The course is intended to lead the student in the lecture of philosophical classics.

Particular attention will be reserved to the acquisition of the specific philosophical terminology and to the analysis of fondamental problems and concepts considered and discussed.

The objective of the course is to examine a few fundamental themes in the historical and conceptual development of western thought, from Antiquity to Modern Age. Through  a reading of Seneca’s Letters and Spinoza’s works (particularly his Ethics) the close relation established by both authors among ontology, physics, psychology and ethics will be considered. The understanding of reality – considered as a whole and as a totality of things (God, nature, the world) – associated to the investigation on man’s physical and psychological nature in his relation to the whole, allow the existence of ethics and the search for human well-being (beatitudo, libertas, happiness).

Prerequisited are not required

Knowledge and understanding
The student will be able to understand and explain the philosophical text examined, to master the philosophical terminology, and to discuss critically the topics which have been dealt in the course.
 

Making judgments
The student will demonstrate independent judgment in the evaluation of the philosophical theories studied and ability to rework personal knowledge.
 

Learning skills
The student will be able to acquire new knowledge and skills, in order to access to additional training levels.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Seminars.

Informations about seminars dates will be published on the Moodle https://blended.uniurb.it/moodle/

Teaching

Lectures. Seminars.

Attendance

The course requires a regular attendance (at least 2/3 of the lectures). Alternatively, please make use of the informations for not attending students.

Course books

A. Texts
Seneca, Lettere a Lucilio, a cura di G. Monti, testo latino a fronte, 2 voll., Rizzoli, Milano 1998 (scelta di lettere che verrà pubblicata, durante il corso, sulla piattaforma https://blended.uniurb.it/moodle/).
B. Spinoza, Etica, a cura di E. Giancotti, Editori Riuniti, Roma, or reprint Edizioni Pgreco (attending students).
Spinoza. Pagine scelte, a cura di P. Cristofolini e I. Gaspari, ETS, Pisa 2015 (non attending students).

B. Literature
P. Grimal, Seneca, Garzanti, Milano 1991 (Parte seconda. Un filosofo estraneo alla scuola,  pp. 166-289).
L. Vinciguerra, Spinoza, Carocci, Roma 2015  or  S. Nadler, Baruch Spinoza e l'Olanda del Seicento, tr. it. di D. Tarizzo, Einaudi, Torino 2009r.

C. Literature (Handbook)
G. Cambiano, Storia della filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2004, 2009r.

D. Recommanded Literature
G. Reale, La filosofia di Seneca come terapia ai mali dell’anima, Bompiani 2016r.
C. Jaquet, L'unità del corpo e della mente. Affetti, azioni e passioni in Spinoza, tr. it. di R. Carbone, Mimesis, Milano 2013.
P.-F. Moreau, Spinoza e lo spinozismo, a cura di D. Truzzi e F. Tomasoni, Morcelliana, Brescia 2007.
S. Nadler, Spinoza filosofo morale, a cura di M. Favaretti Camposampiero, Jouvence, Milano 2015.

Assessment

Oral exam on all the material at point A, B, C.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Not attending students can contact the teacher in the office hours to ask for explanations about the program and the content of the texts for the exam.

Attendance

Please contact the teacher at least two months in advance of the scheduled date of the exam.

Course books

To the material reported at points A, B , C of Course books, the non attending student will add a text chosen amongs those indicated at point D.

Assessment

Oral exam on the texts of the program.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.