OVERVIEW

The study of political phenomena and of the idea of a well-ordered society has always been one of the central fields of philosophy. The course in political philosophy analyses some fundamental themes of political philosophy and their enduring relevance for contemporary societies.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will acquire the theoretical tools needed to explore the field of contemporary theories of justice; such theories will be analyzed in their conceptual structure, their lexicon, and their historical roots. Students will study in depth some topics of contemporary debate (the role and value of freedom, the nature of oppression, the meaning of equality, the justification of democracy), thus learning how different theoretical approaches deal with the problem of political justice, and critically discussing the characteristics of each approach.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Acquiring the fundamental conceptual coordinates and the lexicon necessary to map and understand the contemporary debate of normative political philosophy.

Knowing the main currents of contemporary normative political philosophy.

Knowing how to apply the categories and concepts of political philosophy to analyse the problems and topics of the contemporary debate.

PREREQUISITES

None

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures, class discussions.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Models of normative political philosophy. In the first part of the course, the main contemporary theories of political justice and injustice will be presented and analyzed. In the second part of the course, we will analyze and discuss some specific normative problems that are central in contemporary political philosophy.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

For 6 credits:

Two readings from the following list:

(foreign students may read these texts in English or in their own language, if the translation is available)

S. BENHABIB, I diritti degli altri, Milano, Cortina, 2006.

N. FRASER e A. HONNETH, Redistribuzione o riconoscimento?, Roma, Meltemi, 2007.

J. HABERMAS, L’inclusione dell’altro, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2013.

R. NOZICK, Anarchia, stato e utopia, Milano, Net, 2005.

S.M. OKIN, Le donne e la giustizia: la famiglia come problema politico, Bari, Dedalo, 1999.

C. PATEMAN, Il contratto sessuale, Bergamo, Moretti & Vitali, 2015

P. PETTIT, Il repubblicanesimo, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2000.

A. SEN, La diseguaglianza. Un riesame critico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2010.

M. WALZER, Sfere di giustizia, Bari, Laterza, 2008.

I.M. YOUNG, Le politiche della differenza, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1996.

As a guide to the choice and study of these books (not included in the program for the oral exam) you may consult L. Cedroni e M. Calloni (a cura di), Filosofia politica contemporanea, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2012, or J, Christman, Social and Political Philosophy, London, Routledge, 2002.

For 9 credits:

Three readings from the following list:

(foreign students may read these texts in English or in their own language, if the translation is available)

S. BENHABIB, I diritti degli altri, Milano, Cortina, 2006.

N. FRASER e A. HONNETH, Redistribuzione o riconoscimento?, Roma, Meltemi, 2007.

J. HABERMAS, L’inclusione dell’altro, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2013.

R. NOZICK, Anarchia, stato e utopia, Milano, Net, 2005.

S.M. OKIN, Le donne e la giustizia: la famiglia come problema politico, Bari, Dedalo, 1999.

C. PATEMAN, Il contratto sessuale, Bergamo, Moretti & Vitali, 2015

P. PETTIT, Il repubblicanesimo, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2000.

A. SEN, La diseguaglianza. Un riesame critico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2010.

M. WALZER, Sfere di giustizia, Bari, Laterza, 2008.

I.M. YOUNG, Le politiche della differenza, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1996.

As a guide to the choice and study of these books (not included in the program for the oral exam) you may consult L. Cedroni e M. Calloni (a cura di), Filosofia politica contemporanea, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2012, or J, Christman, Social and Political Philosophy, London, Routledge, 2002.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

VALERIA OTTONELLI (President)

FEDERICO ZUOLO

CORRADO FUMAGALLI (Substitute)

ALBERTO GIORDANO (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

21 February 2023

Class schedule

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral and written exam. The oral exam can be partially replaced by a written essay (only for attending students).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral part of the exam is aimed at ascertaining the student's knowledge of the theories analysed during the course, with a special focus on their conceptual structure, their distinctive technical language and their implications for political institutions. The written essay (which for those who attended can substitute for part of the oral exam) should not consist in a mere summary of the existing literature, but it is meant to ascertain the student's ability to elaborate an autonomous critical perspective concerning a specific point or theme among those analysed during the course.

Exam schedule