POETIC AND RHETORIC

The course offers an introduction to major philosophical problems at the poetic and rhetoric. It addresses themes of the tradition of rhetorical doctrine: its history, theory, and practice.
The conceptual foundations of literary and poetic studies are closely intertwined with questions of rhetoric: the course touches different disciplinary fields as philosophy of language, linguistics and contemporary epistemological perspectives.

The student, on successful completion of this module, will be able to:

1. identify theorical and historical-critical dimensions
2. critically engage with philosophical arguments organizing them
3. differentiate positions within the contemporary philosophical landscapes

There are no prerequisites.

From Rhetoric to Poetics

The course is centered on three themes: metaphor, image, and style. We will examine philosophical analyses of rhetoric, focusing on contemporary debates and consider their historical roots, with the aim of examining the implications for contemporary philosophy. Some of the topics that will be considered are proof, arguing, objectivity. Sources include philosophical analyses of literature and works of literature.

- Aristotele, «La retorica» (several editions)

- Roland Barthes, «Retorica antica», Bompiani

- Marc Fumaroli, «L’età dell’eloquenza. Retorica e «res literaria» dal Rinascimento alle soglie dell’epoca classica», Adelphi (a selection)

- Pierre Hadot, «Filosofia, dialettica e retorica nell'antichità», in Id., «Studi di filosofia antica» Edizioni ETS

- Carlo Ginzburg, «Rapporti di forza. Storia, retorica, prova», Feltrinelli (a selection)

Method of final evaluation: oral examination based on problems and readings considered during the course.

Method of instruction

The main teaching methods of the course are the lecture and the lecture-discussion. Every student will be encouraged to participate in the discussion of the materials (small group seminars and presentations).

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.

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