PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY I

The course is part of the Moral Philosophy subject field (M-FIL/03). Its objective is to enable students to acquire knowledge and to understand the historical development of Ethics and of Anthropology, through a reflection on their relationship and through a depth historical survey of some of their major figures and the reading and commentary of their writings.

Regular attendance and diligent individual study will allow students to:
a. gain an in-depth knowledge of basic philosophical terminology and understand the texts in which it is used;
b. understand the discipline’s fundamental issues and paths both from a conceptual point of view and from a historical point of view, which means to study them intelligently, grasping their sense and articulation;
c. develop independent judgment for evaluating such issues;
d. be able to critically analyze the texts proposed by the teacher;
e. demonstrate good oral and written presentation skills, in order to be able to elaborate a philosophical argument using appropriate terms;
f. finally, because it is a moral discipline, students should be aware that this course is not aimed at mere acquisition of knowledge, but also at developing a philosophical practice, as was the case in antiquity. Therefore, the course focuses on the issue of the construction of the self in philosophy as a way of life and as a way of thinking.

The only prerequisite is to have a solid cultural foundation.

The philosophical conception of man and the philosophy of history in the work of Kierkegaard

“A human being’s eternal dignity lies precisely in this, that he can gain a history. The divine in him lies in this, that he himself, if he so chooses, can give this history continuity, because it gains that, not when it is a summary of what has taken place or has happened to me, but only when it is my personal deed in such a way that even that which has happened to me is transformed and transferred from necessity to freedom” (S. Kierkegaard, Either/Or).
Freedom of choice is a central category in Søren Kierkegaard's thought, both for his conception of man and for his philosophy of history. It is treated in different ways in the three phases of existence with which the Danish philosopher structures human experience. Freedom is denied by the aesthete in the name of destiny, which defies every human design; it is affirmed by the ethicist as a necessity in the moral development of the self and its projection in the world; it is problematized by the Christian in the dialectic of faith that corresponds to a God active in history and the world, which ultimately points beyond history and the world.

Students who have attended the course should choose one of the following Kierkegaard’s works:

S. Kierkegaard, Il riflesso del tragico antico nel tragico moderno, tr. it. di L. Liva, il melangolo, Genova 2012;
S. Kierkegaard, L’equilibrio tra l’estetico e l’etico nell’elaborazione della personalità, in Enten-Eller. Un frammento di vita, tomo V, tr. it. di A. Cortese, Adelphi, Milano 1989;
S. Kierkegaard, Timore e tremore, tr. it. di C. Fabro, BUR, Milano 1998;
S. Kierkegaard, Briciole filosofiche, tr. it. di U. Regina, Morcelliana, Brescia 2012.

Additional readings:
Students should also choose one of the following texts:

I. Adinolfi, Studi sull'interpretazione kierkegaardiana del cristianesimo, il melangolo, Genova 2012;
I. Adinolfi, Il segreto di Abramo. Una lettura mistica di "Timore e tremore", il melangolo, Genova 2018;
G. Garff, SAK. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard. Una biografia, Castelvecchi, Roma 2013;
N. Germano, Etica, religione e letteratura nel tempo del nichilismo. Un percorso kierkegaardiano, Edizioni dell'Orso, Alessandria 2022;
C. Stephen Evans, Kierkegaard: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press, New York 2009;
K. Harries, Between nihilism and faith: a commentary on Either/or, De Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2010.

The evaluation will be based on a oral exam. The assessment will concern the knowledge and the clear exposition of themes and problems of the course.

The teaching is organized in a series of lectures.

Italian

Ca' Foscari applies 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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