PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY II

History of Moral Philosophy is part of the Bachelor's Degree Program in Philosophy. The goal of the course involves the fundamental concepts of ethics, such as justice, good, virtue, duty, freedom, in their various formulations. The course’s aim is therefore the critical learning of main ethical issues and problems in their historical development. Particular attention is paid to the knowledge of philosophical texts in order to develop the student’s reading and reflection skills.

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: In front of evil. Jewish Thought in the Twentieth Century Storm.

The first fifty years of the twentieth century are to be counted among the darkest that humanity has known, marked by two world wars and all forms of moral evil: from political hatred to racial persecution and mass extermination. It is no coincidence that in those years the reflection on evil of some great Jewish thinkers has reached a clarity and depth previously unknown.
The course will examine the moral thought of Hannah Arendt, Simone Weil, Etty Hillesum.

Notes from the course should be integrated with:
Hannah Arendt, La banalità del male. Eichmann a Gerusalemme, tr. it. di P. Bernardini, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1992;

and one of the following:

S. Weil, La rivelazione greca, tr. it. di M. C. Sala, Adelphi, Milano 2014;
S. Weil, Attesa di Dio, tr. it. di M. C. Sala, Adelphi, Milano 2008;
E. Hillesum, Diario, tr. it. di C. Passanti e T. Montone, Adelphi, Milano 2012;
E. Hillesum, Lettere 1941-1943, tr. it. di C. Passanti, T. Montone e A. Vigliani. Cura editoriale di R. Cazzola e di C. Di Palermo, Adelphi, Milano 2013.

Further reading:
Students who are not able to attend should also read:
I. Adinolfi (a cura di), Dopo la Shoah. Un nuovo inizio per il pensiero, Roma, Carocci, 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