HISTORY OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY

This course is part of the Master’s Degree of Philosophical Sciences. Its objective is to provide knowledge on the main ethical issues from a theoretical point of view and in their historical development. This knowledge is crucial for students to acquire the ability to think critically and to identify the theoretical, historical, and social dimensions of the multiple ethical and political challenges of the contemporary world and to evaluate them in a concise and in-depth manner. Particular attention is paid to a thorough reading and a critical analysis of the proposed philosophical works.

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.

General knowledge of history of philosophy and moral philosophy acquired during the Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy basic courses.

Title: Love and Its Forms in Kierkegaard’s Authorship

Kierkegaard is certainly the philosopher who better than any other was able to distinguish the various forms of love. In Kierkegaard’s authorship to each way of life, to each existential choice corresponds a particular way of loving. For him, love is aesthetic seduction, the ethical love found in marriage, the longing that turns a man’s soul towards God. The course aims at illustrating the connection between freedom of choice—at the basis of his theory of the stages of existence—and the three forms of love analyzed by Kierkegaard, focusing in particular on the choice of ethical love.

Students should choose two of the following Kierkegaard’s works:
S. Kierkegaard, Il diario del seduttore, tr. it. di A. Cortese, in Enten-Eller, tomo terzo, Milano, Adelphi, 1978 ed ed. successive.
S. Kierkegaard, Validità estetica del matrimonio, tr. it. di A. Cortese, in Enten-Eller, tomo quarto, Milano, Adelphi, 1978 ed ed. successive.
S. Kierkegaard, Ultimatum, tr. it. di U. Regina, Brescia, Morcelliana, 2018.
S. Kierkegaard, La ripetizione, tr. it. di D. Borso, Milano, Guerini e associati, 2001.
Further Reading
Students who are not able to attend, in addition to Kierkegaard’s works, should also read:

E. Rocca, Kierkegaard, Roma, Carocci editore, 2012.

The exam is oral.
During the interview, the students will have to demonstrate they have gained a thorough understanding of the topics covered during the courses as well as their knowledge of the recommended texts in the program.

The teaching is organized in a series of lectures.

written and oral