HISTORY OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY

The course is part of the core curriculum of the Master's Degree of Philosophical Sciences. In line with the degree programme, its educational objective is to provide knowledge of the main ethical issues both from a theoretical perspective and especially in their historical development. This knowledge is indispensable for students to acquire critical thinking skills that enable them to identify the theoretical reasons and the historical and social dimensions of the many ethical and political challenges of the contemporary world and to evaluate them in an impartial, wise and thorough manner. Particular attention is paid to the precise reading and critical analysis of the philosophical works on offer.

The course will allow students to:

A. Understand the discipline’s fundamental issues and paths both from a conceptual point of view and from a historical point of view, which means studying them intelligently, grasping their sense and articulation;
B. Develop independent judgment for evaluating such issues;
C. Be able to critically analyze the texts proposed by the teacher;
D. Demonstrate good oral and written presentation skills, to be able to elaborate a philosophical argument using appropriate terms;
E. 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 the history of philosophy and moral philosophy acquired during the Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy basic courses.
NB My courses analyze authors who are placed between philosophy and literature such as Pascal, Kierkegaard, Dostoevskij, Weil, etc. So they are aimed at students with a knowledge of literature, as well as philosophy.

Love and Its Forms in the Work of S. Kierkegaard

Kierkegaard held that the manner in which we love is what most profoundly defines us. The work of the Danish philosopher may be read as a journey through the various forms of love, in which the fundamental possibilities of existence are reflected. In it, Kierkegaard stages – through his pseudonyms– diverse figures of loving, each bound to a particular mode of life and to a distinct relation to oneself and to the other.
In the first stage, the aesthetic, love takes the form of seduction. The figure exemplifying this stage is the seducer of the celebrated Diary in Either/Or: here, the other is not acknowledged in their reality but becomes the object of a subtle and calculated game. Love is consumed in the instant, in possibility, in the art of distance and delay. Seduction lives by intensity and surface, and for that very reason, reveals its own inconsistency: the aesthete, incapable of choice, remains a prisoner of boredom and dispersion.
Opposed to this instability is the ethical form of love, which finds its privileged expression in marriage. Within the ethical horizon, to love is to choose: to choose the other and, at the same time, to choose oneself in the continuity of time. Marriage transforms love from a fleeting event into a lasting commitment, grounded in fidelity and responsibility. Here, love acquires depth and stability, yet it remains within a human dimension, governed by reciprocity and duty.
In the Ultimatum of Either/Or, love finally opens itself to the religious perspective, which does not merely transcend the ethical, but inwardly radicalises it. Here, love is no longer simply inclination or choice, but an absolute relation to God. The dynamics of this opening were further explored by Kierkegaard in a work following Enten-Eller, Repetition, a text that marks the definitive transition to the religious stage.

Exam Syllabus

The examination syllabus consists of the following texts:
• S. Kierkegaard, Il diario del seduttore, trad. it. di A. Cortese, Milano, Adelphi, 1972 (and subsequent reprints).
• S. Kierkegaard, La difesa estetica del matrimonio, trad. it. di A. Cortese, Milano, Adelphi, 1977 (and subsequent reprints).
• S. Kierkegaard, La ripetizione. The recommended translation is the one by D. Borso, published by Guerini e Associati in 1991 and later by BUR.

Should the student already possess other translations of The Seducer's Diary, they are equally acceptable.

The exam is an oral examination focusing on the key theoretical issues addressed in the works studied during the course.

oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

A. Scores in the range of 18-22 will be awarded to those who demonstrate:
• sufficient knowledge and understanding of the program.
B. Scores in the range of 23-26 will be awarded to those who demonstrate:
• a fair knowledge and understanding of the program.
C. Scores in the range of 27-30 will be awarded to those who demonstrate:
• good or excellent knowledge and understanding of the program.
D. The grade of 30 cum laude will be awarded only to those who demonstrate:
• outstanding knowledge and understanding of the program.

The teaching is organized in a series of lectures.

Ca' Foscari applies Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). If you have a disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.