The course aims at providing the necessary skills in order to grasp a contemporary philosophical text. To this purpose, the course provides students with the necessary tools in order to:

- elaborate an appropriate historical-social contextualization of a contemporary philosophical text;

- identify the prior philosophical streams setting up the framework of a given philosophical work and be confident with the text’s features that make them identifiable (by focusing in particular on the traits of lexical permanence, on the recursion of argumentative methods, on shared philosophical objectives).

- pick out the original features that characterize a single work of contemporary philosophy within its philosophical tradition;

- be able to grasp the stratified character of a philosophical text and to subsequently, possibly identify its weaknesses;

- identify the weak points of a philosophical text also concerning logical fallacies (e.g. incoherence between assumptions and consequences; begging the question; semantic vagueness);

- identify the possible weaknesses of a philosophical work that are due to the simultaneous presence of divergent and incoherent philosophical traditions within the text (that may also stand beyond the explicit author’s purposes).     

The lessons are devoted to Antonio Labriola's (1843-1904) interpretation of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' Manifesto of the Communist Party and some key aspects of the so-called 'materialist conception of history'. The course will start with historical background, reading, and commentary on Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto (1848) based on the translation prepared by Labriola himself in 1902. It will then move on to a historical-philosophical background of Labriola's thought and character, and finally to the reading and commentary of the first In Memory of the Communist Manifesto (1895) and the second Historical Materialism. Preliminary Explanation (1896) of his Essays on Materialist Conception of History.
    Linked to the work carried out since 2007 in the framework of Antonio Labriola's National Edition, critical-textual indications will also be provided.

Timing of the course

- Introduction to the discipline and the syllabus. Illustration of the methodological features of "History of Contemporary Philosophy" and commentary on the contents of the syllabus

- The Communist Party Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels I. Historical and biographical context of its authors, political-theoretical genesis and goals

- The Communist Party Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels II. Reading and commentary on the four sections of the pamphlet: 1. Bourgeois and Proletarians; 2. Proletarians and Communists; 3. Socialist and Communist Literature; 4. Position of the Communists to the Various Existing Opposition Parties

- Antonio Labriola philosopher and politician. Background of Antonio Labriola within contemporary philosophy, retracing the main stages of his intellectual biography

- Labriola's political evolution. The Birth of the Essays on the Materialistic Conception of History

- Historical materialism. Genesis of the concept and its meaning, reading, and commentary on Karl Marx, Preface to For the Critique of Political Economy (1859)

- Antonio Labriola, In Memory of the Communist Manifesto. Reading and commentary on the main sections of the text: 1. the Manifesto between memory and commemoration; 2. the 'kernel' of historical materialism, i.e. the philosophy of history; 3. 'critical communism' and its opponents; 4. the advent of communism as a 'morphological prediction'

- Antonio Labriola, Historical Materialism. Preliminary explanation. Reading and commentary on the main sections of the text: 1. "verbalism" and its risks; 2. historical narrative and the relationship between base and superstructure; 3. ideology and forms of consciousness; 3. historical progress and its limits; 4. the birth of scientific socialism; 5. morality, art, and religion within the framework of historical materialism and the historical narrative

No

Knowledge and understanding

- Acknowledgment of the importance of the political-social context for the elaboration of philosophical theories of the contemporary age;

- Ability to detect the peculiar features among alternative forms of philosophical argumentation within a shared philosophical, political and cultural tradition.    

 Applying knowledge and understanding

- The student will be able to master the essential theoretical and lexical tools in order to gain the ability to autonomously read and interpret a philosophical work of the contemporary age;

- The student will be able to appreciate the important role of a correct socio-historical contextualisation for an adequate understanding of the texts of the contemporary age.      

 Making judgements

- The student will develop an appropriate critical ability in order to identify the eventual discrepancies between single philosophical texts and their philosophical tradition;

- The student will develop an autonomous capacity in order to properly evaluate the contradictions and the weak reasoning of a philosophical argumentation.   

 Communication skills

- The student will be provided with the necessary skills in order to present to an audience, even not a specialized one, the core issues of a contemporary philosophical text, by focusing in particular on the historical context, on the lexical and argumentative peculiarities within a given philosophical tradition, on the contradictions, weakness and shortcomings from a logical-argumentative point of view.

 Learning skills

- At the end of the course the student will be provided with the necessary tools for an autonomous study of a philosophical text of the contemporary age;

- The student will understand the meaning and importance of the philosophical lexicon, and of extra-philosophical materials, that are essential in order to gain a deep insight of the political-cultural context of a text. This knowledge will allow the student to autonomously approach to the appropriate bibliographical researches.

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

No

Teaching

Lectures.

The lectures consist mainly of reading and exegesis of the texts, without neglecting specific links to the philosophical context.

Attendance

The regulations of the degree course in "Humanities, Cultural Heritage Studies and Philosophy" do not require students to attend lectures.

The status of attending student requires attendance of at least 2/3 of the lessons (24 hours). If attendance is lower or non-existent, the student must comply with the obligations indicated for non-attending students.

Course books

Texts:

• Karl Marx - Friedrich Engels, Il manifesto del partito comunista, ed. Antonio Labriola, in Id., In memoria del manifesto dei comunisti, aggiuntavi la traduzione del Manifesto (= Edizione Nazionale, vol. VIII), ed. A. Burgio, Bibliopolis, Napoli, 2021, pp. 61-96
• Antonio Labriola, In memoria del manifesto dei comunisti, aggiuntavi la traduzione del Manifesto (= Edizione Nazionale, vol. VIII), a cura di A. Burgio, Bibliopolis, Napoli, 2021, pp. 9-59 and notes to the text (= pp. 201-239)
• Antonio Labriola, Del materialismo storico. Dilucidazione preliminare (Edizione Nazionale, vol. IX), a cura di L. Punzo e D. Bondì, pp. 9-103 and notes to the text (= pp. 231-258)
• Short primary sources in PDF format inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

  2. Literature (mandatory):

• D. Bondì, «Bisogna che per lo meno scriva». Antonio Labriola e il marxismo in Italia, «Giornale critico della filosofia italiana», XCIX (2020), 3, pp. 464-492 and Id., Chi può dire io credo e chi può dire io non credo? La teoria morfologica di Antonio Labriola, «Filosofia italiana» XVI (2021), 1, pp. 13-30
• A. Burgio, Un marxismo «alquanto aristocratico». Saggi su Antonio Labriola, DeriveApprodi, Bologna 2023, pp. 61-161

  3. Literature (optional):

• M. Gabella, La rivoluzione come problema pedagogico. Politica e educazione nel marxismo di Antonio Labriola (1890-1904), il Mulino, Bologna 2022
• M. Gargani, La teoria del materialismo storico di Antonio Labriola, «Archivio di storia della cultura» XXX (2020), pp. 159-187
• S. Miccolis, Antonio Labriola. Saggi per una biografia politica, a cura di A. Savorelli, Unicopli, Milano 2010
• S. Poggi, Introduzione a Labriola, Laterza 1982
• L. Punzo, Antonio Labriola. Filosofia della praxis e impegno politico e civile, Biblion, Milano 2022
• A. Savorelli, «La filosofia c'è e non c'è». Labriola e gli hegeliani di Napoli, in L. Punzo (a cura di), Antonio Labriola. Celebrazioni del centenario della morte, Edizioni Università di Cassino, Cassino 2006, vol. III, pp. 503-522
• K.Marx-Friedrich Engels, Il Manifesto del partito comunista, tr. it. di E. Cantimori-Mezzomonti, a cura di B. Bongiovanni, Einaudi, Torino 2019
• K. Marx-F. Engels, Il manifesto del partito comunista, a cura di D. Losurdo, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2023
• M. Rubel, Karl Marx. Saggio di biografia intellettuale. Prolegomeni a una sociologia etica, Colibrì Edizioni, Milano 2001

Assessment

The examination consists in an oral exam. Students are required to read and comment on single passages of the texts. Students are expected to be able to grasp the main theoretical features of the examined passages and to be able to contextualize them within the text, eventually with reference to the secondary literature.

Particular attention is given to the oral exposure’s capacity through the proper terminology.

Students are expected to be able to develop a critical approach to the theories they studied. In the evaluation, particular attention will be given to the student’s ability to autonomously reformulate the materials they dealt with and to their ability to make comparisons between the authors they studied.

Assessment criteria:

- Excellent marks will be awarded for: a clear and precise exposition of the exam texts; the ability to link the various positions of the authors studied; good critical and in-depth study skills.

- Good marks will be awarded for: a clear, albeit mnemonic, presentation of the examination texts; a reasonable ability to link the various theories; only a reasonable level of critical ability and appropriate language.

- Sufficient marks will be awarded for: minimal knowledge of the examination texts; a general ability to link the various theories studied; possession of only sufficiently appropriate language.

- Negative marks will be awarded for: poor knowledge of the examination texts; obvious gaps in training; use of inappropriate 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.

Teaching

Non-attending students may contact the professor during office hours to request explanations regarding the content of the texts.

Attendance

Students who do not attend classes, whether in full or with less than 2/3 attendance (24 hours), must strictly follow the study texts indicated.

Non-attending students are also required to contact the professor at least three months in advance of the scheduled date of the exam in order to verify the possible need for supplementary readings useful for the exam.

Any supplementary readings are different from and in addition to those already indicated in the study texts for non-attending students and have the only purpose of further supporting the student in dealing with the study texts. The supplementary readings do not, therefore, constitute a specific subject in the assessment. 

Course books

Texts:

• Karl Marx - Friedrich Engels, Il manifesto del partito comunista, ed. Antonio Labriola, in Id., In memoria del manifesto dei comunisti, aggiuntavi la traduzione del Manifesto (= Edizione Nazionale, vol. VIII), ed. A. Burgio, Bibliopolis, Napoli, 2021, pp. 61-96
• Antonio Labriola, In memoria del manifesto dei comunisti, aggiuntavi la traduzione del Manifesto (= Edizione Nazionale, vol. VIII), a cura di A. Burgio, Bibliopolis, Napoli, 2021, pp. 9-59 and notes to the text (= (= pp. 201-239)
• Antonio Labriola, Del materialismo storico. Dilucidazione preliminare (Edizione Nazionale, vol. IX), a cura di L. Punzo e D. Bondì, pp. 9-103 and notes to the text (= pp. 231-258) 
• Short primary sources in PDF format inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

  2. Literature (mandatory):

• D. Bondì, «Bisogna che per lo meno scriva». Antonio Labriola e il marxismo in Italia, «Giornale critico della filosofia italiana», XCIX (2020), 3, pp. 464-492 and Id., Chi può dire io credo e chi può dire io non credo? La teoria morfologica di Antonio Labriola, «Filosofia italiana» XVI (2021), 1, pp. 13-30
• A. Burgio, Un marxismo «alquanto aristocratico». Saggi su Antonio Labriola, DeriveApprodi, Bologna 2023, pp. 61-16
• S. Poggi, Introduzione a Labriola, Laterza 1982
• A. Savorelli, «La filosofia c'è e non c'è». Labriola e gli hegeliani di Napoli, in L. Punzo (a cura di), Antonio Labriola. Celebrazioni del centenario della morte, Edizioni Università di Cassino, Cassino 2006, vol. III, pp. 503-522

  3. Literature (optional):

• M. Gabella, La rivoluzione come problema pedagogico. Politica e educazione nel marxismo di Antonio Labriola (1890-1904), il Mulino, Bologna 2022
• M. Gargani, La teoria del materialismo storico di Antonio Labriola, «Archivio di storia della cultura» XXX (2020), pp. 159-187
• S. Miccolis, Antonio Labriola. Saggi per una biografia politica, a cura di A. Savorelli, Unicopli, Milano 2010
• L. Punzo, Antonio Labriola. Filosofia della praxis e impegno politico e civile, Biblion, Milano 2022
• K.Marx-Friedrich Engels, Il Manifesto del partito comunista, tr. it. di E. Cantimori-Mezzomonti, a cura di B. Bongiovanni, Einaudi, Torino 2019
• K. Marx-F. Engels, Il manifesto del partito comunista, a cura di D. Losurdo, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2023
• M. Rubel, Karl Marx. Saggio di biografia intellettuale. Prolegomeni a una sociologia etica, Colibrì Edizioni, Milano 2001

Assessment

The examination consists in an oral exam. Students are required to read and comment on single passages of the two texts. Students are expected to be able to grasp the main theoretical features of the examined passages and to be able to contextualize them within the text, eventually with reference to the secondary literature.

Particular attention is given to the oral exposure’s capacity through the proper terminology.

Students are expected to be able to develop a critical approach to the theories they studied. In the evaluation, particular attention will be given to the student’s ability to autonomously reformulate the materials they dealt with and to their ability to make comparisons between the authors they studied.

Assessment criteria:

- Excellent marks will be awarded for: a clear and precise exposition of the exam texts; the ability to link the various positions of the authors studied; good critical and in-depth study skills.

- Good marks will be awarded for: a clear, albeit mnemonic, presentation of the examination texts; a reasonable ability to link the various theories; only a reasonable level of critical ability and appropriate language.

- Sufficient marks will be awarded for: minimal knowledge of the examination texts; a general ability to link the various theories studied; possession of only sufficiently appropriate language.

- Negative marks will be awarded for: poor knowledge of the examination texts; obvious gaps in training; use of inappropriate 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.

In the exam, students are required to have all the texts in the syllabus (both primary and secondary literature) with them in hard copy.