The course aims to analyze some of the main lines of Western political thought of modernity and the contemporary age , identifying the constitutive moments , the tensionie , the consequences for the contemporary world.The course theme is the relationship between constituent power and constituted power framed in key moments of the formation of political modernity and in the long process of crisis and transformation of the figures of modern political thought in the history of the twentieth century until the threshold of the third millennium.

The first part of the course will be devoted to the understanding of continuity, and broken between the political philosophy of late medieval and the genesis of modern political theory, identifying the two decisive moments in reflection Machiavellian and theological-political doctrines of the Reformation and the Counter ( with a digression on the Arab political thought of the decline). Particular attention will play following the study of the scientific paradigm Hobbesian and its relevance to later thinkers, both in partial perspective of continuity -Locke - and in that criticism more or less radical - the Scottish Enlightenment, Spinoza. A third important step is given by the analysis of the American and French revolutions, interpreted as times when the rush theoretical tensions generated in the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but which at the same time open to the political reflection of the contemporary age. The latter will be highlighted the emergence of the issues of democracy and socialism as a theoretical spaces of collective emancipation, and then switch to a synthetic reconstruction of the debate on totalitarianism, and finally to a brief discussion of the concepts of "social state", welfare and progressive democracy after World War II.

No bridging courses.

At the end of the course the students must have developed the following abilities and competences:

1. contextualize the complexity of the studied topics and recongnize them in similar political and social situations;

2. clearly communicate to expert and non-expert interlocutors the theoretical achievements of the studied analysis, by a genetical reconstrucion and a focusing on the problematic issues;

3. acquire a critical and autonomous ablity to afford social and political themes (both in method and in contents) similar to those considered duting the course.

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

Teaching

Lecturers

Attendance

No attendance is required.

Course books

Alessandro Pandolfi (a cura di), Ordine e mutazione. Figure, concetti e problemi del pensiero politico moderno, Ombre corte, Verona 2014, starting from the chapter on Hobbes

Gianluca Bonaiuti, Vittore Collina, Storia delle dottrine politiche, Seconda Edizione, Le Monnier, Firenze 2015, le seguenti parti: Parte seconda, pp. 109-229; Parte terza, Premessa (pp. 233-236), Capitolo 1 (pp. 237-292), Capitolo 2, paragrafi 1 (pp. 293-297), 2 (pp. 297-299), 3 (pp. 299-318) 4 (pp. 319-333), 7 (pp. 369-401)

A selected number of articles or chapters of books chosen in agreement with the professor, who can be conctacted by e-mail or during the office-hours. 

Assessment

Oral examination, directed to verify both the ability to synthesize information and the comunicative and the expressive skills of the students, as well as the achievement of the suitable political language.

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.

Course books

Alessandro Pandolfi (a cura di), Ordine e mutazione. Figure, concetti e problemi del pensiero politico moderno, Ombre corte, Verona 2014, starting from the chapter on Hobbes

Gianluca Bonaiuti, Vittore Collina, Storia delle dottrine politiche, Seconda Edizione, Le Monnier, Firenze 2015, le seguenti parti: Parte seconda, pp. 109-229; Parte terza, Premessa (pp. 233-236), Capitolo 1 (pp. 237-292), Capitolo 2, paragrafi 1 (pp. 293-297), 2 (pp. 297-299), 3 (pp. 299-318) 4 (pp. 319-333), 7 (pp. 369-401)

A selected number of articles or chapters of books chosen in agreement with the professor, who can be conctacted by e-mail or during the office-hours. 

Assessment

Oral examination, directed to verify both the ability to synthesize information and the comunicative and the expressive skills of the students, as well as the achievement of the suitable political language

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.