OVERVIEW

This course is an introduction to theoretical philosophy. It explores the notion of personhood, which involves important concepts such as the concept of mind, consciousness, emotion, autonomy and free will. This learning-teaching activity is intended to make the student acquainted with the contents, the argumentative techniques and the ways of reasoning in use in contemporary philosophy.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will receive essential information about the contemporary discussion on the notion of personhood and on the most relevant  concepts involved in it.

They will be expected to acquire the capacity to reflect in a critical way about philosophical issues, and use suitable vocabulary to discuss concrete cases and examples.

Students will learn to use their skills to build up opinions about philosophical themes founded on coherent and solid arguments.

They will acquire the capacity to orient themselves in philosophical and argumentative texts in general, and to read them critically.

TEACHING METHODS

The course will not consist only of lectures, introducing the main issues of the course and analyzing concepts and problems, but  requires active participation by all students. The participants will be involved in exercises of philosophical analysis and argumentation, in the clarification and discussion of philosophical concepts and concepts in common use.

The slides used during the lectures will be made available on Aulaweb.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Conditions of personhood
When we act we make use of concepts that guide our actions in an explicit or implicit way. In the context of education, an obvious assumption of educational praxis is that we operate in relation to persons and with persons. A "person" is considered as a bearer of rights and as a subject of duties; s/he has a very peculiar nature, clearly distinguished from that of other beings, as well as having a peculiar "value." However, the concepts we presuppose in every field of our life are not always unambiguous nor clearly definable. This especially applies to the concept of person, which is now subjected to new challenges, coming from neuroscience, from the projects to build artificial entities with self-consciousness, but also from our deeper sensitivity to our relation with non-human animals, our increased knowledge of them, as well as from our clearer awareness of the multiplicity of cultures and of the relativity of their views of the human being.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Compulsory reading:

1) One of the following books
- R. Spaemann, Persone. Sulla differenza tra “qualcosa” e “qualcuno”, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2007.
- R. De Monticelli, La novità di ognuno. Persona e libertà, Milano, Garzanti, 2009.

2) P. Perconti, L'autocoscienza. Cos'è, come funziona, a che serve, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2008.

3) One of the following books:

- D.C. Dennett, La mente e le menti. Verso una comprensione della coscienza, Sansoni, Milano, 1997.
- E. Peroli, Essere persona. Le origini di un'idea tra grecità e cristianesimo, Morcelliana, Brescia, 2006.
- I. Kant, Fondazione della metafisica dei costumi, qualunque edizione integrale (si consiglia: Laterza, 2005, € 9; oppure Rizzoli, 1995, € 10,50; o Bompiani, 2003, € 10,50 – tutte con testo a fronte)
- R. Esposito, Terza persona. Politica della vita e filosofia dell’impersonale, Einaudi, Torino, 2007.
- Siamo davvero liberi? Le neuroscienze e il mistero del libero arbitrio, a cura di M. De Caro, A. Lavazza, G. Sartori, Codice Edizioni, Torino, 2010.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CLAUDIO LA ROCCA (President)

ALESSANDRA MODUGNO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

February 21, 2017

Class schedule

INSTITUTIONS OF TEORETICAL PHILOSOPHY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam: discussion on the proposed readings

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The aim of the oral exam is to assess 1) the student's ability to orient her/himself in texts; 2) the student’s capacity to identify underlying concepts and argumentative techniques; 3) the student’s capacity to understand and carry out philosophical reasoning and to deal with  philosophical questions. It intends to verify not just knowledge but the acquisition of skills of analysis and discussion of philosophical issues.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Foreign students can arrange with the teacher to read texts in English or in other languages