POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY I

The course fits into the degree course, because it allows students to know some of the major philosophical-political positions and their underlying concepts. Having achieved this result, students should be able to better evaluate the grounds of political obligation and to understand the main issues that animate the contemporary political debate.

By the end of the course, the students should be able to 1) understand the meaning and the scope of the concepts discussed during the course; 2) reflect critically about them; 3) apply them to the different political issues that animate our contemporary world.

Students must have a good level of general education.

Course topic:
Democracy: history and significance

The course will analyze texts which are helpful for addressing the fundamental issues of democracy. It will get into the heart of the matter, by using a method that is both historical and normative and inquiring into some structural problems of this political system (the relation between particular will and general will, equality and freedom, majority and minority, the historical transformations of the representative system induced by the genesis of party politics, Norberto Bobbio's problematic of the "broken promises" of democracy, the aims and the scope of the deliberative rethinking of democracy etc.).

Textbooks:
J.-J Rousseau, Il contratto sociale, in Id., Scritti politici, ed. by M. Garin, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1994, vol. II, Libri I, II.
Alexis De Tocqueville, La democrazia in America, ed. by N. Matteucci, UTET, Torino 2014 or the BUR edition (Libro primo, Parte prima, Capitolo terzo: L'assetto sociale degli anglo-americani; Libro primo, Parte seconda, Capitolo primo: Perché si può affermare….è il popolo a governare; Libro primo, Parte seconda, Capitolo terzo: La liberà di stampa… ; Libro primo, Parte seconda, Capitolo quinto: Il governo della democrazia in America; Libro primo, Parte seconda, Capitolo settimo: L’onnipotenza della maggioranza ….; Libro secondo: Parte prima, Capitolo primo: Il metodo filosofico degli americani…. ; Libro secondo, Parte prima, Capitolo secondo : La principale fonte delle credenze …. ; Libro secondo, Parte seconda, Capitolo decimo : L'amore del benessere materiale in America).
Hans Kelsen, La democrazia, trans. by G. Melloni et al., il Mulino, Bologna 2010.
Joseph A. Schumpeter, Capitalismo, socialismo, democrazia, trans. by E. Zuffi, Etas, Milano 2001, pp. 225-289.

The following list does not cover the textbooks. It covers some texts I could mention during the lectures.

J. Habermas, Solidarietà fra estranei, trad. it. di L. Ceppa, Guerini, Milano 1997.
J. Habermas, Storia e critica dell'opinione pubblica, trad. it di A. Illuminati, F. Masini e W. Perretta, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2005.
J. Habermas, Teoria dell'agire comunicativo, trad. it di P. Rinaudo, il Mulino, Bologna 1986, 2 voll.
Th. Hobbes, Leviatano, ed. it. di A. Pacchi, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2014.
H. Kelsen, Lineamenti di dottrina pura del diritto, ed. it. a cura di M. G. Losano, Einaudi, Torino 1966.
N. Luhmann, Potere e complessità sociale, trad. it. di R. Schmidt e D. Zolo, il Saggiatore, Milano 2010.
J. Rawls, Una teoria della giustizia, ed. it. di S. Maffettone, Feltrinelli, Milano 1983.
J.J. Rousseau, Contratto sociale, in Id., Scritti politici, ed. it. a cura di M. Garin, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1994.
M. Weber, Economia e società, ed. it. a cura di P. Rossi, Edizioni di Comunità, Torino 1986.

As for the oral exam, students are required to answer four questions, related to the contents of the textbooks discussed during the course.
The textbooks and the assessment methods are not different for non attending students.

The course will be realized by using the frontal lecture as teaching method. However, the student participation will be encouraged.

Italian

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development