Course Details

EUROPEAN STUDIES

GS0849

Course
EUROPEAN STUDIES
Code
GS0849
Academic Year
2024/2025
Curriculum Year
2022/2023
Degree Programme
POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES
Curriculum
A022 - Politico-sociale
Course coordinator
Lecturers
Credits
5
Lecture Hours
30
Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)
SPS/06 - History of International Relations
Course Type
Single-subject learning activity
Course Delivery
OPZ - Opzionale
Year
3
Teaching period
Primo Semestre
Campus
ALESSANDRIA
Teaching language
Italian
Course Contents
The course will consider the origin and the evolution of the idea of Europe and the idea of European unity in the ancient, modern and contemporary age. Then it will focus on the contributions by authors discussing these issue during the modern and contemporary epoch, even with reference to the process of European integration after the II World War.
In the final part, the course will examine the debate about the EU perspectives in the current historical period.
This course is connected to History of the idea of Europe (9 credits) directed to part-time students, that will add a focus on the debate about European identity and war in XXI century.
Reference Texts
C. Malandrino, S. Quirico, L'idea di Europa. Storie e prospettive, Roma, Carocci, 2020.

The students of the course "History of the Idea of Europe" will have to choose one of the following books:
1) Guido Crainz, Ombre d'Europa. Nazionalismi, memorie, usi politici della storia, Roma, Donzelli, 2022
2) Lucio Caracciolo, La pace è finita. Così ricomincia la storia in Europa, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2022
3) Vittorio Emanuele Parsi, Il posto della guerra. E il costo della libertà, Milano, Bompiani, 2022
Learning Outcomes
The students will learn the main ideas and theories concerning the European identity and the idea of Europe and of the process of its unification from the ancient to the modern and contemporary age.
Introduction to the political debate about Europe in the global age.
Prerequisites
General knowledge of the history of modern and contemporary political thought
Teaching Methods
The course will be mainly organized on the basis of traditional lessons by the teacher, but it will also offer exercises and seminars. Attendance is suggested
Additional Information
The teacher will discuss with the students the opportunity of programming an intermediate or final written test.
Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request
specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-
students-physical-or-learning-disabilities

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.
Assessment Methods
The final exam will be oral.
Evaluation criteria:
- 18-22: basic understanding of the texts;
- 23-26: good understanding of the texts and oral exposure;
- 27-30: excellent understanding of the texts, oral exposure and critical review of content.
Detailed Syllabus
After an overview on the development of the idea of Europe in the ancient and modern age, the course will focus on modern author as Machiavelli, Montesquieu and Voltaire, and on the peace issue theorized by Saint-Pierre and Kant. The ideal and institutional consequences of the XVIII-century American and French Revolution on the idea of European unity will be deeply examined. Particular attention will be even paid on the preparatory debate about the European unification and the related federal and confederal models from the XIX century to the first half of XX century, i.e. the political thought of the Italian Risorgimento (Cattaneo, Mazzini, Garibaldi), the Marxist stream (Bauer, Renner, Kautsky, Trockij, the Italian authors of the “Critica sociale”), the debate in the period between the I and the II World War (Einaudi, Agnelli, Cabiati, Coudenhove-Kalergi, Benda, Ortega y Gasset, Lord Lothian, Robbins), the Italian antifascist movement (Rosselli, Trentin, Spinelli, Rossi), after the II World War ((Monnet, Schuman, De Gasperi, Aron, Hallstein, De Gaulle, Spinelli, Thatcher, Delors, Kohl, Mitterrand), until the debate between XX and XXI century.
For the part time students of History of the idea of Europe the course adds a further part that will discuss the issues of European identity, nationalism and war.
Expected Learning Outcomes
The learning of the main ideas and theories concerning the European identity and the idea of Europe
Last update:09-09-2026 00:14:31