MORAL PHILOSOPHY I

The aim of this course is to introduce the students to the comprehension of one of the main categories which has marked the development of philosophical anthropology and ethics.The notion of Soul will be introduced by reading the texts of two classical authors: Plato and St. Augustine. The relevance of their thinking will then be verified considering the debate opened by some places of K. Goedel's Nachlass.

The main goals of the course are:
a) to make the students able to formulate the theoretical problems about human life, connecting them to its essential features
b) to avoid reductive conceptions about human life, which do not take into account the effective experience of a human being

There are not any particular pre-requirements.

Title: What is the Human Soul? Theoretical contributions from Plato and Augustine.
1. Reading and commenting of selected passages from the following Plato's works: Phaedo, Meno, Republic, Phaedrus, Timaeus.
2. Reading and commenting of selected passages from the following Augustine's works: De quantitate animae, De libero arbitrio, Confessiones.
3. Some remarks about the irreducibility of the rational soul to a computational mechanisms (beginning with K. Goedel).

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR THE EXAM:
- Anthology (also in original language) edited by professor.
- Lecture notes edited by professor.
- P. Pagani, Introduzione alla filosofia, pro manuscripto, Lugano 1997.
These texts will provided by the professor during the course.
Possible differentiations of the programme will be pointed out during the lectures.

2. Classical Texts: Platone, Fedone, a cura di G. Reale, Bompiani, Milano 2000; Platone, Menone, a cura di F. Adorno, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1997; Platone, Repubblica, a cura di G. Lozza, Mondadori, Milano 1990; Platone, Fedro, a cura di M. Tondelli, Mondadori, Milano 1998; Platone, Timeo, a cura di G. Lozza, Mondadori, Milano 1994; Agostino, De quantitate animae, in Id., La grandezza dell'anima, a cura di P. Pascucci, Città Nuova, Roma 2009; Agostino, Confessioni, a cura di R. De Monticelli, Garzanti, Milano 1990; Agostino, De libero arbitrio, in Id., La felicità. La libertà, a cura di M.T. Fumagalli Beonio Brocchieri, Rizzoli, Milano 1995.

The written test will be composed of four open-ended questions (2h). After the evaluation, the written proof will be commented (by an assistant of the professor) with each student.

The course will based on head-on lectures, enhancing students’ contribution. Parallel to the course, a seminar will be held (by an assistant of the professor), which will guide the students throughout the reading and the comment of the main passages of the anthology.

Italian

Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion
Ca' Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). If you have a disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

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