PHILOSOPHICAL TOOLS TO UNDERSTAND THE PLANET'S HISTORY

What are the Humanities?
Doing Humanities is not simply studying outside the laboratory as the iconic site of research of hard sciences.
It implies a philosophical method and a historical perspective, that when numerical measurement usually gives out, allows us to back on our capacity to imagine narratives – indeed, on ‘humanity’.
Terence, an ancient Roman playwright, already 2000 years ago wrote "I am a human being, nothing that is human is alien to me", so the humanities should mean the sum total of humans’ activities, to the societies that humans have constructed, but what happens when we add the adjective "environmental" to the humanities?
It means to take into account a very complex system of biodiversity and geological mutability which has its own history, as the history of science teaches us.

The aim of the course is to learn how to think critically about the geological past of our Planet and the social history of the multiple relationships that human beings have woven with other living organisms over time and geographical space and to use the philosophical approach to environmental issues as a tool to analyse the complexity of these issues today, to project ourselves into the future of the Planet without abandoning ourselves only to mathematical models.

To become capable of reading, analyzing, studying and then discussing philosophical sources and critically interpret them.
Possess, and apply, a historical perspective to current issues.
To critically re-elaborate pieces of information about environment and science policy making received by medias or scientists.
To discuss and argue their own analysis of them, also by the technique of the philosophical debate ("disputatio").

Curiosity, enthusiasm and readiness to engage with challenging historical and philosophical discussions and readings. Being willing to dive into the core of the humanities.
Being open minded, being willing to know diverse approaches to environmental issues even those far from one's own beliefs.

After an introduction to what the history of science is and what is that typically human product that is scientific knowledge, we will focus on what it means to use a historical perspective in the argumentation on environmental issues.
If we all agree that the study of philosophy falls within the humanities, it is more difficult to establish whether geography is a natural or social science. Why is it not immediately clear? We will discuss it together to decide where to place geology. Why is it important to understand the distinction and whether it is possible to make it? Because concepts such as the Anthropocene do not move from humanistic to geological discourse without consequences, as we have learned from the recent decisions of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS).
The first part of the course will illustrate the conceptual and methodological tools that Philosophy and the History of Science offer to orient oneself in that indistinct set of theories and practices linked to tthe environmental discourse..
In the second part, lessons will be dedicated specifically to natural disasters as subject of analysis from an Environmental Humanities approach. In this case, volcanos and earthquakes are "tools for thinking" the transdisciplinarity of certain socio-political dynamics, the relationship between the development of scientific disciplines and sites of observation of nature, human intentionality and the materiality of the environment, the multidimensionality of catastrophes since the modern age. We will also face risk perception, management and prevention in history. Finally, we will discuss if environmental crisis is a catastrophe and, if it is the case, to what extent.
The students will also attend some workshops given by professionals, for examples, from the world of Journalism, Architecture, Climate Sciences or Biotechnologies, etc., on topics ranging from the origin of the relationship between tourism and climate change to the regeneration of urban peripheries. These are workshops with different approaches and subjects, so the students, using what they have learnt in the first part of the course, will have to demonstrate that they are able to critically re-elaborate the pieces of information received, discuss and argue their own analysis of the lectures.

References to papers and book chapters will be given, distribuited and updated during the development of the course, as well as content, summaries and the order of each lesson. So, you have to wait until the end of the course to get the final and complete list.

However, we will study some parts of:

- Dodds J.W., The Place of the Humanities in a World of War, Vital Speeches of the Day, 1943. Vol 9, Iss 10, pp. 311-314
- Zanoni E., Luciano E., Antonio Stoppani’s ‘Anthropozoic’ in the context of the Anthropocene, BJHS, DOI 10.1017/s0007087422000590
- Arendt, Between Past and Future (1961) [any edition];
- Armiero M., Wasteocene: Stories from the Global Dump, Cambridge University Press, 2021;
- Grafton H. & Torrence R. Natural Disasters and Cultural Change. London New York: Routledge, 2002
- Guerra C. & Piazza M., Disruption of Habits during the Pandemic, Milan, Mimesis International, 2022
- Horn E., The Future as Catastrophe: Imagining Disaster in the Modern Age, Translated by V. Pakis. Columbia University, 2018

The students’ preparation will be verified through:

- their active participation in the classes
- a final oral exam
- presentations to the class / essay on one workshop (optional).

The aim is to offer each student the opportunity to express their skills to the fullest.

oral

18-19: partial basic knowledge of the course contents
20-23: basic knowledge of the course contents
24-27: good knowledge of the course contents with a partial autonomous application of conceptual tools and disciplinary content
28-30: very good knowledge of the course contents and autonomous application of conceptual tools and disciplinary contents
30 Lode: excellent knowledge of the course contents, excellent application of conceptual tools and disciplinary contents

The course is divided into two parts, the first one more based on theories, the second one more focused on case studies, with the active participation of students and workshops by international professionals from different fields of research.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development