INTRODUCTION TO POLITICS MOD. 1

Introduction to Politics è un insegnamento che rientra tra le attività formative di base del corso PISE.
Per questo corso è obbligatorio utilizzare la piattaforma moodle: questo infatti è un corso blended e la metà delle ore di insegnamento si svolge in aula virtuale. Al fine di un efficace apprendimento dei contenuti si raccomanda di utilizzare il forum di moodle e le risorse on line.
Questo è il link per accedere alla piattaforma Moodle
https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=2569
Chiave d'accesso: intro2

Conoscenza e comprensione
Alla fine del corso gli studenti:
- conosceranno diversi autori e idee classiche del pensiero politico antico e moderno:
- saranno capaci di riflettere sull'evoluzione storia del pensiero politico europeo.
- potranno analizzare un testo filosofico-politico.

Applicare conoscenza e comprensione
Alla fine del corso gli studenti sapranno:
- avranno sviluppato una prima capacità di analisi di un linguaggio politico o di una teoria;
- saranno capaci di riflettere storicamente sulle idee politiche.

Abilità comunicative
Alla fine del corso gli studenti avranno mgliorato le loro abilità comunicative orali nella lingua inglese attraverso le presentazioni in classe che vengono proposte su base volontaria e attraverso le discussioni che si svolgono in classe sui temi del corso.

Previous philosophical knowledge is very useful, but not mandatory. Active participation is encouraged.

The course will be an introduction to the main authors and ideas of political thought from their origins (from Aristotle to Augustine) and Medieval times (Marsilius of Padua) up to the modern European thought (f. e. Machiavel, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau).

Religion and Politics. A Philosophical Issue

The exams will be oral and will focus on the texts and topics covered in the lessons, the texts indicated in the program and the research materials available on the dedicated online platform.

In particular, the following texts will be discussed in depth in class (each English language edition is however valid):
Saint Augustine, The City of God, in Writings, voll. 6 e 7, The Catholic University of America Press, 2008, books IV, VI, VIII, XIX.
Marsilius of Padua, The Defender of the Peace, Cambridge University Press, 2005, Section I, IV-VI; section II, VIII-X.
N. Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, The University of Chicago Press, 1998, book I, 10-15.
T. Hobbes, Leviathan, section II-III.
J.J. Rousseau, The Social Contract and other later political writings, Cambridge University Press, 1997, book IV, 8.

These texts should be read, in any English edition, and therefore they are included in the exam:
N. Machiavelli, The Prince
Augustine, The Confessions

For a handbook introduction to the authors we are addressing in the classes should be studied:
Alan Ryan, On Politics: A History of Political Thought from Herodotus to the Present, Penguin 2013. In particular chapters 5, 8, 11, 12, 15.

As shorter, but more detailed introductions to individual authors should be studied:
H. Chadwick, Augustine: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford 2001.
Cary. J. Nederman, Machiavelli, Oneworld Beginner’s Guide, London 2019.
R. Tuck, Hobbes: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford 2002.
R. Wokler, Rousseau: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford 2001.

For a short historiographical introduction to the topic of the course please read:
W. Gentile, Political religion: a concept and its critics – a critical survey, in «Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions», Vol. 6, No. 1, 19–32, June 2005.

A seminar on "What is politics" will be organized in four sessions, on which more detailed information will be given at the beginning of the course.

Update April 2020:

Among all the changes of this period, also change the methods of the exam. Unfortunately, as you know, it will not be possible to take the exams in presence and, for this reason, we have decided to modify the exam converting it into a written exam.
We have chosen to have a written exam taking into account many factors and we believe that it is the best solution, also considering that the exam will be in more than a month and a half, an appropriate time to prepare you for this new method. But above all we have chosen to do written exams also to simplify and smooth your task, so don't worry.
The exam will consist of a written essay, in response to one or two open questions, and for this reason we invite you to study right now by highlighting the links between the authors and the topics examined.
We will then inform you about the technical methods for the online exam, but in the meantime we wanted to inform you as soon as possible about the new method of examination so that you can prepare for it.
We are available for any doubt or question, either via email or by organizing online office hours and meetings, even in small groups.

Durante il corso si alterneranno momenti di lezione frontale durante le quali il docente fornirà le coordinate concettuali dei vari argomenti trattati a momenti di discussione e brevi lavori di gruppo su un compito assegnato.

English

written