Ateneo - UPO

Introduction to Political Philsophy

1. Teacher notes posted on DIR 2.N.Bobbio-M.Bovero, Società e stato nella filosofia moderna, first part. 3.Will Kymlicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy, An Introduction. (Ch. 1, 2, 3, 5). 4. John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, (Introduction, ch.2, ch.3)
Other mateirals will be made available on DIR

objectives: The course intends to present undergraduate students with the basic approaches, issues and discussions of political philosophy. The students are required to do their weekly assignments and to participate in the discussions and mid-term tests. They will acquire the basic vocabulary of the discipline and learn how to argue on crucial issues.

Logical and linguistic abilities and historical knowledge acquired in high school.

. Lectures and seminars. For each unit, the teacher will post a list of questions on DIR. Students will practice to answer them. In seminar
a collective discussione on texts which the students will have read previously.

Students unable to attend classes for serious reasons are requested to contact the teache

The evaluation will be based on two written tests(Open questions) or on an oral inquisition. The active participation in class will count 20% of the final evaluation. The student reaches a sufficient preparation when she has leant and understood the theories of political obligation and of distributive justice (corresponding to 18-23/30). The student reaches an adequate preparation of she is capable of connecting and comparing the different theories (corresponding to 24-26/30). The student reaches an advanced preparation when she is able to express autonomous critical judgments and showes appropriate communicative capabilities both in the oral exposition and in the writtend text

The course will present the normative approach to political philosophy, the main issues, such as political obligation, legitimate authority, justice. Finally the main contemporary traditions of normative political philosophy will be analyzed. For each teaching unit the teacher will upload notes and questions on DIR

Students are expected to acquire: 1) a basic knowledge of the concepts and the approaches of the disciplines; 2) an overview of the topics at the center of contemporary debate in the disciplines; 3) a capacity of reconstructing philosophical arguments; 4) the ability of participating to a class discussion 5) communicative capabilities which will be tested both in the discussion and in the written test