Ateneo - UPO

The course will focus on techniques for writing the philosophical essay.

Through targeted exercises, the course aims to provide students with the tools to analyse a) the argumentative structure and b) the rhetorical construction of philosophical texts.
At a more advanced level, the course aims at the development of independent writing skills for a scientific philosophical text (e.g. short essay/paper)

Excellent knowledge of written Italian and/or English.

Lectures and practical exercises.

Writing one part of a philosophical essay to be chosen from:
- introduction
- survey of literature
- critical analysis of an argument
- conclusion.
Assessment will depend on the achievement of the following objectives:
(a) argumentative adequacy of the essay (50%)
(b) mastery of technical vocabulary (25%)
(c) adequacy of bibliography (25%)

1.1 Introduction: what is a philosophical scientific text? What (do we) need to know how to analyse it? What is a 'philosophical debate'?
1.2 Reading and discussion of a proposed text.
2.1 What is an argumentation?
2.2 Argumentative forms and how to identify them in a philosophical text.
3.1 The structure of a philosophical text: literature survey.
3.2 The structure of a philosophical text: critical analysis and thesis.
4. The structure of a philosophical text: introduction, conclusion and abstract.
5.1 Enriching vocabulary: technical and other vocabulary.
5.2 Proposal and discussion of final papers by students.
6.1 Reading and discussion of a proposed text.
6.2 Time for questions: debate on case studies proposed by students.
7.1 Constructing a bibliography.
7.2 Revisions and corrections.
8. Time for questions.

Through the course the student will be able to
- [minimum objective] To enucleate the argumentative structure of a philosophical essay by identifying the type of argument presented and its goodness/validity/persuasiveness.
- [minimum objective] Know how to construct and write a bibliography appropriate to one's research and stylistically coherent.
- [main objective] To set up the writing of a philosophical essay with (a) an adequate argumentative structure and (b) mastery of technical language