POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY II

The course is consistent with the goals of the degree program because it introduces students to the fundamental problems and concepts of political philosophy, with particular focus on the main theoretical and hermeneutic traditions. Therefore, the students will be able to orient themselves with greater awareness within the contemporary public debate.

Upon completion of the course, the students will have developed the ability to: understand the meaning of the texts and topics discussed in class; reflect critically on both their history and relevance; recognize their implications in the contemporary world.

A good level of general education is required.

Course title: The contractualist paradigm, from Hobbes to Kant
The course focuses on the classics of the social contract tradition: Leviathan (1651) by Thomas Hobbes, The Second Treatise on Government (1689) by John Locke, The Social Contract (1762) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the essay On the common saying: «That may be correct in theory, but it is of no use in practice» (1793) by Immanuel Kant. By examining the different theories of the social contract, the course will critically analyze some of the main concepts and problems of political philosophy, as it develops in Europe between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and as it influences the contemporary debate.

Textbooks:
Thomas Hobbes, Leviatano, (ed. by R. Sarti), Bompiani, Milano 2001: part I, chap. 13-16; part II, chap. 17-21, 26, 29-31;
John Locke, Il secondo trattato sul governo, (trans. by A. Gialluca, intro. by T. Magri), BUR, Milano 1998: chap. 1-13, 18-19;
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Il contratto sociale, (trans. by M. Garin, intro. by T. Magri), Laterza, Roma-Bari 1997: book I; book II; book III, chap. 1-8, 11, 16-18; book IV, chap. 1, 8-9;
Immanuel Kant, Scritti di storia, politica e diritto, (ed. by F. Gonnelli), Laterza, Roma-Bari 1995: chap. XI;
Stefano Petrucciani, Modelli di filosofia politica, Einaudi, Torino 2003.

For any further information on the social contract paradigm, please refer to:
John Wiedhofft Gough, Il contratto sociale (1936), il Mulino, Bologna 1986;
Norberto Bobbio, Michelangelo Bovero, Società e Stato nella filosofia politica moderna, il Saggiatore, Milano 1979;
Giuseppe Duso (ed.), Il contratto sociale nella filosofia politica moderna, Franco Angeli, Milano 1993;
Alberto Burgio, Per un lessico critico del contrattualismo moderno, La scuola di Pitagora, Napoli 2006;
Silvia Rodeschini, Stati di natura. Saggio sul contrattualismo moderno e contemporaneo, Carocci, Roma 2012.

For any further information on the nature of political philosophy, please refer to:
Leo Strauss, Che cos’è la filosofia politica? (1959), (ed. by D. Cadeddu), Nuovo Melangolo, Genova 2011;
Quentin Skinner, Significato e comprensione nella storia delle idee (1969), in Id., Dell’interpretazione, il Mulino, Bologna 2001, pp. 11-57;
Alessandro Passerin d’Entrèves, La filosofia della politica, in Storia delle idee politiche, economiche e sociali, (ed. by L. Firpo), Utet, Torino 1972, vol. VI, pp. 587-608;
Norberto Bobbio, Dei possibili rapporti tra filosofia politica e scienza politica (1971), Per una mappa della filosofia politica (1990), Ragioni della filosofia politica (1990), in Id., Teoria generale della politica, (ed. by M. Bovero), Einaudi, Torino 1999, pp. 5-39;
John Rawls, Quattro ruoli della filosofia politica, in Id., Giustizia come equità. Una riformulazione (2001), Feltrinelli, Milano 2002, pp. 3-7.

The final exam will be oral and will be related to the texts and to contents the discussed throughout the course and to the topics addressed within the textbooks.
The textbooks and the assessment methods are the same for non-attending students.

The teaching style will be traditional. Students’ participation will be encouraged.

Italian

Oral