POLITICAL CONCEPTS AND METHODS

The course is a "characterizing" one in the domain of Political Science of the MA program in Comparative International Relations (RIC) for the curricula in America, East Asia studies, and Eastern European studies. It aims to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of political theory. Nonetheless, the course has not only the goal to provide students with an understanding of the primary and secondary bibliography related to the subject-matters, because it also aims to frame the social, political and cultural changes in the modern and contemporary world in the light of the fundamental political concepts.

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) get a snapshot of the modern and contemporary political vocabulary; 3) understand the methods by which these concepts have been obtained; 4) reflect critically and autonomously about them; 5) apply them to the different economic, political and cultural issues that animate our contemporary world. In order to achieve this result, the students will be familiarized with the basic aspects of the philosophico-political field and the main theoretical and interpretive traditions which have accompanied it.

Admission criteria are those required by the study programme LM60.

Course Topic: A Grammar of Politics

This 30-hour course aims to introduce students to some key modern political concepts, i. e. the concepts of “State”, “sovereignty”, “social contract theory”, “Constitutional State”, “public opinion”, “corporatism”, “equality”, "liberty", "citizenship", "representation", "pluralism" ecc. In order to understand them, it is necessary to exercise critical reflection, since political language is always ambiguous, always already subject to different interpretations, traversed by the long-term conflicts that emerged around them. This is also the reason why it is indispensable to situate these concepts within their own historical context. In the final part of the course, it will become possible to analyse some contemporary uses of such concepts, especially in the field of international relations and intercultural exchange.

Textbooks:
Nicola Matteucci, Lo Stato moderno. Lessico e percorsi, il Mulino, Bologna 1997 (or in later editions).
Robert E. Bedeski, The Evolution of the Modern State in China: Nationalist and Communist Continuities, in "World Politics", Jul., 1975, Vol. 27, No. 4 (Jul., 1975), pp. 541-568.
Sherman A. Jackson, Islamic Reform between Islamic Law and the Nation-State, in John L. Esposito, Emad El-Din Shahin (ed. by), The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2013, pp. 42-55.
Oscar Oszlak, The Historical Formation of the State in Latin America: Some Theoretical and Methodological Guidelines for Its Study, in "Latin American Research Review", 1981, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1981), pp. 3-32.

Textbooks:
Nicola Matteucci, Lo Stato moderno. Lessico e percorsi, il Mulino, Bologna 1997 (or in later editions).
Robert E. Bedeski, The Evolution of the Modern State in China: Nationalist and Communist Continuities, in "World Politics", Jul., 1975, Vol. 27, No. 4 (Jul., 1975), pp. 541-568.
Sherman A. Jackson, Islamic Reform between Islamic Law and the Nation-State, in John L. Esposito, Emad El-Din Shahin (ed. by), The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2013, pp. 42-55.
Oscar Oszlak, The Historical Formation of the State in Latin America: Some Theoretical and Methodological Guidelines for Its Study, in "Latin American Research Review", 1981, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1981), pp. 3-32.

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, 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 in the previous academic years, the exam will be oral. It will be structured in the following manner: students are required to answer four questions related to the contents developed within the course and the textbooks. Furthermore, the questions will be aimed to test the understanding of the conceptual contents and to develop the capacity to reflect critically on them. In order to pass the exam, at least three questions must be answered. The exam takes about twenty-five minutes.
The textbooks and the assessment methods are not different for non attending students. The latter are, though, invited to contact me (via email) in order to get an overview of the course.

The teaching will be delivered in a frontal style, but the student participation will be encouraged and an interactive classroom strategy will be developed.

Italian

At the end of the course, I will be available to provide students with a list of instructions about how to write an essay or an MA thesis.

oral

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