Ateneo - UPO

Theories of society and politics: political power, legitimacy and recognition.

Rahel Jaeggi, Robin Celikates, Filosofia sociale: un'introduzione, Firenze, Le Monnier-Mondadori, 2018

Nancy Fraser, Axel Honneth, Redistribuzione o riconoscimento?, Milano, Meltemi, 2020

Thomas Piketty, Capitale e ideologia, La Nave di Teseo, 2020

Lecture handouts with an anthology of excerpts from the following authors: Machiavelli, Montesquieu, Nietzsche, Weber, Schmitt, Arendt, and Foucault (handouts will be uploaded to DIR).

Max Weber, La scienza come professione. La politica come professione, Torino, Einaudi, 2004

Carl Schmitt, Le categorie del politico: saggi di teoria politica, Bologna, il Mulino, 2013

Hannah Arendt, Responsabilità e giudizio, Torino, Einaudi, 2010

Foucault, La volontà di sapere, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2019

1. Knowledge of the basic approaches to social philosophy and the history of political thought. 2. Capability to unpack texts and arguments in the field of social and political thought and to understand their main concepts.

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

Lectures, reading and comment of texts, discussions.

Registration on the DIR page of the courses is suggested.

Oral exam and active participation.
The student reaches a sufficient preparation when she has learnt and understood a basic knowledge of the issues and of the concepts of sovereignty, liberty and recognition. The student reaches an adequate preparation if she is capable of connecting and comparing the different theories. The student reaches an advanced preparation if she is able to express autonomous critical judgements and show appropriate communicative capabilities.

The course, divided into two modules, aims to introduce two closely related disciplines in an introductory way: social philosophy and the history of political thought.
The subject of the first module is the conflict for equality between redistribution and recognition; the topic of the second module is the presentation of the debate between the theorists of the paradigm of state sovereignty and some of their critics (Machiavelli, Montesquieu, Nietzsche, Weber, Schmitt, Arendt, Foucault).

In order to achieve the knowledge and corresponding skills at the basic level, students will have to demonstrate:
1. (knowledge and understanding): to have acquired sufficient knowledge of some classic texts of social and political thought in their disciplinary specificity, and of the different theoretical positions with respect to the concepts of sovereignty, legitimacy, freedom, equality, and recognition;
2. (ability to apply knowledge understanding): to be able to recognize the main lines of argument and conceptual structure of the texts and theories analyzed;
3. (autonomy of judgment): to be able to compare correctly the different issues considered;
4. (communication skills): to be able to present clearly and correctly the knowledge acquired;
5. (learning skills): to have acquired sufficient ability to analyze texts and connect the topics covered.

For the attainment of an advanced level, one must demonstrate:
1. (knowledge and understanding): to have acquired a thorough knowledge of themes and authors in social philosophy and the history of thought, with particular reference to theories of recognition and the theory of sovereignty;
2. (ability to apply knowledge understanding): to be able to reconstruct accurately and thoroughly the theoretical-political debates of modern and contemporary authors, and to recognize the different methodologies and interpretive perspectives adopted;
3. (autonomy of judgment): to be able to critically compare the different theories analyzed, also to develop an autonomous view with respect to contemporary case studies;
4. (communication skills): to be able to present the knowledge acquired in a way and clear and correct, showing full command of the terminology and vocabulary of both disciplines;
5. (learning skills): having acquired a good ability to analyze texts and to connect the topics covered, demonstrating awareness of the problems related to the interpretation of texts and the ability to carry out individual in-depth studies.