dell’ambiguità, 1947

- S. de Beauvoir, Memorie di una ragazza perbene, 1958

Teaching methods

The first 3 lessons, conducted by the teacher, will have an introductory character and will provide some useful guidelines for understanding The Second Sex. They will also offer helpful advice for bibliographic research, philosophical writing, and argumentative analysis (e.g., recognizing and supporting arguments, identifying argumentative weaknesses, etc.).

A second cycle of 3 lessons, also conducted by the teacher, will focus on the Introduction and the First Part of The Second Sex. Selected passages will be read and discussed in class.

The final block of lessons will have a seminar-style format. Individually or in small groups, students will present to the class some reflections inspired by the themes developed in The Second Sex (Second and Third Parts of Book I, Book II), following guidelines previously agreed upon with the teacher. Each presentation will be followed by a brief discussion.

Assessment methods

Students will be assessed on the basis of

- participation in classroom discussion and individual presentations (carried out alone or in coordinated groups)

- a final written essay (min. 12,000 characters, max. 15,000 characters, including spaces and excluding bibliography) to be sent by email to serena.vantin3@unibo.it at least 15 days before the date of the examination call. The essay must relate to a topic addressed in the workshop and must be linguistically and stylistically correct.

 

People with disabilities or specific learning disorders are entitled to special adaptations in relation to their condition, subject to evaluation by the University Service for students with disabilities and DSA. Please do not contact the teacher but the Service for an appointment. The Service will be responsible for establishing which adaptations are appropriate. More information on the webpage <site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti >.

Teaching tools

Any teaching support tools will be made available by the teacher on the Platform Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Serena Vantin