POLITICAL EPISTEMOLOGY

This class introduces political epistemology as a critical reflection on science and scientific culture at the intersection of various disciplinary lines of inquiry, which include:

a. the philosophy of science;
b. the history and sociology of science;
c. political theory.

This year’s class on political epistemology is devoted to the political epistemology of the Anthropocene. It will focus on two crucial texts:
1. Jürgen Renn, The Evolution of Knowledge (2020);
2. John Bellamy Foster, Capitalism in the Anthropocene (2022).
However, since the background against which the cultural debate about the Anthropocene should be understood, is that of eco-politics, the reading of the aforementioned sources will be accompanied by that of another important reference source:
3 Felix Guattari, The Three Ecologies.

The Anthropocene is a novel scientific and cultural coinage. It refers to a possible novel geological age marked by human-technological agency as a force of world transformation at the planetary level of the Earth system. Since it apparition idea about twenty years ago, the ‘Anthropocene’ idea has heavily affected cultural and political debates, especially those on environmental politics and philosophy.
The theme and the debates will first be introduced.
Guattari, The Three Ecologies constitutes an important starting point to reflect on the connection between politics, environmentalism and psychology today.
Renn’s The Evolution of Knowledge especially helps us understanding the scientific and epistemological dimensions of the geoanthropological transformation that is taking place.
Foster’s Capitalism in the Anthropocene points out the social, economic and political entanglements of our environmental conjuncture.
The two latter works, taken together, will offer an apt basis to reflect at once on the epistemological dimension and political challenges of the Anthropocene.

General objectives
• To introduce students to research in political epistemology;
• To explore the ways to connect the philosophy of science with the history of science;
• To address a crucial topic of political epistemology, namely the problems of science’s collective character and the politics of science;
• To become capable of reflecting of and discussing a philosophical classic in historical epistemology and critically interpret them in the light of political-theoretical concerns.

Specific objectives
• To explore the Anthropocene problematic;
• To assess the epistemological dimension of the Anthropocene as a geological concept and as an environmental problem;
• To explore the socio-political and economic roots of the Anthropocene.

• Enthusiasm and readiness to engage with challenging historical and philosophical discussions and readings;
• Knowledge of English, in order to read the materials and participate in the discussion

The meetings will have a seminar-like character, alternating frontal teaching and sources-based discussion.
Students will be introduced to the main problems of political epistemology, such as the political aprioris of science, the connection of science and power, knowledge property, knowledge economy, interests and knowledge, ideology and technocracy, science collectivism, etc.

Two texts on the Anthropocene and one in environmental philosophy will constitute the basis for an in-depth study and comprehension of the scientific, philosophical and political challenges of current geo-anthropological processes and actions.

The students are expected to read in advance the texts that constitute the focus of the various classes according to the course calendar.

Mandatory literature (selected parts):

1. Jürgen Renn, The Evolution of Knowledge, Rethinking Science for the Anthropocene (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2020).
2. John Bellamy Foster, Capitalism in the Anthropocene: Ecological Ruin or Ecological Revolution (New York: Monthly Review Press, 2022).
3. Felix Guattari, The Three Ecologies (London-New Brunswick, NJ: The Athlone Press, 2000).

Additional non-mandatory literature:

Pietro Daniel Omodeo, Political Epistemology: The Problem of Ideology in Science Studies (Dordrecht: Springer, 2019).

Referneces to further secondary literature will be made available during the classes or through Moodle.

Active participation to the classes and final oral examination on the sources and themes of the class.
The alternative of a written assignment might be considered.

The teaching will consist of:
• frontal teaching, in which the professor will introduce students to the topics of the course;
• and a dialogic seminar-like part, in which students will interact with their classmates and the professor on the basis of the texts they have been assigned and they have to read in preparation for the lessons.

English

oral

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