Students will engage with texts by authors from different periods, centered on the themes of peace and tolerance in the history of philosophy. Through the analysis of a broad anthology of works, they will grapple with recurring arguments both for and against relativism and the notion of just war (bellum non est per se inhonestum), gaining awareness of key ideas and moments that have shaped the historiographical landscape of philosophy. This will be achieved through a dialectical and comparative methodology.

Education in peace and tolerance, along with historical and philosophical knowledge, is one of the most powerful antidotes to war, violence, and ideological or religious fanaticism, both in the past and in the present. While conciliarist ideas first appeared in the Middle Ages, it was not until Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) that a radical pacifist spirit became widespread. His works against war and in favour of concord, such as Dulce bellum inexpertis (1515) and Querela Pacis (1517), will be examined as precursors to the theme of tolerance that would later become central to modern philosophical debates between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.

Through the words of key proponents and opponents, this study will attempt to trace a trajectory from Erasmus' arguments to Voltaire's Traité sur la tolérance (1763), with the aim of reviving the relevance of these authors and their arguments in addressing issues that remain pressing today.

In the order of the two weekly lessons, the course will follow this indicative timeline:

• Introduction to the concepts of peace and tolerance in the history of philosophy, from Erasmus to Voltaire
• Presentation of the main texts on the concepts of peace and tolerance to be studied
• Peace was his obsession
• The war of the Christian soldier
• The Panegyric for Philip of Burgundy
• Julius excluded from heaven
• War and peace in the Adagia
• A dung-beetle hunting an eagle
• The Education of the Christian Prince
• The Complaint of Peace
• An epitaph for peace
• War is sweet to those who have not experienced it
• From Catholic unity to the multiplicity of worlds
• Many Religions, One Faith: Universalism
• The 17th century: from religious tolerance to modern freedom
• Tolerance and sovereignty
• Voltaire and the Enlightenment
• Freedom, civilisation, sovereignty

None.

• Knowledge and the ability to comprehend:
  • Among the course expectations is the assimilation of foundational knowledge in the discipline, which is essential for understanding a philosophical text in its logical structure, particularly in relation to the themes of peace and tolerance.
• Application of knowledge and the ability to understand:
  • The course expects students to apply their preliminary knowledge, which forms the necessary conceptual framework for understanding philosophical texts and critical literature, especially in relation to the ideas of peace and tolerance, to address truth claims that lead to intransigence and oppression.
• Autonomy of judgments:
  • The course aims to develop students' capacity for independent judgment, particularly in cases where critical and textbook literature offers excessive simplifications of authors and works that instead require deeper analysis; this is especially pertinent in disputes involving peace and tolerance.
• Communicative skills: 
  • The course requires students to clearly and rigorously articulate the conceptual structure of the works and authors studied. Moreover, peace and tolerance necessitate investment in dialogue and engagement with differing perspectives.
• Learning skills:
  • The course emphasizes the acquisition of the conceptual tools necessary to navigate the broad landscape of the history of philosophy, with particular attention to the history of ideas concerning peace and tolerance.

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

Seminar activities will be planned and indicated in the course of the lectures.

A written formative assessment test will be held en route, which may give rise to explanations and discussions with the sole purpose of helping students to assess their level of preparation and the effectiveness of the study method adopted.

Teaching

The course will be structured into two weekly sessions, each lasting 2 hours.

The sessions, depending on the topics covered, will be based on frontal lectures (with the hope of participatory interaction) and various laboratory moments where students will have the opportunity to practise and measure themselves against the lecturer and others.

Innovative teaching methods

Throughout the course, an effort will be made to combine traditional lectures with various teaching approaches, such as debates and the flipped classroom. At the end of the course, students may also agree with the instructor on writing a personal paper. Participation in the different proposed activities may contribute to the overall assessment.

Attendance

The course requires regular attendance of at least two-thirds of the lessons. Alternatively, please refer to the additional information for non-attending students.

Course books

Primary Literature:

• Erasmo da Rotterdam, Dolce è la guerra a chi non l'ha provata (1515) e Il lamento della pace cacciata via e distrutta da tutte le nazioni (1517), in Eugenio Garin, Erasmo, Cultura della pace, San Domenico di Fiesole, 1988, 38 e 34 pp. [BNI: 889104].
• Voltaire, Trattato sulla tolleranza, a cura di Palmiro Togliatti, introduzione di Giacomo Marramao, Editori Riuniti, Roma 2005, 159 pp. [ISBN 8835957001].

Secondary Literature:

• Eugenio Garin, Erasmo, Cultura della pace, San Domenico di Fiesole, 1988, 54 pp. [BNI: 889104]
• Lucia Felici e Girolamo Imbruglia, La tolleranza in età moderna: idee, conflitti, protagonisti, Carocci, Roma 2024, 335 pp. [ISBN: 9788829021444].

Assessment

For students who have attended at least two-thirds of the 36 hours of teaching, it is specified that the assessment of learning will take place by means of an oral interview. Participation in teaching activities and the possible submission of a paper may contribute to success.

The learning objectives will be verified by means of an oral examination of varying duration according to three main assessment criteria:

• the relevance of the answers to the questions;
• the completeness of the answers to the questions;
• the mastery of the technical language.

Each criterion will be assessed on a decimal scale – equal weighting will be given to each; the final mark will be expressed in thirtieths, with a possible declaration of distinction.

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

Individual study of the indicated texts and use (ad adiuvandum) of the material on the Moodle platform.

Attendance

Attendance is not compulsory.

In lieu of lecture hours (36), please contact the lecturer (prior to the scheduled lecture dates) to agree which parts of a History of Philosophy textbook you prefer.

Course books

Primary Literature:

• Erasmo da Rotterdam, Dolce è la guerra a chi non l'ha provata (1515) e Il lamento della pace cacciata via e distrutta da tutte le nazioni (1517), in Eugenio Garin, Erasmo, Cultura della pace, San Domenico di Fiesole, 1988, 38 e 34 pp. [BNI: 889104].
• Voltaire, Trattato sulla tolleranza, a cura di Palmiro Togliatti, introduzione di Giacomo Marramao, Editori Riuniti, Roma 2005, 159 pp. [ISBN 8835957001].

Secondary Literature:

• Eugenio Garin, Erasmo, Cultura della pace, San Domenico di Fiesole, 1988, 54 pp. [BNI: 889104]
• Lucia Felici e Girolamo Imbruglia, La tolleranza in età moderna: idee, conflitti, protagonisti, Carocci, Roma 2024, 335 pp. [ISBN: 9788829021444].

Assessment

The learning objectives are checked by means of an oral examination of varying duration, according to three main assessment criteria:

• the relevance of the answers to the questions;
• the completeness of the answers to the questions;
• the mastery of the technical language.

Each criterion will be assessed on a decimal scale – equal weighting will be given to each; the final mark will be expressed in thirtieths, with a possible declaration of distinction.

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.

Among the recommended texts that will be taken into consideration are the following:

• Pierre Bayle (1647-1706), Commentario filosofico sulla tolleranza, a cura di Stefano Brogi, Einaudi, Torino 2018, 849 pp. [ISBN 9788806237554].

• John Locke (1632-1704), Lettera sulla tolleranza, in appendice il Saggio sulla tolleranza, a cura di Carlo Augusto Viano, Laterza, Bari 2021, 125 pp. [ISBN 9788842045021].

• Spinoza (1632-1677), Trattato teologico-politico, introduzione di Emilia Giancotti Boscherini, traduzione e commenti di Antonio Droetto ed Emilia Giancotti Boscherini, postfazione di Pina Totaro, Einaudi, Torino 2007, 513 pp. [ISBN 9788806187019].

• Sébastien Castellion (1515-1563), La persecuzione degli eretici, cura e traduzione di Stefano Visentin, La rosa, Torino 1997, 157 pp. [ISBN 8872190282].

• Erasmo (1466-1536), Il pugnale del soldato cristiano, in Scritti religiosi e morali, progetto editoriale e introduzione di Adriano Prosperi, a cura di Cecilia Asso, Einaudi, Torino 2004, pp. 3-123 [ISBN 8806167936].

• Erasmo (1466-1536), I Sileni di Alcibiade, introduzione e note di Jean-Claude Margolin, traduzione di Stefano Ugo Baldassarri, Liguori, Napoli 2002, 138 pp. [ISBN 8820733609].

• Cusano (1401-1464), La pace della fede, testo latino a fronte, introduzione, traduzione e note di Marco Vannini, postfazione di Roberto Celada Ballanti, Lorenzo de' Medici Press, Firenze 2023, 133 pp. [ISBN 9791280527059].