00961 - History of Philosophy (M-Z)

Learning outcomes

Students learn to become familiar with trends, issues, important authors of modern philosophy, and to orient themselves in its historical interpretations. They are trained in the critical reading of philosophical texts, and in evaluation of argumentative and rhetorical strategies.

Course contents

The course will be devoted to four protagonists of philosophy between the 17th and 18th centuries: Descartes, Locke, Leibniz and Hume. In the course of the lectures, the most important theoretical nodes of these authors' reflections will be addressed: the theory of knowledge, the philosophy of the passions and moral and political thought.
After a few introductory lectures dedicated to the historiographical problem of defining the scope and method of historical-critical work in philosophy, in the first part of the course Descartes' Metaphysical Meditations will be read and commented in order to present and understand the path proposed in this classic of thought: from the hyperbolic doubt, with which the first Meditation refutes all knowledge available to the subject, to the recognition of the existence and knowability of bodies, the positive outcome of the sixth Meditation.

Having concluded the discussion of the Meditations, after a few lectures devoted to the subsequent development of Cartesian thought, particularly in the Treatise on the Passions, we will move on to consider Locke's philosophy. In particular, all the salient themes of the Essay concerning  Human Understanding will first be presented: the critique of hymnatism (book one), the theory of ideas (book two), the philosophy of language (book three) and the distinction between opinion and certainty (book four). Once the analysis of this work is complete, some lectures will be devoted to Lockean political thought, developed in particular in the Second Treatise on Government and the Letters Concerning Tolerance.

The second part of the course will focus on the philosophies of Leibniz and Hume. Large portions of Monadology and Rational Principles of Nature and Grace will be read, commented upon and discussed in class, in order to investigate the concept of the monad, the Leibnizian philosophy of knowledge and the theory of pre-established harmony.
The last part of the course will be devoted to Hume. First of all, through a critical reading of parts of the Treatise on Human Nature, analogies and differences between Hume and Locke with regard to the theory of ideas will be highlighted. Then we will focus on the Humean theory of the passions, developed in the second part of the Treatise. Finally, a number of lectures will be devoted to presenting the general contours of Hume's reflection on morality and religion, which are mainly set out in his non-fiction writings.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Compulsory readings

Commented texts during the lessons (will be made available in the course materials);

R. Descartes, Meditazioni metafisiche, trad. it. a cura di S. Landucci, Roma-Laterza, 2019

J. Locke, Saggio sull'intelligenza umana, trad. it. a cura di C. Pellizzi, rivista da G. Farina, Roma -Bari, Laterza, 2021^IX (Epistola al lettore; Introduzione; Libro II; Libro IV: Capp. 1- 5).

Leibniz, Monadologia, trad. it. a cura di Salvatore Cariati, Milano, Bompiani, 2001

D. Hume, Opere filosofiche 1, Trattato sulla natura umana, edizione a cura di E. Lecaldano, Roma -Bari, Laterza, 2023^XIV (primo libro: parte prima; parte terza: sezioni I-VIII; libro secondo: parte prima, sezioni I e II).

 

2. 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:

Bruno, Machiavelli, Bacone, Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibniz, Montesquieu, Vico, Hume, Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, Kant, Fichte, Schelling, Hegel, Marx, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Croce, Wittgenstein, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Lukács, la Scuola di Francoforte, Foucault, Arendt.

 

3. Reading recommendations (will not be subject to examination)

Descartes

E. Garin, Vita e opere di Descartes, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1984

G. Crapulli, Introduzione a Descartes, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1989

J. Cottingham, Cartesio, Bologna, il Mulino, 1991

A. Gombay, Descartes, Torino, Einaudi, 2010

G. Mori, Cartesio, Roma; Carocci, 2010

J. Laporte, Il razionalismo di Descartes, Brescia, Morcelliana, 2016

E. Scribano, Guida alla lettura delle Meditazioni matafisiche, Roma -Bari, Laterza, 2023^V

Locke

C.A. Viano, John Locke. Dal Razionalismo all’Illuminismo, Torino, Einaudi, 1960

J. W. Yolton, John Locke, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1990

C.A. Viano, Locke, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1997

G. Di Biase, La morale di Locke: fra prudenze e «mediocritas», Roma, Carocci, 2012

M. Sina, Introduzione a Locke, Roma – Bari, Laterza, 2018^IX

Leibniz

B. Russell, Esposizione critica della filosofia di Leibniz (1900), trad. it., Milano, Longanesi, 1971

E.J. Aiton, Leibniz (1985), trad.it, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1986

M. Mugnai, Introduzione alla filosofia di Leibniz, Einaudi, Torino 2001

M.-T. Liske, , Leibniz, Bologna, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2007

V. Mathieu, Introduzione a Leibniz, Roma- Bari, Laterza, 2008^IX

Hume

M. Dal Pra, Hume e la scienza della natura umana, Laterza, Roma -Bari 1973

G. Foglia, Immaginazione e natura umana. Studio sulla teoria della conoscenza di David Hume, il Mulino, Bologna 1998

L. Greco, L'io morale. David Hume e l'etica contemporanea, Liguori, Napoli 2008

F. Laudisa, Hume, Carocci, Roma 2009

A. Santucci, Introduzione a Hume, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2018^IX

In addition to the texts mentioned in the bibliography at point 1, non-attending students are required to read the following texts in their entirety:

E. Scribano, Guida alla lettura delle Meditazioni metafisiche, Roma -Bari, Laterza, 2023V

A Pacchi, Introduzione alla lettura del «Saggio sull'intelletto umano» di Locke, Milano, Unicopli, 2008.

V. Mathieu, Introduzione a Leibniz, Roma- Bari, Laterza, 2008IX

F. Laudisa, Hume, Carocci, Roma 2009

Non-attending students should contact the professor via email to arrange an appointment.

 

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

The teaching materials, presented and discussed in class, will be made available on the ‘Virtual-Unibo’ platform.

 

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders are entitled to special adjustments according to their condition, subject to assessment by the University Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact teachers or Department staff, but make an appointment with the Service. The Service will then determine what adjustments are specifically appropriate, and get in touch with the teacher. For more information, please visit the page:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Cerrato