PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

The course explores the models of the mind developed in the 20th century across disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, neurology, psychotherapy, and artificial intelligence. It shows how, compared to previous centuries, contemporary philosophy of mind takes as its starting point not the normal states of the mind but rather the abnormal, altered, and eccentric ones, such as pathologies, traumas, and behavioral disorders. In this genealogy, the course does not pursue the Gedankenexperiment of analytic philosophy, but instead identifies a very specific clinical, scientific, and experimental context that developed in the mid-twentieth century, at the intersection of German idealism, organicist neurology, radical psychotherapy, and French philosophy. The course focuses on the development of a complex paradigm of neuroplasticity, ranging from Kurt Goldstein's studies on the catastrophic reactions of the brain to Michel Foucault's history of madness. This paradigm of neuroplasticity is not presented in the abstract but, as already happened in the debates of French philosophy on madness, is discussed in relation to the social and historical context in which it takes shape. From this perspective, the models of the mind are also examined against the backdrop of theories of neurodiversity and the psychotherapeutic practices that animated political debates in Europe, from Franco Basaglia in Italy to Francesc Tosquelles and Félix Guattari in France. Students will be invited to discuss whether and how the models of mental order (and disorder) do or do not reflect the models of social order (and disorder).

By the end of the course, students will be able to understand the main contemporary theories of the mind, their socio-political context, and the history of ideas that influenced them.

No specific knowledge of the topics under investigation is expected. The course is mostly in Italian but also recommended for international students whose first language is not Italian.

Introduction to the course
The disciplines of the mind (from the perspective of historical epistemology)

Part I — Neuroplasticity starting from modern philosophy
Philosophy of madness in the modern age
Normation of madness in modern philosophy
Neuroplasticity in pragmatist psychology
Neuroplasticity in organicist neurology: abstract and concrete behavior
Neuroplasticity in organicist neurology: trauma and catastrophe
Pathology as neuroplasticity: the case of schizophrenia

Part II — Neurodiversity in contemporary philosophy
Theory of neurodiversity in the contemporary age
Neurodiversity and colonial modernity
Neurodiversity and contemporary Theory of Mind
Basaglia and radical psychiatry
Tosquelles and institutional psychotherapy
Guattari and institutional psychotherapy

Conclusion

- Goldstein, Kurt. Human Nature in the Light of Psychopathology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1940.
- Fanon, Frantz. Decolonizing Madness The Psychiatric Writings Of Frantz Fanon. London: Palgrave, 2019.
- Foot, John. The Man Who Closed the Asylums. London: Verso, 2015.
- Chapman, Robert. Empire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism. London: Pluto Press, 2023.
- Robcis, Camille. Disalienation: Politics, Philosophy, and Radical Psychiatry in Postwar France. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2021.
For further readings, see the syllabus distributed in class.

The oral exam consists of three parts. In the first part, knowledge of the main themes and concepts of the course — summarized in the slides presented at each lesson — will be assessed. For the second part, students are required to prepare and present the main volumes among those discussed during the course, as agreed upon with the instructor. In the third part, students will be asked to present a critical and personal perspective on the paradigms analyzed in 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.

Grading will follow the department's guidelines.

Lectures, class discussions, student presentations, seminars with invited speakers.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development