PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY
Attendance of the Pre-course ‘Introduction to Philosophy’ (16 hours), which will be held at the beginning of the Philosophy of History course, is recommended. For a first approach to the style of philosophical argumentation, we also recommend viewing the ‘Introduction to Philosophy’ videos available online at this address: https://www.uninsubria.it/la-didattica/orientamento/preparati-allunivers....
The examination of learning will consist of an oral test only, with evaluation in thirtieths.
The outcome of the examination will be considered positive when a mark of 18/30 is reached.
During the interview, three to five questions will be asked to ascertain the achievement of the training objectives and the expected learning outcomes, with strict reference to the scheduled texts, also by reading and commenting on passages chosen by the lecturer. It is therefore necessary to bring the scheduled texts with you to the examination.
The final grade will also take into account the materials developed and presented by the students during the workshop/seminar activities. The assessment will be based on the following criteria: accuracy of answers (60%), linguistic and argumentative mastery (30%), ability to independently formulate a suitably reasoned critical judgement (10%).
The course aims to introduce the style and vocabulary of philosophical thought, in particular applied to the concept of history. The aim is to encourage a conscious and contextual approach to the different forms of narration of collective human events. The concept of ‘history’ will be problematized in order to understand the philosophical basis of the current debate on the meaning of historical knowledge.
Expected learning outcomes include:
- basic skills in the use of philosophical vocabulary and argumentation;
- ability to interpret and problematize the notions of ‘tale’, ‘testimony’, ‘document’, ‘memory’, ‘progress’, ‘temporality’ implicit in the practices of historical knowledge;
- ability to identify the philosophical assumptions operating in the notion of ‘historical sciences’ that flourished in the modern and contemporary ages;
- critical ability to read the present, aware of the transformations that redefine the meaning of human action and knowledge in different cultural and practical contexts.
The teaching activities will take place on three interconnected levels.
1) GENERAL PART (approximately 20 hours). In close continuity with the Introduction to Philosophy Pre-course, some key notions of the philosophical vocabulary and, in particular, of the metaphysical tradition as a search for ‘prime causes’ will be examined. On this basis, an overview will be given of the birth and developments of the notion of ‘history’, from its Greek origins to the present day. Within this horizon, the assumptions that led to the emergence of the modern concepts of ‘universal history’ and ‘historical sciences’ will be examined.
2) MONOGRAPHIC PART (approx. 36 hours). The central part of the course will be devoted to the theme “Sense, Non-Sense and the End of History”, with particular reference to the theses of Karl Löwith (1897-1973) and the debate that has flourished around them.
3) WORKSHOPS/SEMINARS (12 hours). The concluding part of the course includes activities to examine in depth some of the topics dealt with in class. During the workshop/seminar hours, students will present papers in the classroom based on written materials prepared individually or in groups.
The training objectives of the course will be achieved by means of face-to-face lectures (for a total of 56 hours), to which 12 hours of interdisciplinary workshop/seminar activities will be added, encouraging the active participation of the students. During the workshop/seminar activities, students are expected to present and discuss written papers in the classroom on the topics covered. The papers will be considered as part of the learning outcomes to be tested.