What relationship exists between philosophy and educational processes and what can - and should - the educator learn from the study of philosophy? As the history of this discipline attests, philosophy is not only abstract thought but it is above all the wonder in front of what is and contains the fundamental question about the meaning of the world in which we find ourselves living and of the events that take place in it. they perform. Since the Greek paideia, its connection with education - and with the education of the child and adolescent in the first place - is consubstantial: philosophy and Bildung are intertwined in the aim of promoting the autonomy of the subjects included in the educational relationship , starting from the implementation of the critical power of thought and the attempt to understand the totality of reality and historical processes; at the same time, philosophical education already contains in itself the objective of overcoming all exclusion and of a complete democratization of culture. This is what we will deal with in the first part of the course.

In the second part we will deal with some of the main figures and currents in the history of Western philosophy, from the ancient to the contemporary world, trying as far as possible to read them in relation to educational problems. Some of the main general problems that cross the history of philosophy will also be treated.

This second part of the course will take place in parallel with a more in-depth reflection on a particular issue, namely on the philosophical repercussions of the great transformations of our society connected to the pandemic and the war that broke out immediately after.

In fact, no philosophical lessons seem to have remained after the pandemic. The health emergency has brought out the contradictions of capitalist societies, exhausted by decades of neoliberal policies - under the banner of the war on wages and the rights of the subaltern classes, privatizations, deregulation and the dismantling of welfare - which have always made them more unequal. Unable to imagine a different model of society and certain of its own unshakeable eternity, the West believed that the "Chinese virus" only affected backward countries or those deemed authoritarian and that it could never spread to efficient and transparent liberal societies. Instead of taking seriously the experience of other realities that managed the emergency better, thanks to the ability of the state and politics to guide the economy and production and by subordinating private interests to those of the majority, it denied them any recognition , to the point of acquiring himself an extreme risk due to an excess of hubris. Not even the philosophical debate has escaped this suicidal incapacity to open up to the other: both the abstract right-wing positions inspired by universalist liberalism, and the particularist and populist sovereignism – which represents not the alternative of liberalism but a conservative split – in fact share faced with the state of exception Western suprematism, with the refusal to elaborate a concrete universalism and to think of a different configuration of the relationship between the individual, civil society and the State but also of the relations between nations.

Three years later, it seems that the hope for a general change in the functioning of our societies and in the relationship between politics and the economy, the state and private interests has completely failed. While the ongoing war, which stages a gigantic conflict between blocs in Ukraine that will decide the trends of the new world, shows the persistence, on the economic and geopolitical terrain, of the same dynamics that have brought to the brink of the abyss the old world. A gigantic new concentration of power looms in the West, as international conflicts and the global power struggle escalate.

The course therefore has the following educational objectives:

- help students understand the main authors and fundamental concepts of the history of philosophy, with particular attention to the political and social implications of these concepts (universal/particular; social classes; modern/antimodern/postmodern; right/left, recognition/discrimination; democracy/authoritarianism, etc. etc.) and their effects on education;

- help them understand the complexity of the historical process that led to democratic institutional forms in the West and their unfinished expansion but also to understand the historical and political paths that led to the affirmation of political regimes other than liberal ones;

- help them understand the profound, material and cultural reasons for the current crisis of liberal democracy and the ongoing conflicts in the world;

- help them to orient themselves in the political-cultural context in which the educational processes of the contemporary world take place starting from the theoretical elements

0.1. Philosophy and educational processes

0.2. From the Greek Paideia to the formation of the neoliberal man

0.3. Gramsci and Gentile

1.1. Plato and Aristotle

1.2. Descartes and Spinoza

1.3. Hume and Kant

1.4. Hegel and Nietzsche

1.5. Positivism

1.6. Marxism and the Frankfurt School

1.7. Existentialism, Hermeneutics, Nihilism

1.8. Ecology and Globalization

1.9. History

1.10. Philosophy of education

2.1. Historical crises and capitalist naturalism

2.2. The Specter of the “Totally Other”: China and the West

2.3. Limit the contagion or take a risk yourself?

2.4. Construction and criminalization of the enemy

2.5. Liberal democracies and "authoritarian regimes" in the state of exception

2.6. Democracy or democracies?

2.7. Liberal democracy and socialist democracy

2.8 Concrete universalism and dialectic of inclusion in Tianxia, the "way to Heaven"

3.1. The philosophers' virus 1. Exception and repression

3.2. The philosophers' virus 2. Immunization and exclusion

3.3. The virus of the philosophers 3. The individual and the other

3.4. The virus of the philosophers 4. Liberalism and "grand lord anarchism"

3.5. Poverty of the critique of biopolitics

3.6. Nihil sub sole novum?

3.7. So that everything changes.

3.8. So that nothing essential changes. A new economic plunder?

3.9. So that nothing essential changes. A further concentration of power?

4.1. Rebuilding modern democracy or overcoming it towards post-modern forms of democracy?

4.2. The crisis of the West and the "world war in pieces"

None.

In relation to the discipline, the student must show:

Knowledge and understanding:
- Knowledge of the authors and of the fundamental themes of the History of Philosophy presented in class in the general part and studied in the textbooks and understanding of the fundamental concepts addressed (see Educational objectives);
- Knowledge of the cultural, historical-philosophical and socio-political dynamics exposed in class in the monographic part and studied in textbooks and understanding of the processes that have innervated them;

Applied knowledge and understanding:
- Ability to orient oneself in the contemporary cultural debate and to understand the elements that today can strengthen or further the democratic diffusion of philosophical knowledge.

Making judgments:
- Ability to take an autonomous position with respect to the main nodes of the cultural debate and contemporary historical-political conflicts (e.g.: conflict of freedoms; centralization and spectacularization of power; migrations; "conflicts of civilization", etc. etc.)

Communication skills:
- Ability to communicate the themes of the history of philosophy and the problems addressed in class and in textbooks in the forms appropriate to a basic university study; ability to use them and pour them into educational work as well.

Ability to learn
- On the basis of the knowledge acquired through the course, the student must be able to autonomously build paths of critical reflection and in-depth analysis and to understand which readings and experiences can help him in this sense.

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

Support seminar by the teacher's collaborators (10 hours).
In the second half of the semester, a formative (self)evaluation test will be carried out online, useful for the students in order to become aware of the level of understanding of the programs carried out and evaluate the degree of their preparation and the effectiveness of the method of studying the subject.

Teaching

Lectures and seminar.

Attendance

At the beginning of the course a verification of the initial preparation of the students inherent to the main historical-philosophical problems may be carried out. On this basis, students will attend an intensive seminar to strengthen their skills.

Course books

- Stefano G. Azzarà: Il virus dell'Occidente. Universalismo astratto e sovranismo particolarista di fronte allo stato d'eccezione, Mimesis, Milano 2020: pp. 7-94, 121-251, 299-375.

- Emiliano Alessandroni: Dittature democratich

- F. Coniglione, M. Lenoci, G. Mari, G. Polizzi: Manuale di base di storia della filosofia. Autori, indirizzi, problemi, Firenze University Press, Firenze 2009.
The parts to be studied are the following: Platone (5-14: 10), Aristotele (21-33: 13), Cartesio (65-72: 8), Spinoza (77-83: 5), Hume (111-120: 10), Kant (123-133: 11), Hegel (137-144: 8), Nietzsche (149-156: 8), Ecologia (231-234: 4), Ermeneutica (169-172: 4), Esistenzialismo (173-177: 5), Marxismo (190-193: 4), Nichilismo (193-196: 3), Positivismo (197-204: 8), Scuola di Francoforte (205-208: 3), Filosofia dell’educazione (240-243: 4), Globalizzazione (245-248: 4), Storia (264-267: 4): total pages 116.
To these parts, the student will have to add a topic of his/her choice from the Addresses section and two topics from the Problems section, to be studied and presented for the exam (about 10 more pages). The anthological parts relating to each author must be read. Although they are not subject to examination, it is advisable to read the remaining parts of the manual as well.

- Stefano G. Azzarà: Il virus dell'Occidente. Universalismo astratto e sovranismo particolarista di fronte allo stato d'eccezione, Mimesis, Milano 2020. Le parti da studiare sono: pp. 7-94, 121-251; tot. pagine 217.
Reading the remaining parts of the book is recommended. Toal pages to be studied: about 340.

For any other texts to read and/or study, refer to the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Assessment

Oral examination. The exam aims to ascertain the student's ability to understand the educational objectives of the course and the knowledge actually acquired (if approximate, imprecise, precise or systematic) in relation to the concepts exposed in the general part on the history of philosophy, in the methodological one on the relationship between philosophy and educational processes, in the monographic one on the issues of the pandemic and war; the test also intends to ascertain the ability to present such knowledge and to reflect autonomously and critically on it in a pertinent and reasoned manner and with a specific language: it will therefore be an oral exam.

Students who have registered their disability certification or DSA certification at the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can ask to use concept maps (for keywords) during the exam. To this end, it is necessary to send the maps two weeks before the exam session to the teacher of the course, who will verify their consistency with the indications of the University guidelines and will be able to request modifications.

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 will have to study the same program as attending people, referring in particular to the materials available on the Moodle platform and coordinating with the teacher and his collaborators.

Attendance

None.

Course books

As for attending students.

- Stefano G. Azzarà: Il virus dell'Occidente. Universalismo astratto e sovranismo particolarista di fronte allo stato d'eccezione, Mimesis, Milano 2020: pp. 7-94, 121-251, 299-375.

- Emiliano Alessandroni: Dittature democratich

- F. Coniglione, M. Lenoci, G. Mari, G. Polizzi: Manuale di base di storia della filosofia. Autori, indirizzi, problemi, Firenze University Press, Firenze 2009.
The parts to be studied are the following: Platone (5-14: 10), Aristotele (21-33: 13), Cartesio (65-72: 8), Spinoza (77-83: 5), Hume (111-120: 10), Kant (123-133: 11), Hegel (137-144: 8), Nietzsche (149-156: 8), Ecologia (231-234: 4), Ermeneutica (169-172: 4), Esistenzialismo (173-177: 5), Marxismo (190-193: 4), Nichilismo (193-196: 3), Positivismo (197-204: 8), Scuola di Francoforte (205-208: 3), Filosofia dell’educazione (240-243: 4), Globalizzazione (245-248: 4), Storia (264-267: 4): total pages 116.
To these parts, the student will have to add a topic of his/her choice from the Addresses section and two topics from the Problems section, to be studied and presented for the exam (about 10 more pages). The anthological parts relating to each author must be read. Although they are not subject to examination, it is advisable to read the remaining parts of the manual as well.

- Stefano G. Azzarà: Il virus dell'Occidente. Universalismo astratto e sovranismo particolarista di fronte allo stato d'eccezione, Mimesis, Milano 2020. Le parti da studiare sono: pp. 7-94, 121-251; tot. pagine 217.
Reading the remaining parts of the book is recommended. Toal pages to be studied: about 340.

For any other texts to read and/or study, refer to the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Assessment

As for attending students.

Oral examination. The exam aims to ascertain the student's ability to understand the educational objectives of the course and the knowledge actually acquired (if approximate, imprecise, precise or systematic) in relation to the concepts exposed in the general part on the history of philosophy, in the methodological one on the relationship between philosophy and educational processes, in the monographic one on the issues of the pandemic and war; the test also intends to ascertain the ability to present such knowledge and to reflect autonomously and critically on it in a pertinent and reasoned manner and with a specific language: it will therefore be an oral exam.

Students who have registered their disability certification or DSA certification at the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can ask to use concept maps (for keywords) during the exam. To this end, it is necessary to send the maps two weeks before the exam session to the teacher of the course, who will verify their consistency with the indications of the University guidelines and will be able to request modifications.

For non -attending the test, however, will refer exclusively to the texts scheduled and not to the lessons. However, obtaining the notes of the lessons is still useful for their understanding.

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.

None.