This course aims to analyse and critically discuss the interplay between methodological assumptions and normative implications in contemporary political theories. At the intersection between theory, practice and political methodology, the course aims to assess the plausibility of practical and theoretical implications of the most relevant models in normative political theory.
Normative political theory deals with matters of justice that have a distinctively collective nature. At the intersection between different disciplines (political philosophy, political theory and ethics), normative political theory addresses both substantive topics (multiculturalism, pluralism, toleration, animal and environmental ethics, international justice), as well as methodological issues (public justification, realism and idealism in political theory, and so on). Normative political theory seeks to investigate practical problems employing the conceptual resources of political philosophy and/or of other disciplines.
This course aims to provide students with the necessary conceptual tools to better understand the relation between methodological and normative issues in contemporary political theories. At the end of the course, students
The course will be delivered in presence. The first section will consist of lectures in order to introduce the basic conceptual apparatus. The other section will also include seminars. Depending on the students’ availability, each section will be concluded by a seminar in which the students will present and critically discuss a possible solution to the problems raised by the course.
The design of this course follows a “Problem Based Learning” (PBL) methodology. Specifically, it seeks to address the practical and theoretical problem of implementing the demands of justice. How could normative theories of justice improve their capacity to be put in practice? And, what can the role of political theories be? These questions inhabit the whole history of political philosophy, in particular the opposition between idealism and realism, and are still present in contemporary debates.
The first part will be organized in different sub-sections, each of which will address the following questions:
For each sub-section, the students will be provided with a conceptual apparatus (for instance, concerning the merits and limits of realist or idealist approaches). The second part of the course will be run in a text-based approach, by reading and collectively commenting on major authors who have dealt with the following themes concerning the relation between normative theory and practice:
At the end of all sub-sections there will be a student seminar.
Parts of the following texts (to be discussed during the course):
Besussi, A., Biale, E. (a cura di) (2010), Fatti e principi. Una disputa sulla giustizia, Roma, Aracne, 2010.
Burelli, C. (2020), Realtà, necessità, conflitto: il realismo in filosofia politica, Roma, Carocci
Cohen, G.A. “Facts and principles” o estratti da Per la giustizia e l’eguaglianza
Elster, J. (2011), “How outlandish can imaginary cases be?”, The Journal of applied philosophy 28(3)
Forst, R (2021) Normatività e potere. Per l’analisi degli ordini sociali di giustificazione, Milano, Mimesis. (passi scelti)
Fraser, N. e A. Honneth, Redistribuzione o riconoscimento?: una controversia politico-filosofica, Meltemi, Roma
Gaus, G. (2016), Tyranny of the ideal: justice in a diverse society, Princeton & Oxford, Princeton University Press
Gilabert, P., Lawford-Smith, H. (2012), “Political feasibility: A conceptual exploration”, Political studies 60.
Honneth, A. (2016) L’idea di socialismo, Milano, Feltrinelli.
Laurence, B. (2021), Agents of change, Harvard University Press
Lawford-Smith, H. (2013), “Understanding political feasibility”, The journal of political philosophy 21(3)
Olin Wright, E. (2010) Envisioning real utopias, London, Verso, trad. it. Utopie reali.
Raekstad, R. e Saio Gradin, S. (2019) Prefigurative Politics: Building Tomorrow Today, Polity, Londra.
Rawls, J. (2002) Giustizia come equità, Feltrinelli, Milano.
Sen, A. (2006), “What do we want from a theory of justice?”, The journal of philosophy 103(5)
Southwood, N. (2018), “The feasibility issue”, Philosophy compass 13
Southwood, N., Wiens, D. (2016), “Actual does not imply feasible”, Philosophical studies 173
Wiens, D. (2015), “Political ideals and the feasibility frontier”, Economics and philosophy 31
Ypi, L. (2016) Stato e avanguardie cosmopolitiche, Roma-Bari, Laterza
Possible topics for the short essay:
The reading list might change before the course begins.
Ricevimento: Write an email to federico.zuolo@unige.it
FEDERICO ZUOLO (President)
CORRADO FUMAGALLI
MARIA SILVIA VACCAREZZA (President Substitute)
Paolo BODINI (Substitute)
MICHEL CROCE (Substitute)
25 september 2023
Attending students
- Short essay (3500words, to be handed in at least 1 week before) or student seminar during the course
+ oral examination discussing the essay or seminar and other course's themes
Non-attending students:
- Short essay (3500words, to be handed in at least 1 week before. Contact the professor to agree on an essay's topic) +
- Oral examination on the following titles from the reading list:
