Ateneo - UPO

Trasforming democracy for overcomicing its crisis

S. Petrucciani, Democrazia, Einaudi, 2014.
E. Biale, Interessi democratici e ragioni partigiane. Una concezione politica della democrazia, Il Mulino, 2018.
Un libro a scelta tra: N. Urbinati, Io il popolo, Il Mulino 2019. C. Crouch, Combattere la postdemocrazia, Laterza, 2020; J. Brennan, Contro la democrazia, LUISS 2023..

1. Knowledge of the basic approaches to sociology. 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.

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Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

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 aims to present the theory of contemporary democracy in an introductory manner. Starting from the critiques of the democratic ideal, the concept of democracy and reference models will be defined, and then political innovations that can overcome the crisis of the current systems will be outlined. Modules: 1. Journey to the End of Democracy. From Tocqueville to Trump. 2. The democracy of the ancients and the moderns. 3. Minimal democracy. 4. The discursive turn. 5. The epistocratic criticism. 6. Plebeian democracy. 7. A democratic transformation.

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 concerning the concepts of sovereignty, legitimacy, freedom, equality, and recognition;
2. (ability to apply knowledge and 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 and 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 concerning contemporary case studies;
4. (communication skills): to be able to present the knowledge acquired clearly and correctly, showing full command of the terminology and vocabulary of both disciplines;
5. (learning skills): to possess a good ability to analyze texts and connect the topics covered, demonstrating awareness of the problems arising in texts' interpretation and the ability to carry out individual in-depth studies.