PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY I

Philosophy of History is a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy course. Its objective is to provide the student with the knowledge and the critical tools to relate philosophical thoughts to historical facts. The goal is to verify the possibility of an interpretation of history, and to allow the students to develop critical awareness in relation to the past and the present of the cultural contexts in which they have to take responsibility and take on an active role.

Regular attendance and diligent individual study will allow students to:
a. gain an in-depth knowledge of basic philosophical terminology and understand the texts in which it is used;
b. understand the discipline’s fundamental issues and paths both from a conceptual point of view and from a historical point of view, which means to study them intelligently, grasping their sense and articulation;
c. develop independent judgment for evaluating such issues;
d. be able to critically analyze the texts proposed by the teacher;
e. demonstrate good oral and written presentation skills, in order to be able to elaborate a philosophical argument using appropriate terms;
f. finally, because it is a moral discipline, students should be aware that this course is not aimed at mere acquisition of knowledge, but also at developing a philosophical practice, as was the case in antiquity. Therefore, the course focuses on the issue of the construction of the self in philosophy as a way of life and as a way of thinking.

The only prerequisite is to have a solid cultural foundation.

Title: Understanding and Communicating History.

At the heart of "Fear and Trembling" lies Abraham’s story. In his analysis of this “beautiful story”, Kierkegaard develops some original, general considerations on history and how it should be understood and conveyed, that have been further taken up by storicism and existentialism. In particular, this course will first examine the character of the “sleepless”, showing how Abraham’s story should be understood and, more broadly, what it means for him to understand history. Then, starting from this specific approach, it will be shown how this story is told by Kierkegaard and how his narrative (account) is the most appropriate form of communicating history.

S. Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, tr. it. di C. Fabro.

Additional Readings:
Sudents should also choose one of the following texts:

• I. Adinolfi, Studi sull'interpretazione kierkegaardiana del cristianesimo, il melangolo, Genova 2012;
• I. Adinolfi, Il segreto di Abramo. Una lettura mistica di “Timore e tremore”, Genova, il melangolo, 2018;
• E. F. Mooney, Knights of faith and resignation. Reading Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, Albany, State University of New York Press, 1991;
• G. Garff, SAK. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard. Una biografia, Castelvecchi, Roma 2013, solo alcune sezioni;
• E. Rocca, Kierkegaard, Roma, Carocci editore, 2012;
• D. Sacchi, Le ragioni di Abramo. Kierkegaard e la paradossalità del logos, Milano, Franco Angeli, 2011.

The exam is written and oral.
Students are required to elaborate a short essay on the topic of the course (max. 20,000 characters including spaces). They will then present it and discuss it orally.

The teaching is organized in a series of lectures.

Italian

written and oral